Cotton candy
I bought this teddy coat from Miss Boss last year and I still cannot get enough of it. There's something so fun about the colour and the texture, it's a real feel good piece of clothing. You can't not smile wearing a cotton candy pink soft coat. That's the whole point of getting dressed right? Things that make you happy.
Outfit: Jacket-Maccs the label (from Miss Boss), Sweater- Jackson Rowe (from Miss boss), Skirt-Second hand (platos closet), Boots-Aldo, Necklace-Red Ribbon, Rings-Saraswati designs, and vintage
Workout Buddy
The best part of having a dog is how he pushes me to get even more steps even on days when I'm feeling a little worn out. Because of this little munchkin my step counter often reads 25,000+ especially on a day where I've gotten a good workout in.
Since he's part french bulldog running distance ain't his jam, so you can often find us on the stairs trekking along or running sprints chasing the ball.
1 Skirt 4 ways
There's nothing I love more than a piece of clothing that is versatile. I don't want to waste time on something that I can only wear once, or with one thing. I bought this skirt on a whim last year I think on black friday and it turned out to be a great piece! A black leather skirt is definitely a great staple for any wardrobe, it can easily be dressed up or down.
Skirt: Dynamite
Greek Quinoa Salad
This salad is sooo good! There's sometimes nothing better than a fresh greek salad, but it's the perfect side dish. I make some greek style chicken with mine!
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
1 cup halved tomatoes
1 medium cucumber sliced up
1/2 red onion
1/4 cup sliced up kalamata olives (with garlic in it)
1/4 cup crumbled feta
for sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 T oregano
1 T honey
1 T lemon
Power Workout
This is a workout not for the faint of heart, and definitely not for a beginner! Each one of these exercises is performed for power and with low reps, ensuring your body has recovered before going to the next one.
Reps: 6 per, rest around 30 seconds between exercises. Rest 2 minutes after the circuit. **
Single Leg Jumps
Sink into one leg and push off it and hop onto a small (about 6 inch) step, ensure soft landing and that the knee doesn't fall in.
Clapping Push Ups
Can be performed from knees or from the toes. Load down into your chest push up fast and clap your hands together quickly replacing hands where they started and lower down. 
Single Leg Hop ups
Start in a reverse lunge position, push through the front leg and drive the knee up. Try to get some height on this one.
Tuck Jumps
Push off ground and bring knees up as high as you can, keeping the head and chest up. Soft landing ensuring knees don't fall together and that you don't buckle forward.
Single Leg Lateral Hops
Push off one leg hopping laterally and land in a strong stance, not letting knee buckle and trying not to fall.
Nighty Night
I wore this for a Thanksgiving party early this month. I picked up this slip dress from a vintage shop for a cool $4. Not only is it really pretty, it is perfectly roomy to hide all the turkey, pie and pirogies I ate. At one point I had a whole collection of vintage slip dresses I had collected over the years, and I'm so sad I didn't hang onto them. They're such great layering pieces. A long sleeve under this baby made it way more appropriate for going out.
Outfit: Dress-Vintage, Long Sleeve- Jackson Rowe (via Miss Boss), Shoes-Aldo, Purse-Value Village, Sunnies-F21, Necklace-Miss Boss
Planning for Self Care this Winter
We're coming up on a bleak time of year, the days are getting shorter, it's getting colder and soon we'll have snow. Not exactly painting a bright picture am I? Well it's very easy to have it feel overwhelming and it becomes easy to start slacking on your self care. That's why we need a plan! Not only is the crappy weather a factor but the upcoming holiday season can be pretty hard on our bodies with all the food, booze but mentally too. Leave it to having to hang out with all your extended family to push all your triggers...no, just me?
Exercise releases dopamine and serotonin, we know this. Those hormones both make us feel good, so it's a no brainer that ensuring we're getting 3-4 workouts in a week would be beneficial. Besides if it's shitty and cold out, you might as well go warm up in the gym!
Or even a staycation! A weekend away somewhere even close by can be so relaxing. If you spend a lot of time planning it this creates something to look forward to! Do a ton of research, plan it out, try something new while you're away (or something you've always wanted to do at home). The more you put into it the more you'll look forward to it too.
Taking a day off, or a half day once a month and just focusing on doing what you want to. That can legit just be sleeping in and catching up on some things. It can be whatever your body feels like it absolutely needs it at that moment. You will absolutely feel refreshed after that!
1. Get Some Vitamin D
Adding in this supplement can make a huge difference to keep your mood even. It also helps maintain bone health, support health of the immune system, and support cardiovascular function among other things. Those all sound like good things, yes? So try a supplement and try to get outside on a day when the sun is shining as much as possible
2. Get Your Workouts In
Exercise releases dopamine and serotonin, we know this. Those hormones both make us feel good, so it's a no brainer that ensuring we're getting 3-4 workouts in a week would be beneficial. Besides if it's shitty and cold out, you might as well go warm up in the gym!
3. Plan Your Meals
This is definitely a self care strategy, you're setting yourself up for success for the week by planning ahead. If you come home from work and it's shitty and cold out, what might you want? COMFORT FOOD, but this sometimes makes us feel even more sluggish and gross.
4. Try a "Dry" Month
It's very tempting especially in the next few months of holiday celebrations to really indulge but that's why taking a month off before or after can be helpful. Not only is booze expensive but it can easily pack on more calories, and they're empty calories. Alcohol is a depressant, and during the dark grey months the last thing you need is to be putting something in your body that's going to make you feel even worse. We did a dry February last year, I think we're aiming for dry November and dry February again this year.
5. Plan a Vacation
Or even a staycation! A weekend away somewhere even close by can be so relaxing. If you spend a lot of time planning it this creates something to look forward to! Do a ton of research, plan it out, try something new while you're away (or something you've always wanted to do at home). The more you put into it the more you'll look forward to it too.
6. Take a Monthly Self Care Day
Taking a day off, or a half day once a month and just focusing on doing what you want to. That can legit just be sleeping in and catching up on some things. It can be whatever your body feels like it absolutely needs it at that moment. You will absolutely feel refreshed after that!Cotton Candy Coat
I bought this jacket last fall when I saw it on the Miss Boss instagram and fell in love! I was a woman possessed, I needed to have it. So i made it mine, and a year later, I stand behind that decision. Nothing quite like a pop of pink on a chilly day to put you in a good mood.
Leather & Lace
I had planned to wear something already in my wardrobe until I popped into Bamboo Ballroom in September to pick up my "still in edmonton" tee and saw this lace blouse. Like come on, how gorgeous is this piece? It's perfect, such a pretty shade of green and is going to get a lot of use with the thanksgiving/christmas party season in the next couple months. I really loved this combo of leather and lace, pretty with a bit more toughness.
And yes I was freezing my tushy off for these.
Outfit: Skirt-Dynamite (last year), Top-Bamboo Ballroom, Purse- Value Village, Shoes-Payless (like 6 years ago), Coat-Dynamite, Necklace-F21 & Miss Boss, Ring-Saraswati designs
Increase your VO2max (Cardiovascular Capacity)
Two Ways to Increase Your Cardio Capacity:
1. 30 seconds on 30 seconds off, or 60 seconds on 60 seconds off.
You want the 30 or 60 on to be challenging, so your pace would be faster than your 5km pace. This can be performed on the treadmill or bike. Work your way up to 10 sets. Start with easy 10 minute warm up, and finish with a 10 minute cool down2. 3:1 x 3.
So with this one you will work hard for 3 minutes and take one minute rest, repeat 3 times, take a 5 minute rest with easy running or riding, then repeat again. Cool down for 10 minutesAdd this in to your training program 2x a week for 6 weeks and you will definitely see an improvement in your cardiovascular capacity.
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