Some great buys at HomeSense

Both yesterday and today I left work late :(... As drive home I always think"I really rather eat out!" Yesterday we almost ate out, but I repeated in my head that I only need to cook 3 days this week Mon-Wed. So far I have Monday and Tuesday down ahah! Yesterday was shrimp stirfry and today I made chicken with tomato sauce and chickpeas with mushrooms and peppers, yum! One more day to go ha!

When I plan my meals I do really well with staying within the calories I want for the day. It's when I eat out I lose track! So planning meals is key!

After dinner I went to Homesense to buy picture frames to put pictures of my adorable nieces!

But there was so many great deals going on! I couldn't resist!
I bought this cute ceramic Santa House that lights up to add to my Christmas Decor, it's so cute! And Christmas Cards too.
I also bought a new tea mug with a lid, a new wine opener and a spoon for the stove to hold cooking utensils. I was always meaning to get one of these! So finallyyy I have one!

I also bought some gifts for my Kris Kringle's :) couldn't post those here but let me assure you they are cute!!!

Monday goals and Veggie Soup!

Lots of GREEN! Over the weekend I decided to make a soup so I can have it for lunch everyday this week. I wanted to make it yesterday but we were with family until the late evening and I was pooped! So I made it tonight!

First I popped dinner in the oven... Pork chops with beans.
While that was cooking, I got my soup going. I'm excited for my lunches!

Last week I wrote these goals so lets see how I did...

*Create a new vision board for 1 year goals. (DONE! I have it in my bedroom and it's a constant reminder of my dreams and bigger plans!)
* print out quotes that help me stay on track during stressful days. (getting to this)
* Make a routine that works, some evenings for working on the side biz and some evenings for working out! (Schedule in the making!)
*Weigh myself weekly to keep my weight on track!(doing that, yikes! the number is not what I was hoping for ahah!)
*Cook at home 4 times a week. (Trying so hard with our busy schedules!)
*Always pack a lunch! (Always!!!)
*Always carry snacks in my purse for days that schedules get thrown off (I'm not pleasant to be around when hungry and this adds much more stress in my life lol) (ahahh I do this)
* Set automatic calendar alarms to myself with what I need to do on a particular day. (yup! I'm doing this, my iphone alarm is set at 6pm daily what I should do for the evening!)
* Read a positive book every night when going to bed, to keep me in a positive state (Love doing this, puts me in a happy positive state before I go to bed :)

So I'm doing well so far. Keeping yourself reminded of your goals is so important. That's why having a vision board with pictures of your goals and even a daily alarm that reminds you helps so much to keep you on track!

Ahhhh I relaxed! I'm enjoying my tea while blogging and then working on my side biz. I had a great Monday which I haven't had in a long time :) I'm grateful for that!

Goals Goals Goals!

The past couple weekends have been about family get togethers and lots of food! So with all fun I totally have not been tracking what I'm eating.
Tonight I made a yummy chicken stirfry and I have left overs for lunch too :)

My workouts have been on and off. So I really need to get back on track!
Work has been stressful and I've been coming home exhausted. Which has me slacking in all my goals. I need to get out of this rut!

This weeks Goals:
*Oatmeal for Breakfasts (It's so cold, I like a warm BF!)
*Only 1 coffee a day (going well!)
*1500 Calories/day (need to get back on track!)
* Tracking calories on Iphone "my fitness pal app"
*Drink lots of water everyday!
* 3 bite rule on sweets
* 3 workouts this week.
* Weigh myself weekly.
* 3 days a week working on my home goals (side biz/life/hobbies etc)


Do you have any back on track tips I could use!?

Day 2 cooking at home!

I'm not going to lie... when I was driving home from work starved tonight I was reaaaaalllyyy tempted to go to a drive thru, but I quickly reminded myself of the 10lbs I want to drop and the slacking in the workouts... so I came home and made dinner! Spicy oven baked chicken with salad, Brussels sprouts and I had to add wedges, I was starved remember!

After eating wayy too many brussels sprouts I went down to the city and brought 3 pumpkins to my nieces. Look are cute they are in their costumes!

We have a Madonna costume here, so cute and little M wasn't co-operating, but she will be a butterfly, so so cute!

This Sunday we will be trick or treating with my nieces and my husbands little cousins. I haven't been out trick or treating since I was a kid! So this should be fun with 3 little girls running around!

How has your week started off in the diet and workout dept?

Back on track Monday...

Today turned out to be a beautiful fall day despite the morning fog.

I was soo tired this morning and was dreading work! I took my time getting ready, sipped my coffee ate my breakfast and I even went to lay down for 15mins before getting ready just wishing I could stay in bed!

I brought my salad for lunch and made sure to cook at home tonight.

I made Salmon with Jerk seasoning... it was a yummy dinner!
Even Zoe wished she had some ahahh! she watched us eat the whole time.

Good start to the week, minus the sleepiness.

Hope you all have a great week!

A delicious weekend.

Today I decided to make a dish from the Skinny Italian cook book!
Farfalle con piselli! (Butterfly pasta with peas!)

It was delicious! My husband really loved it too! It was so easy to make as well. I'm all about easy quick cooking and this dish is perfect for that!


This weekend was fun and relaxing. However the sweets were a little much :( My husband went a little crazy in the bakery Saturday night and bought soo many yummy pastries. I did not use my 3 bite rule at all!

This afternoon I went by my grandmothers house and brought her a little cake for her 79th Birthday. My grandmother is so sweet, I just love her soo much! She also gave me the recipe for my favorite dish Rice with milk! I can't wait to try it out. My husband is a little unsure about this dish but I assured him, it's yummy!

I'm dreading going to work tomorrow! I just love my weekends! The only fun thing about work is lunch HA! I made my lunch for tomorrow, Chickpea salad! I'll add avocado and balsamic dressing tomorrow morning. mmm mmmm.

Another thing the book Skinny Italian reminded me of, is healthy eating. Eating for nutrition. For a strong healthy body! We do not want brittle bodies that break down easily. So when I went shopping today I made sure to look for those specific items that contain the good stuff! Ha! Avocados, Apples, Bananas, Tomatoes, Asparagus, Garlic, parsley, and my list goes on! I have some yummy meals planned for this week. Can't wait!

Hope you all have a great nutritious week!

Oh Friday!

Ahhh Friday! You couldn't have come at a better time haha! What a week! Work has totally drained me this week. So glad I only have one more day of that torture till the weekend!

Tonight I went out makeup shopping. I bought a $20.00 lipstick, I don't usually wear lipstick, I mostly do glosses. But with actual lipstick I really like Matte ones. I guess I never noticed how many Matte lipsticks they don't sell! There was not much selection. I got a really nice Matte pink lipstick and really love it, worth the 20 bucks.

I've been slowly cutting down on the coffee. I did really well this week. Every morning I heat half a cup of milk and add it to half a cup of coffee. I had only 1 coffee a day this week and only twice this week I had a afternoon tea. So I'm getting there :)

Sooo the weekend is almost here! I'm excited for the weekend. Nothing specific planned so far but spending time with the husband going out and having fun will be on the list! My goal this weekend is to choose the healthier choices when eating out. I tend to forget this when I'm out having a good time.

Hope you all had a better work week than I did!!

Workout to DWTS

Ahhh done with Monday! Last night we didn't get much sleep. Our Carbon Monoxide Alarm went off at 3am! I was so freaked out! We opened all the windows and called our gas company. They came at 4am and checked everything out and it was a false alarm whew! Our alarm is about 4 years old and needs to be changed. So this is a reminder to all to get your CO and Fire alarms checked regularly! Go check them out!

Today I started my breakfast off with apple pie haha! I was running late! But I had my healthy choice lunch which I totally love! Followed by a banana and apple for snacks.

After work I came home and made a yummy dinner! Breaded Turkey Breast, Wedges and Veggies. Yummy!

And I got in a basement workout too while watching Dancing with the Stars!

This weeks Goals:
*Smoothie or Oatmeal for Breakfasts
*Only 1 coffee a day (going well so far)
*1500 Calories/day
* Tracking calories on Iphone "my fitness pal app"
*Drink lots of water everyday! (2L a day!)
* No more apple pie for me this week!
* 3 workouts this week. (1 down)

What are your goals this week??

Hope you all had a good Monday!

Lunch Makeover

I usually have salads for lunch but the other day at the grocery store I found these frozen meals. They have a variety of different meals all ranging from 200-300 calories!!! Perfect for a lunch!
And look how good it looks and tastes so yummy!

This week I decided that any snacks I had during the work day was going to be fruits...
Especially around flu season apples live up to their saying... a apple a day keeps the doctor away haha!

I made dinner only twice this week, but I can see how my schedule is slowly becoming more free in the evenings. So I'm hoping to cook dinners at least 5 times a week soon!
Today is the first day of FALL! The leaves on the trees are already changing!

The best part of this time of year are all the season premieres on TV.

So far I'm loving. DWTS and Modern Family. I missed GLEE this week, so I'm hoping to catch that next week! I haven't watched much TV all summer and haven't seen many commercials. Anyone know if Desperate Housewives and Brothers and sisters have season premieres this week?

What are your favorite TV shows this season????

A really good Monday!

Today I did great with planning my meals!

I'm still sticking with my usual breakfasts of either a smoothie or weight control oatmeal.

My lunch today was a delicious salad with cucumbers and a hard boiled egg.

My husband started a new job today, we use to carpool everyday but that has come to an end... Not too happy about driving my own butt to work...I actually have to be awake instead of half asleep being driven. But it's pretty good since we won't be together after work which mean less chance of us going out for dinner instead of making a home cooked meal.

So tonight I got home first and prepared dinner!

I've been working out 3 times a week and so far I'm sticking to it!

I'm also really really trying to cut the caffeine. I'm not sure when it happened but I'm totally an addict! And every time I tell myself only one, I fight with myself to not drink another!

In Quebec City I ordered a latte in a bowl... yes BOWL!!

I know there is a lot of controversy about Caffeine and pregnancy, but I've been reading about links to Miscarriages and Caffeine intake before conception. Sooooo that scares me!!! (Not pregnant, just thinking future :)

Overall, I know it's all about balance! Eating healthy, working out and everything in moderation!

My Brother in-law is just the person to help with this! He just started blogging. He has been a personal trainer for about 3 years. (I know! He will be upset when he see's how many times I write about fast food! haha!Sorry J) He will have health and fitness tips for us all so be sure to check it out! /www.jam4fitness.blogspot.com/

Happy Monday and a great start in the Diet Dept!

RollerBlading workout!

This week I've been doing pretty good so far.
My lunches are mostly salads and I'm bringing plenty of fruit and veggies as snacks. Dinner is hard tho! With being so busy during the week and with the weather being soo nice (well ok it's been killer hot) But it's so hard to stay in and cook! Husband and I love being out in the summer. We want to always be out there trying new restaurants/patio's and cafe's. Summer is just so much fun!

BUT my scale is not looking good! I gained some weight over the last couple months and now this has me even farther away from my original weight loss goal.

I do however want to keep it a healthy and steady weight loss so I will break down my goals by 3 month increments. Goal #1- 10lbs in 3 months.


Yesterday was day 1 of my new activity to help with my weight loss. Rollerblading!


My Sister is really good on these things!
She was guiding me and giving me tips. I did really well for my first time in like 10 years! I didn't fall at all either!

Tonight I have a lot of emails and office stuff to catch up on but I'll try and squeeze in a workout tonight too!

Lazy Tuesday.

Why does Zoe ALWAYS sleep on the dining room table! What is so comfy about it? Why can't she pick the spare bedroom or the bathroom or anywhere else but the table! haha!

I made tonight a lazy Tuesday night. I came home made dinner... Pork chops and beans with salad and potatoes...YUM!
And I just stayed on the couch with my feet up watching TV! Sometimes these lazy days are soooo neeeded!

Tomorrow in soccer, Honduras and Chile play . We are going over to the inlaws for some delicious Honduran food tomorrow! Can't wait! Loving the world cup games!

Hope you all are having a great week so far!

Out of it!

Zoe can always imitate how I feel... UGH today I feel out of it! Work has been soooo stressful! I left work yesterday so upset! Today was a little bit better. I made sure to voice my opinion at work... to my boss! I really am not going to take bullying in the workplace! So when I feel I'm in the right I neeed! to stick up for myself! :)



This week was our second week of Italiano Classes! It was so much fun. I forgot to take pics!! Next week I'll be sure to take pic of us students. haha!


I've been doing REALLY REALLY well with the no fast food! Fast food meaning drive thru places like McDonald's/Wendy's/Harvey's etc. However the other night coming home from work and having an appointment to make we went to McDonald's. I did not want to break my no fast food streak, so I went for a grilled mcmini haha! It was ok. Not the most filling meal but it did the job until I got home to grab something healthier.
I bought oats last week and still haven't made it. Some friends gave me ideas on what to add to it but I'm still scared to make it.... I've never eaten Oatmeal :O.... I'll get to it... eventually haha!

As per doctors orders I haven't been doing my workout DVD's :( I'll post on that soon. I'm still waiting for my results. But for now I'm sticking to eating healthy and light exercises which means lots of walking!! :)

Hope you all are having a great week so far!

I Love Broccoli!

I loveee Broccoli! But I only have 2 ways of cooking it. Boiling it, and adding salt and pepper.
And adding it to my famous Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp dish mmmm so good!

So I would LOVE to know other broccoli recipes. If you got any, please send them my way!


These are my new Salt and Pepper grinders. I bought them at Winners...Really I could just spend all my evenings at winners and that would make me so happy aaha! I was close tho, I've been there 3 times this week!
Like I said on Wednesday my exercise has not been going too well., BUT I have been walking ALOT! So I think that makes up for half of that.
However.... I just ruined my healthy day with THESE! I think I should head to the basement to workout!

Soooo Glad tomorrow is Friday! Yeah weekends!!!

Calorie counting

Like I mentioned before I use my Iphone app to track calories (My Fitness Pal) It can search pretty much everything you are looking for. It has helped a lot with counting my daily cals.

Another way to ensure you keep the calories in check, is using a measurement cup. I never use to do this, but there are some foods I'd like to enjoy and moderation is key. So measuring cup to the rescue!
I came home from work tonight a little bit stressed (ugh again!) and ALMOST ate out, but made sure to come straight home and make dinner!

Then I used the rest of my daily calories on a Strawberry Sundae ahah!

Workout Dvd's Update. Love the new total workout in 10. I did 10 minutes on Monday then 30 minutes yesterday. I wanted to get 10 minutes in today but I'm wayyy too exhausted and my legs are pretty sore!

So glad tomorrow is Thursday! We have a long weekend and I'm looking forward to relaxing!

Weekend equals play time!

Zoe must of known it was the weekend. She brought up her toys from the basement to play. ahahh!

I looked outside today and noticed my garden is almost fully bloomed! This brings a smile to my face. I love my backyard and just love my garden. If this weather would only get nicer I can enjoy more time out there!

The work week was extremely busy and extremely stressful for me. So I am glad the week is over!

Today I woke up refreshed and ready for a fun weekend!

I had sushi for lunch but we ate in for dinner :) BBQ chicken and veggies.
My diet was all over the place last week because of my stress, some days I did well others I totally indulged in all things bad :( Its such a struggle especially when stressed out!

So this weekend I decided to add some extra items to my list, to try and prevent over eating. I will post on that tomorrow.

Hope you all have a relaxing and fun weekend... I know I will!