True meaning of Christmas...

My sister and I were talking the other day and realized how carried away people get with buying and receiving presents for Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I do love receiving and I especially love giving but I feel that the true meaning of Christmas gets lost!

Christmas is about coming together. Putting aside all the stresses of real life and enjoying each others company. Christmas is about family, friends, and especially MAGIC!

I think the magic part was where the presents came in. How exciting is it to be a kid waking up on Christmas morning to see if Santa had arrived? I look back and I don't really remember all the presents I received because it was just stuff. I remember the way I felt. I remember the magic. For children, presents are part of the magic and I notice that some children get carried away with the presents and never really get to appreciate the magic.

When I was a kid, every Christmas Eve my twin sister and I would stay up all night listening to the Christmas music on the radio. We couldn't fall asleep because we were too excited for Santa to arrive. We eventually would give in to our heavy eyes and wander off. But, at the crack of dawn we were wide awake and couldn't wait any longer to see if Santa had come. My parents would let us take turns each year to be the first to go downstairs to see if there was evidence that Santa had arrived. It was probably my most favourite part of that morning. When it was my chance to see, I would RUN upstairs yelling, "Santa was here, Santa was here!!!!" It was such an exciting time. My mom and dad would make their coffee and torture us a bit longer by making us wait till that was done. I can only imagine how exciting it must of been for them to see us opening our presents with such joy and excitement.

My parents really did a good job at making Christmas magical. They told us stories of when they were young and heard the reindeer on the roof, they made sure the cookies and milk left out for Santa was half eaten with crumbs. Some years my mom even dipped my dad's shoes in flour and had him walk through the house. The magic was the best part; My most favourite memories.

I think as we get older we tend to forget about the magical aspect Christmas brings. I hope this post can help us all remember what it was like to be a kid and believing in the magic of Christmas. Although some may not believe that Santa really exists, I do! Santa doesn't have to be a person who travels the world in one night. Santa is the magic and the magic is what makes Christmas special.

So this holiday season, bring some magic into your household. Watch Christmas movies, go for snowy walks, tell stories from your childhood, play games, start a new tradition. Christmas doesn't have to be about burning holes in your pockets, let it be about the important things; Family, friends, traditions, and of course, MAGIC!

"Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings!"

MOTIVATION!!!

Ok, so it's not the New Year yet, but I am starting a new me RIGHT NOW!  I have always been pretty dedicated to working out but I find that around this time of year my energy levels drop and my motivation to work out is non-existent.  I sit around thinking about it, complaining about it, and not actually doing it.  So right now, I am making a pledge to a new me.

I just finished making a "healthy" lunch for Jeffrey and I.  The lunch consists of:

-Cut up raw veggies (red and yellow peppers, cucumbers)
-2 clementines 
-1 banana
-small egg salad wrap with lettuce (for me) and a bigger egg salad sandwich (for him)
-small zero fat yogurt
-granola bar 


Now that I have the lunch and snacks out of the way, I need to get a workout plan underway.  Jeffrey's brother is in town for a week and he is the most motivated person I know when it comes to working out.  So I am going to see if he wants to go for a run after I finish work.  I will aim for a 5k run and if I have time on my lunch break, I will do a half hour spin class.  


Starting middle of December I have signed up for a running class.  The runs will be every week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.  My bucket list has me running a half and full marathon so I better start training!  


I am going to work really hard at making nutritious lunches the night before and planning for healthy dinners.  Although I do love my sweets, I am going to try cutting down.  I would say eliminate, but I and everyone who knows me, knows that is probably close to impossible.  Plus, with Christmas right around the corner, I wouldn't be able to resist my favourite Christmas treats.  




So here is my "before" New Year GOALS in regards to diet and exercise:


GOAL 1: Workout at LEAST 4 times a week (gym or runs)
GOAL 2: Cut down on sweets
GOAL 3: Make healthy lunches everyday - eat out once a month
GOAL 4: Cut down on coffee - Replace at least one cup with green tea
GOAL 5: Drink 8 glasses of water EVERYDAY!
GOAL 6: Make healthy dinners with less carbs 
GOAL 7: Don't eat after 7pm


I wrote these goals and had to tweak them several times.  If I had kept the original goals, I know I probably would not have had much success in achieving them.  I needed to make sure they were more realistic and attainable.  I am hoping that by sticking to these goals I can be comfortable with my body inside and out :)

My Dream body :)

WISH ME LUCK ;)

E.T. Phone home!

Today I thought I would dedicate a post to my favourite furry friend.. well sort of furry friend.. GOOBER!


Goober was given to Jeffrey and I as a wedding present from my family.  We got him just days after the wedding and he has been the best addition to our new little family :)  Goober is a one of a kind cat with a spunky attitude!  I like to think he is part cat, monkey, and dog.  Like ALL Devon Rex cats, he is very loyal, cuddly, and unique!


What's not to love about this little creature... :)

I began my obsession with Devon Rex's when I was around 10 years old.  I remember seeing a Bell commercial at Christmas time.  In the commercial was this girl sitting on the couch surrounded by these weird looking cats.  From that day on I was obsessed.  I just had to have one.  So, I saved my money and a year later I bought my first Devon Rex, Waverly :)

Waverly is 18 years old now and still going strong.  She does however have a "cat" form of breast cancer therefore, it was decided it was best she stay with my parents instead of trying to adapt to a new kitten and new home at her age.  I am still her "person" though and she gets very excited when I go over to visit.  She is amazing!

A night to remember...

This Monday (November 14th) Jeffrey will be celebrating his 25th birthday.  I decided I wanted to do something special for him this year.  We both have been super busy at work so I thought a night out of town would be the perfect remedy.

I planned a getaway to The Benmiller Inn and Spa just outside Bayfield.  The Inn had been affected by the tornado that hit this past summer so there was still some renovations being done, but we didn't notice a thing out of place besides a few fallen trees.  The Benmiller was a beautiful retreat and we had a fantastic time.

I decided to plan everything from the car ride down, to the car ride home.  I went to Bulk Barn and bought two Chinese takeout containers and filled them with all our favourite candy.  This was to be enjoyed on the drive down along with a monster (for him) and a water (for me).  Candy is an obsession that Jeffrey and I both have in common.  We LOVE sugar!!

We got in the car around 2:30pm and started our journey.  We arrived around 4pm and checked into our room.  The room was beautiful.  It had a big comfy king bed and a beautiful view of the river.  It was perfect.  I had picked up a bottle of wine and a 6 pack of MGD so we both had a drink while I got ready for dinner.

Around 5:30pm we headed into Bayfield.  Because of the time change, it was dark and the town was lit up with christmas lights alone.  We decided to eat at The Black Dog pub in Bayfield.  This little pub was extraordinary.  It had over 20 beers on tap and the atmosphere was incredible.  I loved everything about it.  We were lucky to get in without a reservation on a Friday night but we had arrived just on time.

Jeffrey ordered a Carlsburg and I ordered a glass of white wine to start.  We had a hard time trying to decided what to eat but in the end I ordered the one piece fish and chips and he ordered a gourmet burger and fries.  Both were delicious.  We sat in that little pub for hours just talking and reconnecting.  I felt like I was on a first date again learning new things about my husband.  We enjoyed each others company until we were "kicked" out because of another reservation coming in... haha..

So, we bundled up and headed for a brisk walk through Bayfield.  We ventured into a few stores and then decided it was too cold to wander much further.  We jumped in the car and headed back to our little inn.

Once we returned we had a couple more beverages and made our way to the heated pool and hot tub.  To our surprise, we were the only ones to use it that night.  Once we got back to the room, I surprised Jeffrey with a cake that I had gotten made by a friend at the gym.  She did an amazing job on the cake and Jeffrey was blown away.  Thanks Shannon!!!!

The next morning, we woke and walked to the building serving breakfast.  The place was beautiful.  Each table was set with fresh flowers.  It was buffet style with fresh fruit, eggs, bacon, potatoes, cereal, toast, anything you could think of, they had.  We enjoyed our breakfast and decided as much as we didn't want to leave, we had to say our goodbyes and head back to reality.

Needless to say, our night away was a success.  It was everything I had hoped for and more and I think Jeffrey really enjoyed his birthday celebration in Bayfield!

One Classy Lady...

Beautiful.  Sophisticated.  Brilliant. 

Audrey Hepburn encompasses all three of the above qualities.  She has been one of my idols since the first time I saw Breakfast at Tiffany's, almost 20 years ago.  So today, I thought I would dedicate a post to the brilliant actress, caring humanitarian, and true beauty: Mrs. Audrey Hepburn!

"For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone."

- Audrey Hepburn

"If I'm honest I have to tell you I still read fairy-tales and I like them best of all."

- Audrey Hepburn

 

"I was born with an enormous need for affection, and a terrible need to give it."

- Audrey Hepburn

"True friends are families which you can select."

- Audrey Hepburn

"Nothing is impossible, the word itself says "I'm possible"!"

- Audrey Hepburn

“I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.” 
― Audrey Hepburn