Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Eve! I hope everyone has been enjoying the season. I love this time of the year and I'm soaking up every last second ;) Unfortunately that's meant that I've neglected the blog, but I wanted to post today to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! I saw this survey floating around and I figured it would be fitting to answer it today so here we go.

1.      Favorite Christmas Album/CD/Song? I like to buy a new album (or 2) every year. This year I'm listening to Christina Perri and Colbie Caillat.

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2.      Run on Christmas morning or take the day off?  I always run or walk on my treadmill for at least a little while on Christmas morning before I head over to my brother's for the day. Of course I do it while watching a Christmas movie :)

3.What do you usually eat on Christmas morning?  I don't eat anything special Christmas morning.  After reading other answers to this survey I think I need to establish a new tradition here though.

4.   Favorite holiday or Christmas tradition? Growing up we always went to my grandparents' on my mom's side on Christmas Eve and those are my favorite memories of this time of the year :) I am so happy that my brother bought their house when they passed and he has carried on the tradition. We're a big family and our gatherings are always so much fun.  Oh, and Santa comes to visit which makes it even more exciting for the kids :)

5.   Real tree, fake tree or no tree?  My parents get a real tree so that's what I grew up with, but there is no way I'd go to all that trouble myself :P My apartment is not huge so I bought a little fake tree and it's perfect. 



Clearly that is not my tree :P But it is my favorite and I've been lucky enough to see it the last few years!

6. Christmas pajamas… yay or nay? I implemented a new tradition last year so now the rule is we wear pyjamas on Christmas day. We haven't gone as far as getting matching pyjamas though!

7. Where do you spend the holidays? Christmas Eve is at one of my brother's house, and Christmas Day is at my other brother's house.  We used to do Christmas Day at my parent's but it's easier to do it at my brother's now since they have the kids :)

8.   Food that you always have during the holiday season? Favorite Christmas food/treat?

I have 2 favorites: shortbread cookies and magic cookie bars. They are both things we only make at Christmas so I enjoy them while I can!

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9. Open presents all at once or take turns? We take turns.  The kids start, and then it's the adults turns!

10. Favorite Christmas(ish) movie? I watch Little Women every year while I'm wrapping. I also watch way too many of those made for tv Christmas movies :P

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Merry Christmas! I hope Santa spoils you :)

Bake Sales and Cookie Swaps

Hey Guys!

Well, I survived the whole allergy test process! We discovered that I'm allergic to chemicals found in most shampoos, conditioners, body washes, moisturizers, and facial cleansers.  My dermatologist recommended a brand but it is expensive, especially considering how much conditioner I go through with my long hair, so I'm on the lookout for something a little more affordable.  Do any of you have similar allergies?

I also need your advice on how to deal with spam on Blogger. I've been getting a lot of comments from "Anonymous" and somehow the real comments on my last post were all deleted last week :( So, if you commented just know that I didn't delete it and I had replied! I love getting feedback from you guys so I'd hate for you to think I was just ignoring you!!!

I've been spending a lot of time baking these past few days. We're having our annual bake sale at work today and I'm also participating in a couple of holiday cookie swaps. So, I thought I'd share some of the recipes I've made or am going to make! They are all Pinterest finds, but I've linked to the original recipe.

White Chocolate Peppermint M&M Cookies



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Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites

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White Chocolate Candy Cane Truffles

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Pineapple Coconut Snowballs



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And, I found this cake that I would love to be talented enough to make! How cool is this?!

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Have you guys been busy Christmas baking too? What are your favorite recipes?

4 Days Without Sweat

Hey!

How was everyone's weekend? I was pretty jealous of all the Thanksgiving celebrations going on in the U.S. I think I might start having two Thanksgivings just as an excuse to have pumpkin pie again :)

This week is going to be quite challenging for me on the workout front. You see, I crave a good sweat session pretty much every day. I will fully admit to being guilty of committing the "too much cardio" sin. What can I say, it makes me happy!

But, for the next 4 days, I am not allowed to sweat :( I have to go for allergy tests, which means I'll have patches on my back that I cannot get wet. So, no running, no going all out on the elliptical, no Zumba, no Step... you get the picture ;)

In an effort to be positive, I'm trying to think of this as an opportunity to focus on strength which, as you know, is a struggle for me.

As luck would have it, one of the Elf for Health challenges this week is to try a new workout. (If you haven't already signed up for Elf for Health it's not too late to join in the next round!) So I downloaded this barre workout from Cathe. I am a huge fan of her workouts and I don't doubt that I'll be feeling the pain the day after I do this one!

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I also plan on breaking out my Chalean Extreme dvds.  I started using these around this time last year and it was the first time I didn't dread strength training so much that I just completely avoided it ;)

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I'm still hoping to get some light cardio in, probably in the form of walking. Not much chance of my breaking a sweat doing that in Ottawa in November ;)

Any advice for me on surviving the next 4 days?!?!

UK Trip Recap - Part 2

Hi :)

As promised here are some pictures of the rest of my trip!

We took a day trip from London to Warwick Castle, Stratford-upon-Avon, and Oxford.  The castle was really cool; it is owned by Madam Tussaud's so they had wax figures throughout depicting every day life and they also had lots of activities set up for Halloween and characters wandering around like this headless horseman!

Stratford-upon-Avon is a really cute town where Shakespeare was born. We chose not to go into the museum there and walked around instead.  That's how we stumbled upon this giant teddy bear that I would have loved to take home with me.

Oxford was my favorite stop of the day. I will forever be a student at heart and I would have loved to study there. What a gorgeous campus! Who knows, maybe there is a PhD in my future?!

 

We also a day trip from Edinburgh to Loch Lomond and Stirling Castle. The lake was gorgeous and it was really nice to see some of Scotland's country side. Not to mention that our guide sounded like Shrek which is always entertaining ;) 

 

We spent the next few days in Edinburgh, which is such a gorgeous city! I loved the architecture and it is the perfect city for just wandering around and getting lost since there are so many interesting side streets to explore.  We went to the castle, which was my mom's favorite castle of our trip, and Holyrood Palace, shopped along the Royal Mile, and ventured up toward Arthur's Seat.

Oh, and on our last night we figured we should partake in some Scottish culture and tried our first whisky! That stuff was strong! Let's just say I don't think whisky will become my drink of choice any time soon ;) 

This was truly an amazing trip and I'm glad I got to go with my mom. Now she knows why I love Europe so much :) I really can't wait until my next trip!

UK Trip Recap - Part 1

Hey guys!

I hope everyone had a great weekend :) Mine was lots of fun; spent some time with a friend from out of town, went to my nephew's birthday party and enjoyed the extra day off today!

I just discovered PicMonkey this afternoon, which is going to make it a lot easier to share my trip pictures with you guys :) I'll have to break it up into a couple of posts so I'll start with our first couple of days in London!

Our first stop was at the Tower of London. I had been before but it's a cool place and I didn't mind going again :) We took one of free tours they offer which was really interesting since we learned a lot about the history of the tower. And of course there are great views of Tower Bridge from there.

We also visited Kensington Palace that day but oddly enough I didn't take any pictures. I did get some pictures of Big Ben and the Parliament Buildings though, since that is the area we stayed in. If you're going to London, I highly recommend the Park Plaza County Hall. Great location and the rooms are suites which was perfect for my mom and I since it gave us our separate living areas!

The next day we wandered around areas like Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square,Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, and Covent Gardens. In the evening we went to see Shrek the Musical and it was AMAZING :)  I've always loved the Shrek movies and this musical was hilarious, definitely one of my favorites so far!

On Sunday, after my half-marathon, we walked over to Buckingham Palace and had dinner at a really nice Italian restaurant. Monday was our shopping day so we walked around Oxford Street, and the Knightsbridge area. The highlight of the day was having Afternoon Tea at Harrods :) 

I'll stop there for now but I'll tell you about our day trips and our time in Edinburgh in my next post :)

Run to the Beat UK

Good Morning!

I'm back from my trip and almost fully caught up at work and on my sleep! I tried so hard to stay up last night to hear the US election results but just couldn't so I was happy to hear Obama was re-elected when I woke up this morning! Yes, I'm Canadian, but whatever happens in the US has a huge influence on us and, to be honest, I have more faith in Obama than I do in our own Prime Minister. Since this isn't a political blog, we'll just leave it at that ;)

The real purpose of this post is to tell you guys about the Run to the Beat UK half-marathon I ran while I was in London!

From the Run to the Beat Facebook page (source)

The race was on the Sunday, October 28, and by then we had already had 2 full days of sightseeing so my legs weren't exactly fresh, but on the up side the clocks there changed that day so I did get an extra hour of sleep :)

I had my usual bread, pb (not easy to find by the way; do English people not love the stuff as much as we do?!), a banana, and a few cups of coffee.  Then I took the tube to Greenwhich which was super easy and fun considering most people were on their way to run too :) I didn't take my camera with me on the day of the race, but I did get a picture of the O2, where the race started and finished, the day before when I went to pick up my race kit.

The race started about 10 minutes late, which I didn't mind at all since I was still in line for the washrooms when it was supposed to start! It was really cold and windy but thankfully the rain held off save for a few sprinkles here and there.

I wish I could give a detailed recap of the race, but the truth is I totally zoned out for this one! I tried to take in the scenery as much as I could but I was really just stuck in my own head for most of it.  I will say it was pretty cool to be running in neighborhoods that looked like the ones you see in British tv shows, and having people with English accents cheer you on is even more encouraging :P 

As this was a Run to the Beat race, there were bands and djs stationed along the course but I had my Ipod on the entire time; Taylor Swift's new album was keeping me entertained :P  This definitely wasn't the easiest course I've run. It was probably the hilliest, and there was one brutal hill at about mile 8 or 9 that made me want to hug the lady who was telling us that we had made it to top!

By mile 10 I was so ready for this race to be over.  We caught a glimpse of the O2 as we were running through one of the neighborhoods and it looked so close yet was so far away! I slowed down considerably for the last 2 miles, but I didn't stop to walk at any point during the race cause I knew it would be too hard to start running again.  I kept an average of around a 10:30 pace for a little over the first half of the race but that came down to 11:00 to 11:30 for the second half, so I averaged at just under 11:00/mile and finished in 2:24 which I was pretty happy with; still a 1 minute improvement over my last race :P

All in all, even though this wasn't my favorite race, I am so happy that I got to run in London :) I'll be posting a few recaps of our trip with lots of pictures soon!

Getting Ready for the UK

Hey guys!

Hope  your Monday wasn't too painful :P I have no complaints since I'm only working 3 days this week, then I'm off to the UK :D

London, 2010

My mom has always wanted to go but my dad isn't super interested so we're making it a mother-daughter trip. We've been to NYC together a few times and we always have tons of fun so I'm really looking forward to it!  We're going to be spending 5 days in London and 3 days in Edinburgh, and we're taking a few day trips to the surrounding areas too. I've been to both cities before and loved them so I'm more than happy to be going back!

Edinburgh, 2010

And, I'll be running the Run to Beat half-marathon while we're in London  so that adds to the excitement :)

We have a pretty good idea of what we want to see and do while we're away, but if you have any suggestions for either London or Edinburgh please let me know!

I may not get a chance to blog until I get back to Ottawa, but I'll try to at least post some pictures and let you know how the race goes on Sunday.

Take care!

Running Quiz

Hey guys!

How was everyone's week? I have to say it was a BAD running week for me! I just DID NOT want to do it. I ran a grand total of 4 miles between Monday and Saturday and I hated every step. So instead, I spent some quality time with the elliptical and did more strength training than I normally do. You know it's bad when I choose to do weights over running :P  Thankfully I had a great 8 mile run today so I hope that means things are looking up since I do have another half-marathon in 2 weeks!!

I saw this quiz, by Hungry Runner Girl, going around the blog world this week and thought I'd join in!

Fuel: Shot Bloks, GU, Energy Chews, Candy or Other?

The only fuel I have tried are the Honey Stingers gels. I love them so much I never bothered trying anything else! They are easy on my tummy and they taste great. And I’ll admit eating something that tastes like candy on a tough run has both physical and mental benefits ;) 

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 Race Length: 5k, 10k, 1/2 Marathon, Marathon, Ultra or Other?  

I have definitely fallen in love with ½ marathons! It is the perfect distance for me since long, slow runs are my favorite. It’s a challenging yet manageable distance, and training for a half still gives you plenty of room for cross-training. Over the years I’ve learned that 5 and 10ks are just not my thing…and I’ve yet to build up the courage to register for a full marathon!  

Workout Bottoms: Skirts, Running Shorts, Capris, Pants or Other? 

Most days I run in capris from Target.  But I did get a Nike skirt capri for Christmas last year and I’ve worn it for all of my races. It’s fun to wear something a little fancier for a race :)

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Sports Drink: Gatorade, Powerade, Cytomax, you stick to water when you run or Other?

I only drink water on my training runs. Occasionally I’ll grab whatever sports drink they’re offering at a race but I have yet to master drinking from a cup while running so most of that ends up on my shirt :P Thankfully I always have my Camelbak with me which makes it much easier to stay hydrated!

Running Temperatures: HEAT or COLD?

Um neither. Yes, I’m a big baby when it comes to running temps. Thankfully I actually enjoy running on my treadmill so I can still run year-round.

Running Shoe Brands: Saucony, Mizuno, Nike, Brookes, Asics or Other?

I haven’t had any knee problems since I started running in my Nikes so I’m sticking with those!

Pre-race meal: Oatmeal, Bagel, Banana, Eggs, Cereal or Other?

I always have bread with peanut butter and a banana before a race. It’s easy, especially if you’re traveling for a race and eating in a hotel room without access to a microwave or refrigerator! Oh, and coffee, lots of coffee ;)

Rest Days: 1x per week, 2x per week, never ever ever or other?

I usually take one rest day a week.  I don’t plan it, I just take it whenever I feel like I need it and that varies from week to week.

Music: Have to have it or go without it?

Oh I have to have it! Music is a huge motivator for me, and the lyrics are more important to me than the beat. I love to get lost in an emotional song and even if it’s a slow one it will keep me going.

#1 reason for running: stress-relief, endorphins, you love to race, so you can eat all the cupcakes you want, weight-loss, love running for social reasons or other?

I think this pretty much sums it up! 

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I'd love to hear your answers to any of these questions! Or, if you're a blogger and you've done this quiz let me know so I can go check it out :)

September Foodie Pen Pal

Hey Guys! 

It’s Foodie Pen Pal Reveal Day again :)!  As you probably know, Foodie Pen Pals is hosted by Lindsay at The Lean Green Bean.

This month I was lucky enough to get an amazing package from Kris over at Trying to Tri. I picked up my box after work and I was starving by the time I got home so I dug in to the peanut butter bars right away. Kris was kind enough to send me two bars but I ate one before I had a chance to take a picture.  I’m so glad she included the recipe cause they were delicious and I’ll be making them sometime soon!

I plan on saving the homemade pasta for when I have company over and I’m determined to actually use my crock pot this year so this soup base is perfect to get me started! I tested the jam in a good old pb & j sandwich and it was a really nice change from my regular strawberry jam :)

Finally, Kris sent me some running fuel! I’ve never tried any Gu products so I’m looking forward to giving these a shot, especially since they contain caffeine which I’m sure will be an added bonus for me :P 

Thank you so much for everything Kris! 

I sent my package to Ashlee, a blog reader, who was nice enough to write up a post for my blog. Thanks again Ashlee :) 

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Hey all! I’m Ashlee!

It’s my second time participating in The Lean Green Bean’s Foodie Penpal exchange and this month I was lucky enough to receive my box from Lisa.

As soon as I opened the box, I spotted peanut butter granola. YUM. I tried peanut butter granola for the first time a month ago and it was delicious, so I was super excited to see it laying there!

I’ve never had a Larabar or chocolate mint black tea, but I can’t wait to devour both (because I haven’t yet)! I had the tomato basil soup for lunch one day; it was filling. The real showstopper was the mug cake, though, which I ate almost immediately after opening the box (moderation, right?).

Thanks so much, Lisa, for all of the wonderful goodies! Cheers to another successful month! 

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If you're interested in participating in Foodie Pen Pals next month, click here to sign up! 
 Here's some info on how it all works:

 -On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via
email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get
their mailing address and any other information you might need like
allergies or dietary restrictions.

-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies
in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the
goodies you received from your penpal!

-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or
even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also
include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining
what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!

-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items
depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about
flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re
a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short
guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you
received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry
about writing a post for that month.
-Foodie Penplas is open to US & Canadian residents.  Please note,
Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We've
determined things might get too slow and backed up if we're trying to
send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice
versa.