Fabulous Friday!

Well, we've finally made it to Friday! Barely on this end though as we've been terribly sick. Luckily the Mr. hasn't gotten it yet, but I'm making sure not to breathe on him! So, I'll continue to keep my fingers crossed.

This weekend we aren't going to be up to too much as we are just coming off of being sick and the kiddo leaves for her Grade 7 End of Year 5 day trip! I didn't even know schools did this until we moved to Texas and we heard about several schools that took week long camping trips or in California when most of her Grade 6 friends went to some space camp thing. So, this is pretty exciting that since they are "graduating" this year (at her school Grade 7 is ending Primary School),so, they get a really big trip!

So, we will be packing her for that. On Friday we are going to do a little bit of a Fondue with our new Raclette cheese. We'll grill up some meats and shrimp (maybe even some lobster), and veggies for dipping into the cheese. Then we'll finish it up with these amazing Malted Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

Saturday will be an exciting day as our local farmer's market opens!!! My daughter and I love farmer's markets. The kid is open to trying anything new so we always grab one new fruit or veggie to try that upcoming week. I figured after a while we'd run out of things to try, but with as much as we've moved there is always something new to try! I think our favorite so far was dragon fruit we tried at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market last year, and the biggest surprise to both of us was our love of fresh, raw spinach. You'd be surprised what kids are willing to try when you give them the freedom to pick it and decide how they want it prepared to try. My daughter is adventurous so the way she thought she'd like spinach the least-raw-is actually how she likes it the best, same with kale! Don't give her cooked kale, she'll ask you why you destroyed it! So, needless to say we are pretty excited about that. The rest of the day will be spent finishing packing her up and working on dying her bedding and working on the last of some accessories we started a couple weeks ago to make her room into a Moroccan Paradise.  We will also spend sometime prepping her Sunday lunch on the bus and making some cinnamon rolls or baked doughnut holes. This is also supposed to be our date night but since she leaves Sunday for a nearly a week unless she goes to spend the night at a friend's house we'll actually stay home and enjoy being with her. But, if she decides to go spend the night then we'll go out and do some dancing and jump around to a few bars trying new cocktails (that's what I love about city living no worries about driving around to try new and different bars).

Sunday we'll wake up and having cinnamon rolls or doughnut holes and coffee/hot cocoa (all homemade) and then we'll be off on our walk to the school to get her off to her big trip. Then the husband and I will probably laze around and stay in bed all day since we haven't really had the opportunity to do that since early 1999! LOL For dinner we'll do some easy quesadilla's using the last of our Raclette and any leftover's from Friday's fondue.

Now, I usually leave you all with a yummy recipe so I'll leave you with this one:

Tropical Martini

This is my twist on a fun martini

1 oz Malibu Rum

1 oz Absolute Citron

1 oz Pineapple Mango 100% Juice 

Dash of Grenadine

Combine all in a shaker cup with ice. Strain into a cold martini glass. Enjoy responsibly!

I really enjoyed this martini during our game night last weekend. It was quite tasty and made me think of summer!! So, if it's warm or just wish it was warm shake this up and enjoy! (Just don't drive after ;))

So, hard to believe our little bug is getting so big to do all the huge trips and stuff without us! But, I am glad we brought her up not afraid to go off and enjoy herself without us! Explore and see the world through her own eyes and tell us all about it!

What are you most looking forward to this weekend? I think for me I'm looking forward to seeing the excitement on my kid's face as she gets on that giant bus and goes off on this much anticipated trip.

Clean up the Vacuum!!!

A few days ago I was completely fed up with my vacuum. So much so in fact, I was ready to toss it & grab a new one. But, I hate throwing away good money & since my vacuum is only a few years old I wanted to see if I couldn't revamp it, make it like new again.  The issues I was having are it wouldn't suck stuff up as strongly as it once had, when using attachments basically nothing would get picked up, and dust was being blown back into the house.

So, in my attempt to resolve these issues I found my manufacturers brochure online & looked up other tutorials online & using my own noggin came up with the following tutorial:

1. Remove filter from vacuum

Before-Icky & Dusty

Before Icky & dusty

2. Open it up & remove the top filter. Empty into trash bin, knock it pretty hard against the side to get as much dust off as possible. You may need to use your fingers to get some of it off. Then, the main compartment that collects all the dust empty it out, you may have to use your fingers here as the little wind tunnel part is where my dust (aka hair) tends to get wrapped around the filter.

3. Now, get an old DRY soft bristle toothbrush. I gently brushed mine with this. DO NOT use anything bigger or harder as you risk damaging your filter. But I did this just to ensure I got all that dust out & make it as new as possible! I even had to use the end of the toothbrush at some points to get all the dust out. It was gross but it got the job done.

Before-I used the tooth brush on all parts because it was just the perfect size to get into all those little grooves. This one also has to be washed so you'll see it's "after" later on.


After a good brushing. I really used the end of the brush to get in there & get what was really stuck in there. Then, after I decided ti was brushed well I knocked it up against the side of the trash one really good last time turning the filter until I felt almost all the dust was gone. Then brushed it one last time.

4. Clean the container the filter and wind tunnels sit in, I did it with some organic, all natural Dr. Bronner's, but use whatever you have. Then, dry thoroughly with a towel!!!!!!! I then let mine sit out about an hour to two just to make sure all the cracks & crevices are thoroughly dry. If you don't give it sufficient drying time then  

No more dust! All disinfected & clean!

No more dust! All disinfected & clean!

5. If you want add a drop or two of essential oil your filter. LET DRY COMPLETELY BEFORE ADDING BACK ONTO VACUUM & VACUUMING!!!!!  I have no idea if this will damage it but so far seems to be working fine on mine & it gives such a pleasant scent! But, use at your own risk as I do t think many manufacturers would recommend this!

6. Lay your vacuum down, look at the little roller bar underneath. Lots of hair? Some Easter grass? Get some scissors & start trimming it off! Be careful & Make sure to remove as much of it as possible.

Mine wasn't too terrible. I've seen worse! But, I just used my scissors to cut along the areas by the bristles being careful not to cut the bristles & removed all that gunk. I think wiped it all down real well with a sponge.

7. Check out your attachments & hoses. Using a broom handle or long stick push any gunk through & shake them out.

8.Reassemble everything &just give the whole unit a general dusting & wipe down to make it look like new!

Doesn't it look so happy?!

Guess what?? All of my issues were solved by taking these simple steps. This is something you can do once a month to preserve the life of your vacuum and cut down on the waste we send to the landfill, we don't need a Wal-E situation ;) Plus, if you do it monthly it won't take as long the next time!

Now, go use that fab like-new vacuum!

What I Ate Wednesday/WODs #4

Happy Wednesday!!!

Over here we've been battling a cold. So a good majority of our meals consist of having a cup of lemon water with honey, cinnamon, and cayenne to try and get rid of this horrible cold. It wouldn't be so bad, but I go to bed thinking I'll feel better the next morning and usually I feel absolutely horrible! I'm hoping with the sun that is supposed to come in tomorrow it will bring some good feeling vibe with it or something. 

Anyway, enough whining! On to the workout's first today. Last week I was bound & determined to do every workout, in the order I am supposed to without whining. I DID IT! Personal goal of mine so that was pretty exciting. Here's what the workouts consisted of:

Wednesday: Max Cardio Conditioning and Cardio Abs. I also took a nice long walk around the neighborhood my daughter's gym is in. Saw a train on the tracks that I thought were just abandoned, it lost it's cargo & had to back up! I had no idea trains could back up?! Anyway, the workout was killer I woke up Thursday with sore ribs from the hard work during the abs. 

Thursday: Max Recovery. I was so glad too, I was very sore. But, this was a great workout. My hip even cooperated so I was able to do all the hip openers all the way through.

Friday: Max Interval Circuit. Legs. Were. Dying. I also did a ton of walking this day between getting the kid to school, then home, then taking her belongings for her weekend trip to her friends house, then home. It was a lot of walking.

Saturday: Core Cardio & Balance. This is a nice easy 35 minute workout. I got up early before the husband & knocked it out. It was fab!

Sunday: Rest Day. I woke up & was starting to get sick. :( So, I took it easy, took a hot detox bath, did a little stretching & walking and that was about it.

Monday: Max Interval Plyo. Even though I was sick I worked  as hard as I could without stressing my body too much so it could still heal. 

Tuesday: I decided to take today as my rest day. I am still feeling pretty awful and by 11 am had taken two naps so I decided just to work on the blog, drink my lemon water, and let myself heal. I also took a hot detox bath. 

Today: I'm moving everything down a day so today I'll do Max Cardio Conditioning & Cardio Abs. This is my last week of Insanity so I am super excited to finish up strong & move on to another round of P90X.

So, as you can see I am super excited to get back to lifting weights. I have a couple of goals for this summer round of P90X which I will address when I show off my June workout calendar. Anyway, on to the FOOD!  You can read here about our experience at Eat! Vancouver this past weekend, but that's obviously not all I ate....

French Toast!! I don't make this often but my daughter was leaving for a long weekend so I made her nutella/banana/cinnamon french toast & decided to have a piece with her. I didn't want anything so decadent & I have issues with eating chocolate in the morning lol so I opted for this! It was amazing!

Saturday morning breakfast for the Mr. & I. Homemade dough, ricotta, mozzarella, eggs, bacon, and a bit more mozzarella just for good measure. ;)

I don't want soda often but lately I've been craving all things ginger so I decided to grab a gingerale after Eat! Vancouver to enjoy the evening.

This was dinner last night since I wasn't feeling well. I'd been wanting to try a Thai place up the street called Pink Elephant. The kiddo & I split the leftovers for lunch & there's still a little in there for breakfast or lunch tomorrow!

Lunch one day. Egg salad sandwich with baby greens, cashews, oranges, and pickle.

Mmmmm cereal with raisins & bananas!

Post-workout snack one day. Almond butter sandwich with greek yogurt with a drizzle of maple syrup, blueberries, and flaxmeal. 

After the kiddo's band concert last Thursday we went to a local pizza place she loves. They got pizza & I got a massive Caesar Salad. It was amazing.

So, that sums up my week in food & fitness! Making better food choices all the time!!! 

What was your favorite food this last week? Mine was probably the lobster & raclette my hubby made after Eat Vancouver last Saturday!

Eat! Vancouver & the rest of the weekend.

First, since I am an American I would like to take this time and say thank you to all of those who have given their lives for us to have the freedom's we have. This includes those who served past and present. Being a military member is a commitment that take pure heart and commitment to get up and do everyday. There are men and women out there who are trying to make do as their spouse is off facing dangers most of us can never imagine. So, even though we don't have the day off here in Canada it is important for me to take a minute and stop and say a few words of thanks and appreciation for those out there who gave their life to help keep America a safe and free place for it's citizens.

Moving on....

This weekend we had a rare moment where it was just hubby & I when our daughter took a weekend trip to Victoria over on Vancouver Island with her Girl Guide Unit. We had some friends over & played games until way too late on Friday night. Then, Saturday I got up to workout and made us this amazing breakfast pizza. I made our crust from scratch using the quick & easy pizza crust from Clean Mama.

Then, I did a DIY Shellac. I'll say they looked really pretty but they did not last very long. I did it on my nails and the kiddo's nails the next day we still had chips. Today, basically 3 days later and they already need to be redone. I will say though using the Hard as Wraps and the no-chip acrylic top coat my nails are feeling quite a bit stronger than normal. So, I'll continue to use them...especially since I bought them but it doesn't last as long as the Shellac I got last summer prior to vacation. That lasted the full 10 days of vacation.

So, after the nails were done and my amazing husband did the dishes for me:

We go going to Eat! Vancouver. Now, after you buy your admission fee you did need to purchase tasting tickets in order to taste some things. Some booths were giving regular samples, but others mostly higher end restaurants and alcohol you needed tasting tickets. The servings you got with the tasting tickets were quite a nice portion. So, through pictures I'll fill you in:

Us in line for the amazing cheese that follows. It was really good!

Raclette Cheese

This is a delicious melting cheese. At home you basically just whack off a few slices & heat it up under the broiler for the the same effect they got here. The company is Cheeses from Switzerland.

These are the bags we were given to carry our goodies home in. The Swiss Cheese place gave us a really nice bag to help keep the cheese cold while we made our way around the rest of the festival. 

So, we bought two different types of cheese from the company the easy melting Raclette and Gruyere. We did try the Appenzeller but it was too mild for us. We like for our cheese to pack a flavor punch!

Next, we hit the adult tasting area. I forgot to take pictures here. Basically you put down a two ticket deposit & grabbed a glass then you'd go to each booth & decide what you want to taste. Everything in this area cost tasting tickets. Liquor is very, very expensive up here but the Mr. & I were quite surprised at how fair the pricing was for everything. I tried one skinny moscato, it was terrible. Had no flavor at all. Then, I tried a shot from a whiskey place it was Licor 43 it was amazing! It was a shot with whipped cream on top. Sweet and warm, just what I was needing that day! ;) I'll have to stock up for the winter for sure! Otherwise I didn't really try too much in that area. There was a lot of beer & I am not a beer drinker and the Mr. doesn't drink at all so we quickly moved on to more food! 

The first thing I tried & it was very messy because they gave me a lot so sadly I didn't get any pictures was Butter Chicken with Jasmine rice. It was pretty good & I was glad to get to try it as I see it on many menu's around here but wasn't sure if it would be spicy or not. This was spicy but it was good. We then moved on down to Dunn's Smoked Meats & Beaver Tails. We'd seen the smoked meats place before but had never given it a second thought to try. I was really tasty!!!

This is the open faced sandwich with mustard. I thought the mustard gave the meat a great flavor. I actually gave quite a bit of my meat to hubby because it was almost too much for me. 

This was hubby's sandwich without the mustard. He thought it was decent. It wasn't as good as his favorite brisket from our fave BBQ place in Texas, but it was nice for something a little different. I think if they had a thicker crust with the rub on the outside he would have liked it a lot better. 

This is just a silly picture of a pickle outside the Dunn's booth. This pickle makes me smile!!! 

YES, there is a place called Beavertails!! It is flipping delicious! If you are ever near a place that sells them I HIGHLY recommend not missing trying one!

Hubby bought these so I don't have the name of it but basically it is a sweet fried flat dough (almost like a flat doughnut) with chocolate hazelnut spread on top with reese's pieces & a drizzle of peanut butter. I savored every last bite. It was amazing!

This was hubby's. It was just the fried dough with cinnamon & sugar. It was very tasty too. I think it's more a "classic" of their line. 

Later Saturday evening after just relaxing we decided to play around with our cheese and hubby decided he'd cook up his portion of the food: 

Basically what he did was to a bowl he added Nature's Seasoning, Onion Powder, and Garlic Powder. Then he dipped each piece of meat into the mixture & fried it up in a pan. 

This is the meat being fried up. It was really tender when he was done. It was served with the Raclette we bought, after it came out from under the broiler he just scraped it directly on top of the meat. 

Proof he actually did cook!!! He was feeling very domestic this weekend I guess between cleaning the kitchen then cooking! 

That is our weekend in a nutshell. Sunday we sat around re-watching the first few episodes of Newsroom since that is going to premiere soon. Then, we had to go pick the kiddo up from the Ferry terminal. It was an hour drive, but it was a very nice drive. I'll leave you with some pictures of that: 

The tide was really, really low here. There appeared to be almost no water!!

Tsawwassen. I have no idea how you actually say this....I say it with a silent "T" but the other people I've heard say it say it with this weird-to-me TS blend.....

Storm was rolling in.

Stormy clouds with boats out on the water.

There we have it! Our fun weekend in a nutshell! What all did you do this weekend?

Weekly Meal Plan-Week 7

Happy Monday!!!

Sunday's Sunset

Wow! What a weekend it was! Hubby & I had a fantastic weekend that I will write about in another post later today, but you can read about what our plans were going to be here, ya know in case you didn't see it & your über nosy like me and just want to read it. ;) 

So, on to business for the day...it is Monday & we all know what that mean...Meal Plan & Prep time!! It's the least favorite time of the week but if we get it out of the way it won't be so bad as the week goes on. I'm starting off this week not feeling 100% so it's going to be a fairly easy week on this end with lots of healthy detoxey goodies to get me feeling better.

FIRST: Go & clean out your fridge. Get rid of old leftovers, make note of any that need to be used up quick. 

Breakfast

Monday: Cereal/fruit & ginger cayenne lemon shot, fruit & yogurt parfait with granola and peppermint green tea with lemon & cinnamon
Prep: pre-measure cereal & milk; layer parfait & pre-measure granola. Ginger shot needs to be made fresh for the best possible results.
Tuesday: Leftover pancakes and fruit/egg white omelette with greens and papaya and peppermint green tea with lemon & cinnamon 
Prep: None, pancakes are done; omelette will be whipped up fresh
Wednesday: Carnation instant breakfast shake with pineapple & papaya/papaya/pineapple/spinach green protein smoothie
Prep: Blend green smoothie first & freeze, then blend carnation smoothie & freeze. Take out of freezer Tuesday night so it's defrosted.
Thursday: Cereal with strawberries and banana's
Prep: Pre-measure cereal's and milks, chop strawberries & banana's, squeeze with a little lemon to preserve. Store in air tight container.
Friday: Peanut butter and banana grilled sandwiches with any leftover fruit from earlier this week.
Prep: None, will be made fresh.
Saturday: Green Eggs with toast and bacon/sauteed mushrooms
Prep: None, will be made fresh.
Sunday: Homemade cinnamon rolls with homemade chocolate milk/iced mocha
Prep: On Saturday cinnamon rolls will be made & stored in fridge until ready to bake on Sunday.

Lunch

Monday: 
Mark & Cammi: Last of the leftover hamburger helper with salad/cucumbers
Kate: Scrambled egg whites with greens and papaya/pineapple
Prep: None, most is already chopped/out. If needed chop & store cucumber slices, and fruit.
Tuesday: 
Mark: Pork chop with raclette & chips
Cammi: Oatmeal with pineapple
Kate: Turkey Meatballs with tomato sauce and zucchini spaghetti
Prep: Roll meatballs & bake in oven until done. Julienne zucchini & store in air tight container.
Wednesday: 
Mark: Eat out
Cammi: Meatballs with pasta & cucumber slices
Kate: Any light leftovers with salad
Thursday: 
Mark: Chicken breast "sandwich" with bacon & cheese & corn on the cob 
Cammi: Chopped chicken with broccoli & sweet potato
Kate: Chopped chicken with broccoli & sweet potato
Prep: Pre bake potato & chicken. Store all in individual tupperware.
Friday: 
Mark: Eat out
Cammi: Eat out
Kate: Lunch with Mark
Prep: None. 
Saturday: 
Grilled cheese with cucumbers and tomatoes
Prep: None, made fresh.
Sunday:
Beef & lobster with raclette
Prep: None, made fresh.

Dinner:

Monday: Spaghetti with salad/Paleo Spaghetti
Prep: None, made fresh
Tuesday: Island pork tenderloin with corn/broccoli/potato/soup
Prep: None, made fresh
Wednesday: Burgers/veggie burgers/baked fries 
Prep: Pre-make veggie burgers & freeze
Thursday: Pulled pork sliders with salad and corn
Prep: On Tuesday shred leftover pork & store in tupperware
Friday: Raclette fondue with meats/shrimp/mixed veggies
Prep: None
Saturday: Date night; easy light leftovers before dancing & drinks.
Prep: None
Sunday: Raclette quesadillas, stuff with whatever leftover meats/veggies; serve with any leftover salad/veggies to use up leftovers.

My grocery list for the actual store is pretty light. I am trying to use up what I have in the fridge as our farmer's market opens this Saturday! I am so excited! We are in desperate need of local honey & bee pollen for allergies. I think this is why the kiddo & I are sick for the second time in the last two months since the weather has started to change and things are blooming. 

Market:
Red leaf lettuce
Tomato
One sweet potato
One potato
Three chicken breasts
Stir fry beef
Lobster
Broccoli
Spaghetti Squash

See I don't need too much as I'm using up what is currently in my fridge/freezer so it doesn't go to waste. Pineapple & papaya aren't the teenager's favorite but she'll get over it I'm sure ;)

I hope you all have a great start to your week! Let me know if you try any thing I listed on here. I know the meal I'm most excited about is tomorrow's paleo spaghetti. I haven't had spaghetti squash in a while, which is unusual for me!

Adults only weekend!

Today is FRIDAY!!! Glorious, glorious FRIDAY!

This weekend is parent’s weekend! The kiddo is off with her Girl Guide unit hanging out in fabulous Victoria getting to see a castle! Yes, I am a little green with envy, but we’ll go this summer when her little girlfriend from Florida comes to visit so she can be our tour guide! Any whoodles, this is what our weekend is shaping up to look like:

Friday a little bit of this:

(IMG Credit)

(IMG Credit)

We will be inviting friends over & we will stay up way too late being ridiculous & playing this super fun game.

Saturday we are planning on this: 

Img Credit

Rumour has is there is an adult beverage tasting area so I am hoping to find some great new places around town for a good drink! First I have to squeeze in some Insanity, and I’m trying this breakfast pizza with a nice light homemade crust. After, if we have any room we are planning on hitting up my favourite Mongolian BBQ hole in the wall then maybe try the green tea parfaits at the Bon Crepe next door… I've been dying to try them for so long! Then, I am not quite sure what the evening will bring. We may be just ready to crash and watch a movie or catch up on some DVR. We haven't had much time this week for TV so that may be the time....

Sunday our not-so-little munchkin comes home. So I’ll go to yoga early at Lulu Lemon and then make hubs & I some egg white omelets & toast. Then, we’ll cook up a big ole’ family dinner of Spaghetti and Salad and maybe enjoy a walk together in the park if it’s nice or play in the pool. For me on Sunday, though, I will cook this separate to try. I've never tried the spaghetti squash in the crock but I’m hoping it’ll be amazing! I'll come back with a review for sure!

For dinner tonight, before our friends come over I am planning on surprising my lover with a candlelight dinner. I’m making pork chops and corn on the cob. The cob corns are HUGE! So, those will be our veggie/carb. So, without further ado…here is the pork chop recipe:

Stuffed Pork Chops

Serves 3

• 3 pork chops (bone in or boneless, but thick enough to cut a pocket into)
• Nature’s seasoning (or your favourite all purpose seasoning)
• Ricotta Cheese
• Mozzarella Cheese (1/2-1 cup)
• Spaghetti sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 176C (350F). Then, with a sharp knife cut a pocket in the side of each pork chop. Season liberally inside & out with the all-purpose seasoning, we prefer Nature's Seasoning. Next, in a small bowl Combine about a 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese with a 1/2 cup of Mozzarella Cheese. Stuff this into the pocket you created in the pork chops. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until almost done. Then, add spaghetti sauce over the top & top with extra mozzarella. Cook for another 10 minutes or so, until the chops are cooked through & the sauce & cheese are nice & bubbly. Now, if you are looking to make this slightly healthier I normally serve the sauce on the side with no extra cheese as the stuff in the middle tends to be enough. Then, we just dip the chops in the sauce if we feel like it. :)

Corn on the Cob

This is my favourite way to cook the corn on the cob. Bring a big pot of water to a boil. You can throw some salt in if you want, I don't. After it's at a rolling boil gently add the cobs & boil for 9-12 minutes depending on size. Take them out & add butter or coconut oil & season lightly with garlic powder. 

I hope everyone has a safe & fun weekend! For those in the states enjoy your holiday!!! Ours was last weekend with Victoria Day and it was quite enjoyable! 

What is your favourite holiday weekend activity? Mine, during the spring/summer is getting outside and enjoying the sunshine!!!

Purse Organization

So, today I want to share with you a little tutorial that will save you tons of time! I was going to post something else today but was inspired by A Bowl Full of Lemons Weekly Organizing challenge to organize thenshow off your purse! Well, over the last year my purse has been pretty darn clean usually. I attribute this to a couple of things.

1. My beautiful daughter isn’t really a “kid” anymore & carries her own purse so I don’t have all of her junk in there.
2. I have all of my items organized in to little areas in my bag!

Seriously, it is amazing how nice everything will stay once you get everything in where it needs to go and give it a “home”. This also makes changing bags super easy! Which, if you’re anything like me it’s close to the top of your do to list  once you get dressed for the day! Check out my lime green right now. So…here it is…my bag!

This is everything all laid out. Yes, I took these while in my car...that is a rare occasion!

So, we are city dwellers. We live right smack in the middle of downtown. I love it, but it means that when we go places I need to be prepared because I can’t just “stop home” or grab something out of the car because we walk everywhere or take transit. So, preparation is a must, this is how I ensure we have everything we need!

These are a gem!!! I love to wear heels; it is a rare occasion that I am not wearing heels so I always carry a pair of foldable flats in my bag. These ones are from “Fit in Clouds” they are amazing. They've lasted me a year now & I've literally walked miles in them! I've even loaned them to a friend in need. So, I definitely recommend investing in them, they are well worth the money!

Next is my little emergency kit. 

I have always tried to have one of these since I was a teenager. I put this one in a bag that was a free sample from target once! In it I keep the following:

• Shout wipe for stains
• Advil (in it is also 2 DayQuil pills)
• Carmex for the winter
• Hawaiian Tropic lip balm for the summer
• Dior sparkle lip gloss because some days just need sparkle ;)
• Bandaids
• The lipstick I wore the last time we go out (yes, it’s Barbie pink…it’s fab, don’t hate)
• A small notepad my mom got me. She probably thinks I got rid of it ages ago when really it goes everywhere with me!
• More pens than I realized I had!
• Way more nail files than I realized I had!
• A Ziploc bag. Yes, this is “odd” but, my teenager gets terrible motion sickness & since we take transit a lot I keep it in there just in case & that way we have a way to zip it up until the next stop.
• A pad & a pantyliner as you can never be without that as a woman my age & you never know when a friend may need one.
• Dior cosmetic mirror.
• Bobby pins & safety pins.
• I am out of mints so I need to get some of those.
• I am also out of double stick tape so I need to get a small roll of that. I keep it in my kit just in case of a wardrobe malfunction I can tape it back together ;) Sounds silly but it’s come in handy…obviously, since I am out!

The last thing I have is a mini-first aid kit. This is what I have in there:

• 2 antiseptic wipes
• Aloe
• Large bandaids & gauze
• I need to add in there some hand sanitizer

I also keep in the back pocket an antique mirror with a crochet case that was my grandmothers. It still has the little makeup applicator pad that smells delicious. It makes me smile every time I see it.

That covers my bag! I want to see yours now!! Feel free to send them to adjustingandreadjusting@gmail.com, I’d love to share some with my readers!!!

Now, in the comments tell me what your must have item is that you’d know instantly was gone from your bag? Mine would be my foldable flats. My feet would explode some nights without those! ;)

Linking up to this awesome new link party: Organize It! Link Party

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What I ate Wednesday/WODs #3

Well, it's back ladies (& gents??? I know my Mr. reads, so we'll include them too ;)), What I Ate Wednesday.

I actually find this day very encouraging because it lets me know I'm not the only one out there who loves food so much! When I look at some fitness discussion boards online it seems like so many people don't truly enjoy their food. They eat it because it is a necessary evil for living, but today is the day I can rejoice in loving food!!! So...with that intro I must admit we did NOT eat very well this past weekend! BUT, that is ok because it was well balanced with eating well earlier in the week and lots of exercise! So, without further ado....

Ribs with cinnamon pears & coconut oil & corn. The ribs are rubbed with a savory rub & slow cooked & topped with a delicious bbq sauce! The links to the recipes are here.

Delicious baby greens! My 13 year old eats these by the handful. There is baby arugula in there that has a weird spicey-ness that regular arugula doesn't have. Amazing.

First, I am so not perfect see that chipped polish??? OH yeah, it's still chipped lol  I am trying a DIY shellac today, we'll see how that goes. ..anyway, the brow bar I go to serves Chai to you during your appointment, I never turn it down, it's always amazing.

My mother's day cupcake. It was a black & white cupcake with cream cheese frosting in the middle, the top was coated with ganache, and then topped with the same cream cheese frosting that was in the middle & topped with chocolate sprinkles!

Ok, I was almost done when I remembered to take a picture. I actually couldn't eat anymore once I got to this point. It was an amazing mac & cheese with a salad (salad was just ok..I don't actually like restaurant salads), and there was an adult beverage but it was hot out & the beverage was cold so it was gone quick ;)

This wasn't the popcorn we had at the movies but it represents the popcorn...and this popcorn was way better than the crappy popcorn at the movies lol

I went to get a massage last Wednesday and so I treated myself to  a coffee & a scone! The scone I only at half, the other half served as lunch ;)

Now, onto the workouts....

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So, since last Wednesday this is what my workouts looked like:

Wednesday: None. My whole day was off & I was tired & not feeling well. I had been out early to run errands, then I grabbed the most amazing sub (that I forgot to take pictures of) and stupidly ate the whole thing along with an entire kombucha. Yeah...I tried working out about 90 min after that & indigestion kicked in so I took a hot bath instead. Lesson learned. But, I did go out with hubby to an amazing comedy show that I'll do a review of later & had a blast!

Thursday: Had a therapeutic massage to help my hip issues. I haven't had a single issue since. She told me to take it easy on my hip so I was going to just do Cardio Recovery, however, I was feeling so amazing I decided to pop in Max Recovery & had a fantastic workout! I prepped myself for only doing what I could & I did have a small issue on the part where they do the hip stretch & you have to keep your knee to elbow, but I just put my hand to the floor for the whole exercise & it was perfect! Then I took a night hot bath with Epsom salts & some lavender essential oil. It was fantastic! A day of pampering! 

Friday: Max Cardio & Cardio Abs. Killer workout, over a thousand calories, can't beat it!

Saturday: Max Interval Plyo. This workout is the hardest workout for me. I don't know what it is about all the plyo, but when we have to do wide squat jumps as the last exercise in one of the circuits it about kills me....ok, that's being dramatic, but it's really, über challenging!

Sunday: None, I didn't make up for missing Wednesday like I thought I would. We were celebrating Mother's Day, I slept in until 9 am! I just didn't get it in. It happens. But, we did do some walking as a family & I will give up a workout any day for family time. :)

Monday: This was a holiday for us! However, I didn't slack! I was up & did my fit test! I'll post my results for that soon. Then I took a break as that is a 350 calorie burner for me every time so I wanted to make sure I was fueled for the second workout so I took an hour break after a protein packed breakfast then did Max Interval Circuit. It was a tough workout but I had the 13 year old & the husband cheering me on!! It was fab! 

Tuesday: Max Interval Plyo again. I did it in my bedroom this time so I could watch myself & my form in front of the mirrors. I did the squat jumps way better this time as I realized I wasn't pulling my knees up as high as I should be & I realized that during the wide ab jump things when I'd go back in plank I was dipping my hips, could have been contributing to my low back pain. It's good to watch yourself every now & again (I personally wish I had a room where I could watch myself all the time, but I guess I'm narcissistic like that, but I think I look hot when I workout lol ;))

Today:  On the schedule is Max Cardio Conditioning & Cardio abs. The way I have it planned to do is fasting cardio abs. So I'll do them as soon as I wake up & have my water. Then, after I have a little breakfast & get hubs out the door I'll do Max Cardio. This one is the one I love to hate...as it has no breaks!! 

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So, that's my week in a nutshell. It wasn't 100% the best week, but those things happen. I still made some progress on my fit test. Some were better than others, but my muscles are sore & are taking a long time to recover, so sometimes you don't see progress but it's happening. Have to have faith! ;)

Leave me a comment & tell me what your favourite meal was this week!!!