It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

On Tuesday morning we walked downtown and toured the decorated Christmas Tree exhibit at the world famous Empress Hotel.  Such a beautiful old sandstone structure on the Inner Harbour.

 

and then we walked up the street to the Grand Pacific Hotel where a decorated bear exhibit is on display right now, too.

 

 

 

 

I love to wander around and see the displays!    And I understand that there is a giant Menorrah on display in front of our legislature buildinsg, too, so we will have to get out and see that as well.

 

Do you get out and look at the Christmas and Hannukah displays in your town?



Sunday Smiles :)

Lots and lots of things to smile about today...


But, before I forget... big shout out of Congratulations to Rachelle who just passed her NASM certification exam and is now a certified personal trainer!

And another to Suz who just ran her first marathon - so exciting!


I love these Oh! Naturals Flavoured Banana Chips... I was sent several packages in 3 different flavours - Strawberry, Chocolate, and Natural, to sample.  They are awesome. And they are available in Canada!  You can read my full review on my food blog at

And yes, in Canada, we are allowed to put that extra ' u ' in some words... I normally don't, but lots do.

 

 

I have used this Simple Hydration bottle on a couple of runs now, tucked in the back of my waistband.  I love it!  At first I thought it felt like it was pulling my capris down in the back... it wasn't, and after I realized that, I forgot all about it.  The only caution I have... don't use COLD water!  Ha!

 

 

 

I am so enamoured of my new Handful GREY tank and bra.  Grey is not normally my color but this is absolutely gorgeous! 

 

 

 

I roasted some red peppers yesterday and made hummus.  Mmmmmm.  Will put the recipe up on my food blog on Monday.  We ate it for lunch with raw veggies on Saturday, and then today I put a heap of it on my lunch salad.  Garlicky and delicious!

 



 

 

 

I got this box of goodies recently in the mail... from a company called Gfreely... that would be gluten-free.  I won a giveaway at Fitness Fanatic a while back.  So excited about this monthly gluten-free product delivery service... and a chance to sample some things that are not available for sale here in Canada.

 

 

 

I am about to call my older sister and have a nice long chat with her on the phone, while I drink a cup of my favorite Celestial Seasonings tea... I call it Tiger Tea.  So spicy!

 

 



 

 

What's making you smile today?

 

 







Workouts I am Loving Now

My first choice for a workout would just about always be going out for a run.  I love to run outside, especially on a nice sunny day, when the wind isn't blowing too hard.  I have been known to run in less than ideal weather conditions, but unless I am training for an event, when it's rainy or windy or very cool, I am probably going to select a different form of exercise.

Today we got out for our usual 5km run, just before lunch... decided to take advantage of the the good weather-window and I took my new Simple Hydration bottle along again.  Love this little goodie.



Walking is my second choice.   Yesterday The Captain and I bundled up and went out for a 6 mile walk around the neighborhood. It was really really windy, coming off the Pacific and up the Strait that separates Canada from the U.S.... but the sun was shining and the sky was blue so as we veered away from the waterfront to a few streets away, and thoroughly enjoyed our brisk pace, and we certainly worked up an appetite for lunch.

Then, in the afternoon, I was antsy and looking for something to do so I put a walking DVD in the player and did another 45 minutes, 4 miles of run/walking, before my soak in the tub and afternoon tea.

I have been enjoying a real variety of workouts over the past several weeks.  I do love to run and as long as I am keeping my distances fairly short, under 10 km, I still have lots of energy to do hard sweaty strength work, or full body resistance type workouts, and of course, core work. 

I really love to work hard, and afterwards, I want to be spent.... to feel like I have made good use of my time... and be confident that my muscles were taxed and somewhat tormented!

I wanted to share a few of the workouts I have been really loving lately.

Full Body Resistance Workouts

I have blogged before about Tamara Grand's #FatblasterFriday workalong videos.  I cannot say enough about how much I love them.  Every Friday for the past several weeks, Tamara has been producing and publishing a new workalong video... most are body resistance workouts, some are core workouts, and a couple use dumbbells, too.  She puts them up on her blog, fitknitchick, and she also has a youtube channel.... I urge you to have a look at them.  I have created a Pinterest page for myself with Tamara's workouts on it so I can just go there to find them, and do them in any order I choose.

Core Workouts

I have been working my core faithfully 3 or 4 times a week for several weeks now. It makes me feel stronger and I have noticed that my lower back is certainly getting stronger, too.  I like old-fashioned mat work and this DVD from Kari Anderson is just that... 20 minutes of crunches and variations.  It is tough and I love it.



Another that I have been using quite a lot lately is by Kathy Smith.  This Tummy Trimmers DVD has 5 different core workouts on it... and I particularly like the standing ab work routine. It is light aerobics with lots of stretching and reaching.  Kinda fun.  There is also one old fashioned mat work program that is great as well.  I haven't done any of the other 3 yet. 

At one time I would have said that I am loving Pilates... but until this dizziness clears up completely, I just cannot take the up and down movements.

Yoga

I am doing the workouts on an old DVD from CRUNCH called Yoga Pilates Super Slimdown.  There are not many up and down movements and the ones there are, are done fairly slowly... and I moderate them too.  I love this workout and it makes me realize how much more flexibility work I need.





Strength/Resistance Training

This is such an wide and almost undefinable category it seems... but to me it means working with weights or kettlebells and also encompasses lower body work such as squats and lunges.

I have several DVDs that I really like - one that I have been using since it was first produced a few years ago is the orginal Biggest Loser DVD.  Along with a couple of intense cardio workouts, it has a Bootcamp and a Strength and Sculpt.  I love them both.  They have really good core components too.  The warm up and cool down on this DVD are particularly good as well... the cool down is a full 10 minutes and when I first started doing it I thought that was a waste of time and found it annoying.  Now I have come to love and appreciate stretching!

I do have some of the other Biggest Loser DVDs and also like the men's strength routine on the 2nd DVD in the series and some of the routines on the Power Sculpt DVD as well.


I love my kettlebell and love the DVD that Reebok provided along with it.  There is a short warm up and cool down, along with 2 separated 10-minute routines... the second being a bit more difficult. I like to do them both for a good sweaty session! 



Circuit Training

Jillian Michaels is the queen of circuit training.  She has produced several of these Shred-style workouts now.  They normally have a short cardio burst followed by a strenght/resisitance exercise, repeated in fairly rapid succession, and sometimes there is a core exercise thrown into the mix as well.  If you have seen or tried the 30 Day Shred, you will know what I mean.

I have never mastered the 3rd level of this workout and honestly, I haven't even tried it for months!

 

A few months ago I was lucky enough to win a 3 month subscription to GaiamTV and I tried several of the other Shred-style workouts that Jillian has done,  but the original is still the best I think.... but I do also like her Last Chance Workout.  It flies the Biggest Loser flag as well and is a really tough circuit style workout.. cardio and strenth, the last circuit has lots of mountain climbers and plank jacks - I cannot do them all!

 

 

 

Occasionally I will try a workout that I find on someone's blog... yesterday I did, or should stay ATTEMPTED, a kettlebell workout sponsored by Sport Chek on DONLOREE and it was killer!  And I did find a circuit on Itz Linz that looks worthwhile too.  She calls it her 40/20 Full Body Workout.

 

So, even when I cannot run, I always find something else to do... but it has to be FUN, too.

 

What about you? 

 

What is your favorite workout? 

 

If you can't do it, what do you do instead?







Hope Endures Virtual 5 K

 

We just came in from running our Hope Endures 5km

 

I was afraid we wouldn't be able to do take part this week because it has been so rainy here, but when there was a let up in the showers this morning, and the sun came out, I knew it was GO time.

 

I had already mapped us a new 5 km route in the neighborhood and it was so much fun running along the pathway through the offleash doggie park... love that...

 

I was really struggling with the last kilometer today.... sucking air big time cause it was pretty much steady uphill. It took a long 37:15, but I was glad to finish and dedicate our run to Courtney and her precious Ashlyn.

 

Courtney, we are thinking of you and your family today and wishing you a day filled with peace and precious memories.

 

Are you running the Hope Endures virtual 5 K this week?

 

 



Affordable Holiday Gifts for the Boaters on Your List

I know that lots of you have friends and family with boats... from kayaks to canoes, Hobie Cats to sleek sloops, fishing boats to streamlined yachts.... and you want to get them a holiday gift that won't break your piggy bank.

There are lots and lots of wonderful things you can find and I have a bit of advice for you ....



THE most exciting gift you can give to a boater is something personalized with their boat name on it.

You can order things like napkins, unbreakable glassware, coasters, playing cards, stainless mugs, towels, blankets, and salon pillows in a variety of price ranges, styles and colors from many different online vendors.

(Some boaters are very particular about having breakables on board - especially sailors - so don't bother with glass glasses, barometers, ornaments, and I wouldn't go for matches or log books either unless you know they use a log book and what style they prefer.)

And you don't have to go out and spend a lot of money to do this.... If you are crafty or handy, you could take a picture of the boat, and frame it, or mount it on a nautical chart of the owner's cruising grounds..  or you could embroider the boat name on tea towels or hand towels.  You could even do iron on tranfers and personalize shirts, Tee shirts, canvas carryalls, and caps. 



In the past I have used my computer and printer to make boat cards for my friends and they love them.  Boaters love to collect each other's cards... it is a nice reminder of the great folks we have met over the years.  Don't put too much personal information on these cards... the name of the boat, perhaps her model and year, and the owner's names are enough... along with a picture of the boat, of course.  Avery makes lovely business card stock and that is what I use.

I have also made note cards with our friends' boat picture on them and you can buy envelopes in the right size to go along with them.   Postcard stock makes a really nice note card too.


Sailors never have enough sunscreen!  I especially like lip balms and creams or sprays with a SPF rating of 30, and face creams with SPF 45 or even 50. 



 

All boaters have a real fear of dropping important things overboard.  We like to have our boat keys on stretchy plastic bands... I wear mine on my wrist, and The Captain wears his around his ankle.  Either way, we have our hands free, but our keys always with us.  We have had friends lose their wallets, purses, cell phones and false teeth!

 



 

 

The Captain often wears a cap when we are sailing and has found his hat clip to be a very handy item.  One end clips to the cap, and the other end to a shirt or jacket collar.  He has never lost a cap since he started using clips.  Naturally you can find them in a variety of colors and patterns.

 

 



 

The Captain also likes these lanyards for his sunglasses.... so he can take them off without worrying about losing them...  good sunglasses are expensive and no one likes to lose them overboard!  These little lanyards come in lots of colors and some have little toggles on them so they can be snugged up to the back of the head.  You can get them in lots of textures and in a variety of materials... leather, woven synthetics, and even beaded and bejewelled.  If you are crafty, you can make them yourself.
 

 

 



 

We really like these waterproof gadget boxes by Otter.  They are a great place to store cameras, phones, and other electronics.  Again, available in a variety of sizes and colors.

 

 



 

 

Your friends would surely love some books to read while swinging on an anchor in a quiet cove... referance books, cruising guides, or novels, but please... no disaster-at-sea stories! This is not the time to be reading The Perfect Storm or The Castaways.

 

 



 

 

If you can find a magazine about their loal cruising grounds, or fantasy trips to the Caribbean, that would be most welcome... 
 

 



 

 

Sailors are always looking for something tasty, hot or cold, to drink... thermal carafes with good seals, in a variety of shapes and sizes are always good practical gifts.  They can be used for hot chocolate, soups, coffee, tea, or even hot toddies.... cold water, milk, juices, or smoothies.  If you have olives, you can pour an ice cold martini!
 

 



 

 

If your sailing friends are also crabbers, they can always use more tools to eat and share their catch!  You can never have too many crab claw crackers and crab meat pickers in the galley. 

 



 

 

And it pretty much goes without saying that your favorite sailors are going to be hungry at sea!  Easy and portable snacks to munch while handling sails and watching for whales are a thoughtful gift.  No one wants to go below and prepare meals while travelling... and don't forget to add some resealable bags for leftovers, too.  Moisture really is the enemy.

 



 

 

So, you can shower your yachtee friends with lots of lovely gifts during this festive time of year, without having to max out your credit cards.