The Liebster Award

Last week I was extremely surprised to see that I was nominated for a Liebster Award. Thank you Megan from See You In Seven for nominating me. Megan is a blogger from the UK who is coming over to Canada (only 45 minutes from me) and I am so excited for her.

Now on to the award :)

11 Random Facts About Me

1. I was a competitive figure skater for most of my life.

2. I am obsessed with exotic cars.

3. My cat is 20+ years old and I love her to pieces.

4. Ice-cream is my all time favourite food- deserves its own food group.

5. I have two university degrees which completed one of my childhood dreams.

6. I have never broken a bone (knock on wood).

7. I've had the same best friend since grade 1.

8. I am a lucid dreamer. 

9. I play football (soccer) year round.

10. I am fascinated by criminology (second honours degree). 

11. I have 2 tattoos (for now) and 7 piercings. 

Megan's Questions

1.Why did you start blogging?

I wanted to share my thoughts with the world with the hope of inspiring at least one person. It's a great outlet and something positive to concentrate on. I love writing and have always wanted to use it to inspire others.

2. What is your favourite item of clothing for Autumn/Winter?

Boots and scarves. I love them both equally and always miss them when they are gone.

3. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

Canada. I wouldn't trade the unity, love, compassion and support this country offers for anything. 

4. What's your favourite lyric?

I'm not sure I can pinpoint one lyric that I would consider my favourite. 

5. Tea or coffee?

Green Tea, Ice Coffee & Lattes. Just no HOT coffee. I know it's weird 

6. If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be?

Do you understand now, why I always said "everything happens for a reason" ? 

7. What are your three favourite internet sites?

Mirror.co.uk -- I am constantly reading this site for news. It's always full of fascinating stories. 

Bloglovin' -- My new favourite because it holds all the blogs I want to read in one place. It's like pinterest for blogs :) 

Google -- My favourite place for anything and everything from scholarly journals, silly questions, inspiration, and blogs. Yes, it's a search engine, but it's my go-to for everything and it never dissapoints me.

8. What was the last present you received?

My sister went to Mexico to shoot a wedding and brought me back a small sailboat pendant. Check out her photography blog Scarlet Lens Photograpgy .

9. What makes you feel nostalgic?

The smallest part of any memory can make me feel nostalgic. A scent, a color, a particular place, a car, an object, a person's voice, a specific word, a song, and even just a movement. My mind can place all of these things to a memory and I often reflect in my mind right then and there.

10. Who is your favourite blogger?

I cannot choose. I love all the blogs I read for individual reasons.

11. What would your dream job be?

My dream job would be to carry out my restorative justice program for bullying within the schools and show the world you can make a difference, it just needs to be done right. 

I would also love to be the author of my own book about a tragedy I have been through. 

My Nomination

Chloe @ Chloe's Concept

* All other bloggers I wanted to nominated have already been nominated * 

My Nominee's Questions

1. Why did you start blogging?

2. What is your favourite book and why?

3. Who or what is your inspiration in life?

4. Favourite memory from summer 2014?

5. One food you could live off the rest of your life?

6. What is your dream vacation?

7. Where do you want your blog to be by next year this time?

8. What's the makeup item you can't live without?

9. Favourite holiday and why?

10. What are you most afraid of?

11. Favourite thing about yourself?

The Rules

1. Post 11 random facts about yourself

2. Answer 11 questions by the person who nominated you

3. Nominate 5 bloggers to do the same (with less than 200 followers)

4. Let your nominee's know they have been nominated

DIY Masquerade Mask

Not only is fall amazing for the layers upon layers of clothes, pumpkin spice everything and boots, it's also amazing for DIY projects! This is my first DIY project that is going on the blog and I hope it's not my last. You'll learn quick that I'm not overly artistic, but at times I seem to amaze myself.

Today is my good friends' (yes, plural. Twins and the one's fiance all have the same birthday- Epic). They decided to head out on the town to a Masquerade party this coming weekend. Of course, me being me, I can't just buy a mask because 1. that's not being thrifty and 2. someone else is bound to have the same one. So I bring you my own DIY Masquerade Mask complete with pictures. :) 

Gather your supplies! 

Michaels:  Mask, Black Glitter, Purple/Black Feathers

Dollarama: Black Paint, Brushes, Glitter Glue, Ribbon 

Walmart: Gemstones 

Home: Hot Glue Gun, Mod Podge, Small Brushes, Tweezers, Glitter, Newspaper 

Lay out some newspaper so you don't glitter bomb your surface or paint it! Now paint your mask black! Make sure you get all the edges and inside the eyes. You don't want to see any white poking through, but don't worry about the back. Use a thin coat so this dries faster. 

Once the paint dries (about 5 minutes later) add a thin layer of mod podge to one side of the mask.

Add your glitter to the mod podge. Make sure to cover the entire area the best you can. Shake off the excess and repeat. I chose black glitter so that it enhances the black, but still makes it girly. You can do any colour you wish. 

Repeat step three and four to the other side of the mask. Then let the mod podge dry for about 5 minutes. While you wait, heat up your glue gun and look through your feathers. Some might come bent or they may not be the shape you want.

I almost forgot to do this crucial step and let me tell you, it would have really sucked if I did. Add your ribbon so you can wear your mask now. Insert the ribbon through the hole and tie it into a knot around the back. Repeat on the other side. You will have one string on either side now.

Start adding your feathers where you want them. I held them on the mask where I wanted them BEFORE I glued them down. It really sucks to pull them off if misplaced and makes it super messy. Yes, I had to pull one off :(! You want to apply them in layers to cover any of the stems and to make it look full. 

I wanted to add some depth to the purple, so I chose to add some black feathers. Make sure to wrap the feathers into the eye hole so that you can still see. I glued and trimmed some of them. I also trimmed some by the nose as breathing in feathers is not a nice feeling (sneeeeeze fest). 

Time to add some rhinestones :) I chose to outline the other eye with my rhinestones creating a cat like line. To do this, just follow the eye cut-out and extend each corner with a few extra stones. I also changed the size of the stone near the outside of the eye. I used tweezers to hold the rhinestone and put the glue on the back. If they get stuck to the tweezers, use a toothpick to help push them down onto the mask. 

Once the eye is complete, I added glitter glue to only the black feathers. I later added some silver glitter that I had on hand to make them stand out more. Apply both of these with a smaller paintbrush. Use a small amount and go slow. You don't want it to look like Ke$ha threw up on your mask.

My Masquerade Mask

My Friend's Masquerade Mask

                                 

If you complete this DIY- show me your pictures below. :) 

Staying Fit On A Business Trip

This past weekend I was sent on a 4 day business trip to help train a new area for the company. I said yes immediately, as I was excited for the opportunity and experience. After all the details were worked out, I realized I had no idea how I would eat healthy all weekend and work out. To top it off, it was Thanksgiving weekend so all stores had weird hours. Needless to say I figured it all out and made sure my weekend was full of healthy and fit choices. 

*first day selfie after a morning workout* 

First of all, I just wanted to point out that this was my first time ever staying in a hotel alone. Here are the steps I took to make sure I was safe at all times. Yes, I know... some of these might seem a little crazy, but hey...it works.

1. Put the "do not disturb" sign on your door and don't take it off the entire time you are there. If you need fresh linen, towels or anything- be a trooper and go to the front desk yourself! 

2. Always put the deadbolt lock on when you are inside your room and keep the blinds closed when you are changing/sleeping. 

3. If you have a parking pass hanging in your rearview, always remove it when you leave the hotel. The last thing you need is someone seeing where are you staying and stopping by later to feast on the goodies in your car. 

Now the good stuff! I was fully prepared to use the gym at the hotel, but that was false advertising. "Fitness Centre" turned out to be a treadmill and a bike. As much as I love my treadmill HIIT workouts, this wasn't going to do it. I'm lucky enough to have access to my gym all across Canada, but I know some of you don't, or the hours just don't work with your schedule. I had the schedule problem as I was working 13 hour days and it was a long weekend. So I created 3 HIIT workouts to do while I was in the hotel. 

Find some space in your room, even if it means moving some stuff around and tone your body with these workouts. BEST PART.... it doesn't matter what you wear, you can even do these naked if you please! :)

                                              

My next concern was what to eat. I was only 3.5 hours away from home and wasn't able to find any of the grocery stores I usually go to for fresh food. I picked up a case of water, some tea and popcorn at target and went on an adventure for good food. 

 I was lucky enough to come across a local market that prepared fresh food daily. They had a make your own salad bar, fresh soups, pastas, sandwhiches and anything else you can think of. I was in food heaven!! 

This is an AWFUL picture, but it's the only one I was able to snap quick before rushing back to work. From left to right: yogurt covered pretzels, pasta salad with chickpeas, fruit bowl, yogurt and granola, veggie bowl, banana, chicken soup and a turkey sandwhich! 

Since I was spending Thanksgiving weekend alone, I thought it was appropriate to get myself a turkey dinner. Let's just say I'll never get to eat turkey dinner in bed with no pants on again. Probably the highlight of my trip! 

Left to right: bumbleberry pie, broccoli, mashed potatoes, turkey and gravy, stuffing, veggies and cranberry sauce!

All the food I had was INCREDIBLE. Very fresh and way better than your fast food outlets. I did however indulge in a frosty and fries my first night as I needed some comfort food.

My best advice here is to always know some good bodyweight workouts and scope out a market if possible. You never have to lose your motivation or routine of being healthy when you are out of town. All you need is a little bit of space and a market! :)

How do you stay fit and healthy while away from home?

Book Review #1

I'm addicted to words. Any kinds of words. They are full of knowledge and sometimes useless facts, but regardless I'm addicted. So to kick off my first book review, I wanted to talk about two books I was completely surprised with.

1. Gone Girl- Gillian Flynn

2. Room- Emma Donoghue 

I'm going to be completely absurd here and drive those with OCD nuts. Only because I'm going to review number 2 first. :) 

Room- Emma Donoghue

I was recommended this book by one of my professors, but I was reluctant to pick it up. I finally did when I found it at one of my favourite used book stores Bearly Used Books in Parry Sound, Ontario (This place is heaven on earth for book lovers). Emma wrote the book after reading about the Fritzl Case, which involved way more kids than her book. The book is narrated by a 5-year-old named Jack. He was born in the "room" and believes that what he sees on TV is not reality (yes, their captor was 'nice' enough to give them a TV) and what's inside the room is reality. Without ruining the plot, the book is based around Jack and Ma finding a way to escape their captor. What unveils is quite clever.

What I loved about this book is that I didn't feel like I was reading a novel. I felt like I was reading a memoir of Jack and his mother. To me that makes a good fiction novel. I love that that Emma didn't over exaggerate the situation or create unrealistic events. Overall I think this is a great book for those who don't mind reading a bit into the scarier corners of life, but don't want to accept the reality of those corners.

Gone Girl- Gillian Flynn 

OMG.

That's it. That's all I have to say about this book.

Who am I kidding- I am RAVING about this. I was pretty skeptical when one of my best friends Under The Blush told me I had to read it. She's got great taste in books, but sometimes fiction just rubs me the wrong way. I was wrong, she was right. I read 3/4 of the book in one night just so I could catch the film.

Before I even discuss the plot, the way this book was written is brilliant. Gillian goes back and forth between the Husband's realtime experiences/flashbacks and the diary of the wife that was written before these events. Because of this I found myself trying to flip forward to figure out the story (don't do that...you'll ruin the surprises).

The plot centres itself around a wife who goes missing and a husband whose concern seems
non-existent. The plot twists are endless and shocking. I can't say anymore simply because of that reason. I was constantly mustering up ideas on how/why it all happened, but each new twist put my ideas to shame.

I must say, the ending could have been better. However, I have to give her credit because I don't know how she would topped her plot twists. Overall.... AMAZING and could definitely happen in real life, which is a bonus.

Tip: Read this before you watch the movie.


What are your thoughts on these books? Do you have any recommendations for me? 

Feed Your Mind Not Your Job

Strength.  Such a strong word (no pun intended...haha), but so misused. I take pride in improving the strength of my body, but more importantly I take pride in the strength of my brain.

I've sifted through these thoughts a million times trying to decide how I can feed what feels like an addiction. Lately, these thoughts have been taking over my mind the way the sun takes over a fresh ice-cream cone. It began to fuel feelings of stress and anger. A sense of melting. My mind was feeling dehydrated.

I found my hydration. I realized quickly that I wasn't giving my mind what it needed during the one activity that takes up most of my days. My job. This has happened 3 times in total now and I haven't figured it out until now.

If you are anything like me, you NEED a job that fuels your mind all time. Not a job that you can learn and get comfortable with mediocre challenges. You need a job that is a constant challenge. I get stuck in the melting ice-cream feeling when I can't admit I'm finally beyond where I'm at.

Where I'm going with this is DON'T let your job run your life. Unless its your passion, you should never let your job take over. Wait....if it's your passion, it will NEVER feel like a job. Therefore it can never take over like the hot sun.

Right now I'm working extremely hard to not let the hot sun take over my life. The problem is that when you are passionate about something people WILL tear you down, especially in the office. But I'm learning quickly that no matter how intimidated, how uncomfortable and how jealous people get of you for being strong....EMBRACE it. Take every single thing they say and dream it into more strength and exhale their negativity. You will become stronger than before and find the strength to move beyond the job closer to your passion.

Take pride in constantly wanting to learn and improve yourself. Take pride in loving to fuel your mind. Use the haters as your number one motivation to be even better. Never be afraid to walk away when you need more. Embrace your strength; mind, body & soul.

4 Ways I fuel My Mind Outside Of My Job

1. Research

2. Exotics

3. Criminology

4. Freud's Psychology: Dreams

How do you fuel your mind outside of your job?

Tips For Beginners At The Gym

So you finally joined a gym...

Congratulations, you just made the best decision ever.

Before I get into some tips, I just wanted to say that I've been through all of this myself and watched others go through it. Joining a gym can be extremely intimidating. Over the past week I've heard people talking in the change room about how some days they come in and walk back out because they get scared. CONFIDENCE is key here, but it's hard to build. You must remember that everyone is there to accomplish a goal just like you. Even now, years later I still get intimidated. But I just find my own place, turn on my music and completely zone out. 

-321 squats later-

TAKE IT EASY

If you are just starting out, don't over do it. Plan to go a couple times a week not 5-6. Work your way up to being able to handle more. Your body has to heal after each workout, so make sure you are tuned in to what your body is telling you. Start small and work your way up. If you injure yourself, you are going to set yourself back from your goal. 

IT'S NOT A RUNWAY

When you are first starting PLEASE don't go around thinking you should be wearing all the skimpy tank tops, cut offs and leggings. There are a ton of people who go to the gym JUST to wear those clothes- they likely have no idea what they are doing. Wear what you are comfortable in and something you won't be fiddling with. The last thing you want to worry about at the gym is if your ass is hanging out (see below).

credit: google images

DON'T BE A CARDIO BUNNY! 

Some people hate cardio, but some people LOVE cardio. Please just don't buy a gym membership to run on the treadmill... It won't do anything for you. Indulge in cardio, but switch it up as much as possible.

I recommend doing a 5-10 minute warm up on a bike or tread mill before lifting. If you are trying to lose weight then 20-30 minutes more after your training.

LIFT THINGS UP & PUT THEM DOWN

- your new best friends- it's okay to hoard them-

It's huge myth that if you are a girl and you lift something heavy and put it back down you will look like a man. WRONG! Weight lifting burns calories and depletes your energy. So when you put your bunny ears on after, you should be tapping into your secondary source of energy- BODY FAT. Biggest pet peeve- people who pick up the biggest weight possible, just to drop it back to the floor. So don't do that. It'll only make you look ridiculous.

FORM FORM FORM

I can't say this enough. If you can't get your form right, you aren't doing anything. In fact you will likely hurt yourself. Google up images of the exercise you are trying to do and watch some videos. Practice the form in your bedroom in front of a mirror to save yourself some embarrassment at that gym. 

**I was trying to find a picture for here- but just click here **

RESEARCH

Talk to other people you know, connect with bloggers and read what you can about how to achieve your goals. Make sure you stay away from information regarding "weight loss pills" and anything that suggests rapid weight loss or "miracles". Losing weight to keep it off happens at a slow rate (about 1-2lbs per week). But the more you talk to others, the more it will benefit you. 

MAKE GOALS

You probably already have an idea of your big goal- if you don't...get one. Keep your big goal in mind, but give yourself smaller targets. Make a monthly goal and weekly goals. These will help keep you on track for your big goal and will give you a sense of accomplishment. 

CHALLENGE YOURSELF

Every work out challenge yourself. Push your self to do one more minute of cardio, one more set of weights, one more rep, or a new exercise. If you aren't throwing up or passed out, you can do it! 

MAKE IT FUN

Most importantly you need to make working out fun and you need to enjoy it. There will be days that it won't feel fun, but make it fun. Bring a friend, change up your Ipod or just remember that end goal. 

- bouncy fun in between ab sets -

The fitness lifestyle has so much to offer. There is a lot to learn, but I will make sure to post more details about how I overcame the intimidation and gained my confidence to be at the gym. I will support you all in the best way that I can. 

Feel free to ask me any questions in the comments below or my email if you want to keep it personal.