11/30 Pics from the Weekend and Fitness for the Week

Hi friends!!

I hope you all had a fabulous Monday :)

I ended up doing the following circuits this morning - it's quick and gets your glutes fired-up for the day! 

Glutes-on-Fire Circuit

I was inspired by Emily Skye's new app, and did her daily workout for today. 

Do the following exercises one after the other, with as little rest in between sets as possible, for a total of 4 rounds. 

12 x weighted squats

12 x alternating backwards curtsy lunges 

12 x bridge hip thrusts (lie on your back with knees bent - thrust your hips to the ceiling, hold & release to the floor)

12 x deadlift

12 x high plank knee-to-elbow 

Pics from the Weekend

I had an impromptu trip to Montreal this weekend - a friend from school was back in town, I couldn't help it! 

I know, such an irresponsible student haha. 

Anywho, we went to the amazing bar 'Velvet' in the old port

Indulged in a Schwartz smoked meat sandwich

And walked it off with a long walk around the city!

Parc Lafontaine, my fave :)

Fitness for the Week

It's another week of time-efficient HIIT and circuit workouts for me! It's final paper writing season, after all - every extra moment counts ;)

Monday: Glutes-on-Fire Circuit

Tuesday: HIIT 

Wednesday: Run

Thursday: Bodyweight Circuit

Friday: HIIT

Saturday: Run

Sunday: Active Rest Day

• What are YOUR fitness plans for the week? Do you try to be more time-efficient with your workouts this time of year?? 

Throwback Travel Thursday: Sapa, Vietnam

Hi friends,

I hope you all had a fabulous day!

I went to le Nordik Spa with my mom, aunt and middle sister - the little wee one was missing. That's what you get for going to school in a different city I guess ;)

Note: If you live in the Ottawa region and haven't been to le Nordik yet, well, you just haven't lived. 

Fix it. Go. ASAP. 

Throwback Travel Thursday: Sapa, Vietnam 

I'm going to keep riding the Vietnam train for another throwback travel Thursday post. Today's focus is the amazing Sapa. 

Snuggled up in the northwest region of Vietnam, Sapa is certainly not to be missed.

It is an absolutely gorgeous area, full of the epic terraced rice fields. 

We organized a 3 day trek with a tour company in Hanoi - there are TONS of places, so we went to a bunch and went with one that had good reviews and was reasonably priced. 

We cheaped-out and took the overnight sleeper bus instead of the train. Although it wasn't completely terrible, I wouldn't recommend it. 

I didn't actually end up taking any trains while I was in Vietnam since I had good ol' Bessie. 

Anywho, our guide came and met us at the bus, took us and our bus-bedraggled selves to get some pho,  and then we headed for her house. 

It was a fantastically beautiful walk - we passed by small houses and expansive rice fields. 

It was about a two hour walk to her house, where we had our own room with mats on the floor. The family also fed us all of our meals - so delish! 

We went out for a looong hike around the area with the mom the next day, and then decided to do a 'pub crawl' in the local village. 

Note: There were only two little 'stores, so we went back and forth, and then bought a crate of beers and lugged them up the mountain back to our home stay. The dad loved it, and an entire bottle of rice wine (aka wine whiskey) ensued.  

One of the guys even ended up getting an outfit made for him - it was amazing! 

On the last day, our guide took us a new route - which turned out to be the hardest trek of my life - back to the town of Sapa. 

We stopped in at the local market - it's the best to go on a Sunday since that's when ladies from all the surrounding areas come to sell their beautiful handmade wares. 

Overall, Sapa was one of the most beautiful areas I saw in Vietnam - which is quite a feat since the entire country is fantastic.

I would definitely recommend going for 2 or 3 days. You can stay at a wonderful home stay and do different   treks depending on your fitness level. 

If not for the amazing hospitality, the beautiful hand-broidered goods, go for the majestic landscape - terraced rice fields as far as the eye can see!

• Have YOU been to Sapa before? What did you think? If not, is it now added to your 'must-see' travel list?? 

11/23 Fitness for the Week & Green Morning Smoothie

Guten morning friends! 

I hope you all had a fibbity fab weekend :) 

Mine was a tad boring - it's coming up on the end of term when alllllllll of my final papers are due...so I locked myself inside with my laptop (and the Mindy Project, obvi) to try and get a head-start! 

I did manage to get out for a cloudy run. 

A bit of brunch - veggie omelette, hashbrowns and toast! 

And a nice walk through Strathcona park. 

Fitness for the Week

Here's my fitness plans for the week - HIIT-heavy since I have a busy week ahead of me! I'll have to save my running for the weekend *sniff*

Monday - HIIT 

Tuesday - Bodyweight Circuit

Wednesday - HIIT

Thursday - Bodyweight Circuit

Friday - Yoga

Saturday - RUN! 

Sunday - Active Restday :) 

Green Morning Smoothie 

Ermagerd. 

You guys - this was THE most delicious smoothie I've had in a while.

Actually, come to think of it, the ONLY smoothie I've had in a while, but never mind that. 

It's packed full of vitamins and was the perfect start to the day!

I did a bit of an intense HIIT this morning (I'm testing some routines out for a workout surprise I'm planning for you guys to follow over the holidays!!) so I also made a wrap with some peanut butter and honey as a side :) 

Green Morning Smoothie

Ingredients

1 kiwi

1 banana

1 stalk celery

1 handful greens (lettuce, kale, spinach)

1 cup almond milk 

1 tbsp chia seeds

1/2 tsp coconut flakes (optional) 

Instructions 

1. Put all ingredients (except the coconut flakes) in a blender. 

2. Mix until fully blended. 

3. Garnish with coconut flakes. 

4. Enjoy!

• What is YOUR go-to smoothie recipe to start the morning right?? 

Healthy Party Snacks

Hi friends, 

Happy Friday!!

Healthy Party Snacks

I had some chicas over for a ladies vino night, and decided to make a few healthy snacks for us to munch on.

Steer Clear of Cheese Plates 

Personally, cheese plates are my worst nightmare - I have absolutely ZERO self-control when a plate of delicious cheese is put in front of me. It also makes me feel incredibly guilty afterwards, so I decided to steer clear of it last night! 

[Note: this is not to say that cheese plates are never alright – cheese is a source of protein, so it is good for you in appropriate portion sizes. So, if you are one of those magical unicorns with the self-control of steel, then go for the cheese plate. For the rest of us, see my suggestions below :) ]

Veggie Platter

Instead of the regular cheese platter, why not cut up a few veggies to munch on instead??

This is one of my go-to appetizers for get-togethers since I am a sucker for some delish crunchy veggies, especially when they are paired with a good dipping sauce(!!)

Hummus

Here's an old recipe of mine for basil hummus

I have to admit, I’m a bit of a hummus fiend. My boyf has quickly discovered that I become quite cranky when I don’t have a supply of hummus in the fridge - at all times. This is an easy hummus recipe, which you can make in a big batch on the weekend and it will last you all week (in theory…). 

When you’re in a pinch and don’t have the time to make a fresh batch, there are some great options at the grocery store – just make sure you read the ingredients and don’t go for anything too fancy with extra unnecessary calories.

One of my personal faves. The garlicky kind, obvi ;)

You can also cut up some whole wheat pita bread to dip into this delicious spread as well!

Sweet Potato Fries

A great way to have something salty without resorting to a bag of chips – throw together some sweet potato fries! Not only are they delicious, but they’re super easy to make – I’ll try to post a recipe for them next week!

Fun fact: sweet potatoes are pumped full with beta-carotene and Vitamin A, and a great alternative to regular potato chips or fries.

3 Ingredient Cookies

Looking for an easy – and healthy – dessert option?

The best and easiest option is always to go with a fruit platter, but if you’re looking to provide something that looks a bit more like the traditional dessert fare, these cookies are the bomb diggity!

3 Ingredient Cookies

This recipe is adapted from a Blogilates [LINK] recipe, and should make 12 small cookies or 8 medium-sized cookies.

Ingredients

1 banana

1 cup rolled oats

Handful raisins/chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Add peeled banana, rolled oats and raisins to a large bowl.

3. Use your hands to mush (yes, I said “mush”) everything together.

4. Coat baking pan or use wax paper.

5. Roll dough into small balls and flatten them to look like – you guessed it – a cookie.

6. Bake for 5-10 minutes, or until golden around the edges.

7. Remove from heat, let sit for 5 minutes (seriously, they’ll be hot).

8. ENJOY!!

• What are YOUR go-to party snacks? Any other recommendations??

Concert Review: Andrew McMahon, in the Wilderness Tour

Hi friends!

I know I usually do a 'What I Ate' post on Wednesday, but I figured I'd change it up a bit today and do a review of the Andrew McMahon concert I attended this past weekend. 

Concert Review: Andrew McMahon, in the Wilderness Tour

Full disclosure: I love Andrew McMahon's music - he has a knack for writing songs that pluck my little heart strings. 

The concert was held at the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto. It's a great venue, and conveniently placed near Greek Town for a delish pre-show meal ;)

[I would recommend Messini on Danforth St - amazing Greek salad with chicken souvlaki]

The openers for the show were the New Politics. While they were able to get the crowd nice and rowdy, I found them a bit...rehearsed. 

Their light show was on point, and the lead singer would take breaks to do a mini breakdancing set. I couldn't help but feel like it was a bit of a cookie-cutter show, and it seemed like they had received professional coaching for their routine. 

Anywho, Andrew McMahon is obviously a big fan - he came out to sing a song with them, and even invited them onto the stage with him later during his set. 

As for Andrew McMahon's set, it was pretty amazing. 

He mixed some of his older stuff from when he was with Jack's Mannequin and Something Corporate, along with all of my faves from his recent solo album "In the Wilderness". 

He ended with Cecilia and the Satellites, which he wrote for his daughter. 

Swoon. 

He busted out one of those old-school colourful parachutes and actually came out into the crowd. 

So cool. 

That being said, there were a few strange moments. 

It happened two days after the terrible shootings in France, so I think everyone was a bit on-edge. 

Whatever the case, I guess some people in the audience were yelling inappropriate comments, but Andrew McMahon kinda freaked out. Generally, he seems like he is probs the nicest man, but the energy in the room after he essentially yelled that he would "effing punch you in the face" was a bit off. Definitely took away from the end half of the show. 

Overall, despite the ridiculousness that went down, I was still in my happy place when it was done :)

Have YOU ever seen Andrew McMahon live? What did you think??