waiting for the 7.18

Lately ...

> Man, 4:00 onwards is so freaking beautiful! (Video above.)

> “Failure doesn’t mean YOU are a failure.” - Robert H. Schuller

Links

> Love these historical photos Avenue Calgary has been posting lately 

> Rage Yoga

> Very cool way to track ovulation... I wonder if it works well?

> Don’t embrace your flaws!

> Dancing makes the heart happy

> The 80/20 rule seems like a great approach to a balanced diet 

> Bevin, from One Tree Hill, is a SoulCycle Instructor! I’m not sure why, but I was totally excited to see this. 

> Fitness Festivals; I hope these continue to pop up. I love the idea of Wanderlust but I bet I could find something that’s a better fit for me. 

> Toronto Raptors’ Open Gym

> In defence of the Millennials! A refreshing talk for once. We’re not all lazy and entitled, I promise!  

> Confessions of a Personal Trainer. Digging this girl’s Instagram and blog! 

> Could do some damage on this site, Sweaty Betty London

> Blood Pressure + Gender Prediction; I still love the idea of a good ol’ fashioned surprise. 

Books

Photo: Source

Thoughts

1. I love this ^^ photo. I would’ve thought after having a baby, the last thing I’d want to do is put on a bikini. What I’ve realized is, I just don’t give a shit. 

2. I’ve never had much direction with this blog, but I do love what I call “my tiny little corner on the internet”. A place where I can write about whatever I want when the mood strikes. It started as a way to write about my yoga practice back in 2012 when I REALLY got into it. I’m so mad at myself for deleting most of those posts because I’ve thought about writing about fitness again. Maybe I’ll also document my attempt to eat less cookies... 

3. I’m in Arizona, and as usual I don’t want to go home!! 

4. Lately, I’ve had a hard time focusing without the structure of work. I quite enjoyed being busy and found I got a lot more done when I was. As much as I’ve tried to incorporate routine into my day, it’s been hard. I was thinking that if I start tracking my progress in this space, it might help give me something to focus on. 

Just a few of the things I can’t get enough of right now. 

Photo: Source

Being on maternity leave and getting this time together has been such a blessing. I’m already thinking about how hard it will be go to back :( 

Photo: Source

This book so far has been excellent! 

Photo: Source

Armin van Buuren’s A State of Trance has been keeping me motivated to workout! 

Photo: Source

Whoops... may have bought three colours of this shirt because I LOVE how flattering it fits. The fear if it being discontinued is real!! Lululemon, if you’re listening, I’d love one in blue!

Photo: Source

Annnddd because I’m an old lady now, high-rise anything rocks my socks! 

Photo: Source

I’ve been collecting these links for awhile now! Time to post so I can go collect some more :) 

Tidying

- Marie Kondo and Tidying Up

- Ruthless War on Stuff

- Minimalist Christmas Gift Ideas

Self Love

- The Confidence Gap

- Finding Flow

- Kaillie Humphries 

- Popovich is the best!

- What Makes a Good Life?

- The Juggle is Real

- Strong Personal Brand

- Claire Fountain <3

- Healthier 2017

- Iskra Lawrence <3

- Technology & Wellness

Parenting

- 10 Best Books for Thinking Parents (LOVED Brain Rules for Baby!)

- It’s Never Been Harder to Be Young

Photo: Source

Device-less

Do you know what I did yesterday? I bought a magazine! I haven’t bought or read a magazine in ages. I came home, left my phone in my purse, made some tea, sat down and read through almost every article. I admired the layout, the professionally shot images as the positive headlines inspired me. 

I used to love magazines! I had several subscriptions and loved coming home to magazines like NYLON or Real Simple each month. Then I’d save each issue to cut up for collages, craft projects and letters to friends. 

A while ago I downloaded an app on my phone to read magazines along with the Kindle app for books. I never did use it though, because Instagram or Pinterest or an incoming message pulled me away. Not to mention, I didn’t get the same joy out of the layouts when they were minimized to fit my phone screen. 

Though my phone helps me do many tasks efficiently, there’s something to be said for picking up a book or magazine and giving my eyes a rest from that nasty blue light. 

Still somewhat connected to my phone, I’ve been enjoying audio books as well! I’ve never been much of a reader (hence why magazines are my preferred reading; containing short articles that hold my attention) so audio books allow me to get lost in a story or learn something new in a way the works with my auditory learning style. And thanks to my new AirPods, it’s easier to not get distracted! 

I also deleted my Instagram app which was a HUGE deal for me... I LOVE Instagram!! But I was wasting so much time on there and getting very little value out of it. Now, if I want to go down the Internet’s rabbit hole (ha! like I did this morning), it’s intentional. I clicked on an article that looked insightful, which linked me to this amazing blog, which linked to a quiz, which led to a store’s website... which led me to quickly close my browser and get my ass out of bed because I don’t need to spend any money!!! 

Joking aside, it felt so much better than browsing past a bunch of posts that do little for me. I got out of bed feeling excited that I found a new blog to follow and learned what shoe style was right for me, haha! 

I am hoping to use my phone less this year and so far I think I’m heading in the right direction. 

Photo: Source

2016 came and went in the blink of an eye!

Yesterday I was so refreshed to come across this article summarizing Chris Hadfield’s response to all of the mind-boggling, tragic and negative events that happened over the last year. It’s nice to see positive news like this! I wish we saw more of it on a daily basis. 

Having become a mom this year, I’ve found myself more tuned into what’s going on in the world today. It’s only a matter of months before I will have to start helping my daughter navigate through it all and teach her how to stay positive when the general tone we’re exposed to on a daily basis is the opposite of that. 

As much as I find new year’s resolutions to be a bit cliche (kind of like my fitness photo at the top of this post), I can’t help but feel refreshed at the start of each year. It always feels like a great opportunity to reflect and be grateful for the past year as well as look ahead to what I might wish to accomplish going forward. 

2016 was a growth year for me. I became appreciative of my body through pregnancy and child birth and was absolutely amazed at what it was capable of. In turn, I intuitively started taking better care of it in a mentally healthy way. I became a mom which has taught me so many new lessons in only a few short months. I gained confidence in my abilities at work and as a person, enabling me to stand up for myself and have confidence in my decisions. Finally, I decluttered my physical space as well as my mind, making room for new opportunities. 

I am hoping to build off this in 2017 by creating sustainable habits and routines that will persist through the ups, downs and unexpected. 

1. Read more by dedicating time to do so. Less mindless social media, more insightful and/or pleasurable reading. 

2. Continue to focus on feeling good be it through eating better, working out, or self-care. Less specifics (numbers on a scale or servings of certain foods) and more checking in (how do I feel today?).

3. Use phone for productivity, not scrolling through apps. Watch TV intentionally, with no distractions. Enjoy the program and turn the TV off when I’m done. 

4. Continue to declutter and monitor what is coming into the house. Keep things organized and in their place. 

5. Determine how I want my life to look like when I return to work in the fall. Decide on whether or not to take a personal training or group fitness certificate. Research opportunities. 

6. Complete this 30-Day Minimalism Challenge

They’re not exactly SMART goals but I find I do well with general themes. By having a “feeling” or “tone”, I usually find drive to create habits, complete activities and seek out resources that fit with my overall objectives.