SOCIAL MEDIA

26 January 2015

The Perfect French Pressed Coffee

I've always been obsessed with French pressed coffee, sometimes a little too obsessed. I've been determined to find the perfect recipe and I believe that I finally have: For every cup of water, use 2 scoops of coffee grounds. If you like your coffee strong, like I do, then give this recipe a try.
Place the grounds into the french press.
Bring the water to an almost boil and let it sit for a minute.
Pour the hot water into the french press.
Stir the bloom of the coffee grounds into the water.
Place the lid on the french press and let it sit for 5 minutes.
And viola! You have the most perfect cup of french pressed coffee!
25 January 2015

The Seventh Day


The seven days (of the 7-day workout) are up and I’ve loved every minute of it. I’ve eaten more salads than I normally would in the span of a week and I also drank a lot more green juices. I feel lighter and the bonus is that my jeans are actually fitting better. There are a lot of things that I will be continuing from the workout too. I’d like to eat more salads and drink more green juice. Having planned breakfasts have been a great help as well. I typically hurry through breakfast and I end up eating the same boring Ezekiel bread with e.v.o, when I could be eating a healthier, more well-rounded breakfast, like the protein pancakes shown above. But food isn’t the only thing I’ll be continuing with. The workouts that were suggested have made exercise a lot more fun too. The "Fat Burning Workout" was one of my favourites by far. I also love the idea of getting cardio on one day and weight training on another - I used to just lump mine all in one day. Breaking them up makes a goal for me that I can feel good about each day.

During the week, I did go out to dinner, but I made sure that I kept to the protein, vegetable and starch rule. Like I said in previous posts, this workout was more about amping up my exercise routine since I already eat fairly healthy. However, I did find that with the meal plan that Lauren suggested I managed to eat even more healthy foods.

If you haven’t check out Lauren Conrad’s 7 Days to Skinny Jeans Workout, be sure to check it out.
If you have checked it out, and are considering to continue (like I am) take a look at her latest post.
21 January 2015

The Beauty of a Hard Workout


I consider myself rather healthy. I eat right, with the occasional guilty pleasure, run three miles three times a week, do yoga (fit and sculpt), as well as weight training. I started Lauren Conrad’s 7 Days to Skinny Jeans because I want to amp up my cardio a little, while throwing in a new workout routine. For this post, and all other posts related to this, I’m going to be focusing on the workout aspect.

Day 1 consisted of 30 minutes of any type of cardio. I choose the elliptical and since I typically do 30-45 minutes of cardio when I go to the gym, it was a breeze.
Day 2 was a different story. The "Daisy Dukes Workout" made my legs feel like jelly afterwards and I was surprised by the cardio that I received during the workout. My legs still feel a little sore and for someone who normally does weights (and kind of likes the after effects of a weight training that is challenging) I'm loving it - soreness and all!
Day 3 Sweet fancy moses! The “Fat Burning Treadmill Workout” has brutal written all over it. I burned 400 calories in two miles. It normally takes me more than 3 miles to burn close to that many calories. But, like day 2, I feel as though I have accomplished something and I feel great because of it.

I’ll definitely be using these workouts long after this week and I am glad that I have found new ways to break out of that workout rut with fun exercises.
18 January 2015

L.C.: A 7-Day Workout & Healthy Meals

I guess I should start this post off with a small confession:
Ever since I jokingly watched Laguna Beach in my late teens, I have been secretly in love with the awesomeness that is Lauren Conrad. I check her blog often and the other day I saw that she posted an updated version of her 7 Days To Skinny Jeans Workout. Since starting the Whole30 diet in February, I figured I'd give LC's workout a try before hand. Especially since both are big on not consuming any added sugar. I've also been wanting to spice up my workout routine with some fun changes.

Now that I have my fridge stocked with fresh veggies, lean meats, and healthy carbs. I am looking forward to this week. I will be following her meal suggestions, in its entirety, except for the quinoa pizza bites. Instead, I will be consuming something lean, like my homemade walnut crusted chicken with a sweet potato on the side.

Here's a list of what I picked up at the store:
-radishes
-raspberries
-baby spring mix
-sweet potatoes
-white potatoes
-chicken breasts
-sweet corn
-Ezekiel bread & tortillas
-grape tomatoes
-lemon hummus
-avocados
-50/50 salad mix
-eggs
-broccoli
-cucumber
-apples
-lemons
-red onions
-salmon
-ground turkey
-mozzarella
-ricotta


If you're interested and would like to join me, I have dedicated a whole board on my Pinterest account that you are more than welcome to take a peak at. I've made sure to pin all of the specific workouts and meals that are mentioned in Lauren's post to make things even easier.

Let me know in the comments if you decide to do it too!
08 January 2015

Lynch Pin


Ever since high school I have been in love with all things David Lynch. The first movie of his that I saw was Lost Highway. Aside from the nightmarish-ly dreamy and mysterious plot, I was in love with the dark undertones, as well as the fact that Trent Reznor had worked on the soundtrack. I devoured Lost Highway obsessively trying to find the mysteries that Lynch hid within his tapestry of jazz, murder, and a film within a film. I became enthralled with Mulholland Drive and pleasantly shocked by Blue Velvet. Lynch's cinematic genius has defined a lot of the type of shows and movies that I watch and adore. His show, Twin Peaks, has always been a favourite of mine - even though I didn't see it in order until the past two months (thanks to Netflix). Since re-watching that incredible series, and falling in love with the characters and all-consuming plot, I have felt a wonderful resurgence for my love of David Lynch. For christmas, I received Fire Walk With Me and even though I am only halfway through, I cannot wait until Twin Peaks starts up again in 2016. I am longing to see what unfolds within the walls of that town. But until then, I will be binge watching Lynch's films and listening to his music like mad.
02 January 2015

nestled in warmth

These past days have been filled with glorious bouts of laziness. Days when I don't want to leave the house. So I order takeout, watch shows and movies and hangout in bed. There is something to be said about the comfort that can be found in one's home, softly nestled in the warmth of a bed. The climate outside has been a varying mix of cold and warm, dreary and rainy. And it has left me yearning for colder weather. The kind of cold that sinks into your bones and settles in, just bellow the skin, deep inside the veins. But until then, I will cherish these lazy days.
01 January 2015

Goodbye 2014

Another year has passed and it is another year that I am thankful for. Last year was a mix of truly amazing events and really shitty ones. The good obviously outweighing the shitty times, making the bad nothing more than moments I can gladly push to the side

In May, for the first time in my life, I left the States and ventured to England. I fell in love with that country, it's people, history and it's architecture. I even went to Scotland!

I made a new friend this year too and I am extremely thankful for her friendship. Megan has shown me such kindness and is a beacon of light when I cannot seem to find good in the world. Brooke and I have become even closer and it warms my heart to know that she knows all of my secrets and doesn't judge me for any of it.

One of the hardest things this year was dealing with the loss of my grandfather. I miss him terribly but I've found that missing the dead is hard but necessary in order to keep their memory alive.
 
Turning thirty hasn't brought some magical handbook with it. But I've learned day by day, little by little, that I can accept the reality of myself and other people. 

My only goals this year are to post some photos from my England and Scotland trip (on here) and to print some out and frame them. I have the perfect spot in mind...

Here's to twenty-fifteen.