Just Another Great Saturday & Sunday

 

Well first weekend of October you were a good'n! The last few years we've had such long summers! I mean 25 degrees (Celsius) in October? Sure sounds good :) I'm all about the fall coziness but when you want to wash your car or shop at an outdoor mall the nice weather sure is great!

Brandon and I have this chalkboard wall in our office and its so fun seeing what each of us add to the wall throughout the week. He might not look like the artistic type but Brandon is so good at sketches. All through high school he always had a little sketch book filled with different ideas and doodles. Now he has a huge wall to showcase his artwork!

 

On Saturday, Brandon and I had a "get things done day". I cleaned the house, did laundry, washed and vacuumed the cars and organized our fridge while Brandon drywalled and built us a shoe closet under the stairs! I think I need to go through my shoe collection because about 60% of them are still in a box to the right of this photo...also clearly Brandon positioned the shoes... what girl would put her gym shoes front and centre? #priorities

 

 

Sunday was another gorgeous one weather wise and I had it all to myself since Brandon was watching football at a buddies all day. My day started slow since I was trying to catch up on some tele and fold laundry. Then I took my time getting ready and tried out a new pallet from L.A. Girl that I found at Marshalls! The snap above doesn't really do the eye shadow justice but it was filled with golds, roses and shimmery neutrals that will be so nice for fall!

 

Midway through the day I got the urge to shop and ended up at an outdoor mall nearby with my Mum. I hit the jackpot at H&M and bought like 6 new shirts! Everything from casual sweaters to blouses. I'm pretty much golden from now until February.

 

Post shopping, Bearsy and I went for a nice long walk and a game of fetch in the park. Our treat on the way home was a couple of beautiful blooms from the "dahlia lady" on our street who gives away her gorgeous flowers at the end of the season. Don't mind if I do.

 

Our night ended with sushi at our place with friends and an hour of reading in bed. Sigh... why do weekends have to end so quickly? Bonus though... next weekend is a long weekend (yay!) and we are heading over to Nanaimo for Thanksgiving celebrations.

 

How was your weekend?

Did you get to enjoy the gorgeous fall weather? 

Linking up with Bianna from B Loved Boston!

 

The Workout Necessities

As I mentioned yesterday, I've recently got my groove back when it comes to working out and one of my main goals this month is to keep that momentum going. Throughout my fitness journey I've come to the realization that there is a short list of things required to get my butt in the gym and have a good workout.

1. Get it done in the AM: Yes you will have to wake up an hour earlier. Yes its fall and it's dark at 5am and yes your bed is so very warm and comfy. But will you actually go to the gym after a long day at work?...No.

I like morning workouts for a few of reasons. 1) I end up feeling accomplished all day 2) its super easy to slide out of bed, throw your hair up and get into workout clothes. Much easier in fact than packing a gym bag, taking off your make-up and hoping you remembered to throw deodorant in your purse and 3) the other people working out with you in the morning are there to work out too, nobody, I repeat NOBODY is at the gym at 6am to pick you up with cheesy lines or stare at your ass while you do mountain climbers,


2. Taking a Pre-workout and eating a Banana: I'm not a huge supporter of supplements. I've witnessed people lose weight and gain muscle in healthy and unhealthy ways and those who did it the healthy way look better and have been able to maintain their fitness. I do however, believe in the benefits of taking a pre-workout. It really does give you a little extra oomph and gets you too that next level of sweat. I personally like the Vega Sport Pre-Workout Energizer. It does it's job and I don't feel jittery and shakey at all.

Because I usually work out in the morning I don't typically eat breakfast before. My body responds well to fasted cardio and I rarely feel lightheaded during my workouts. BUT if I know that I want to push extra hard or have a metabolic style workout planned, then I'll eat a banana before just to have some extra energy. I always eat a breakfast afterwards and usually have a protein shake too.


3. Being comfortable in my Workout Gear: This is a big one for me. I like to feel put together when I'm working out in the sense that I want my clothes to fit properly and look half decent. I don't want my boobs popping out or feel like I need to keep pulling up my pants. It just shouldn't be something I need to worry about. I like working out in tight capris, racer back style tanks and supportive sports bras. This line-up makes me feel secure and confident and is cute enough to grab groceries or a coffee with a friend post work out. My favourite place to shop for workout gear is Old Navy, they have a great selection and are reasonably priced!


4. Having a pre-planned workout: I've never been super structured in this department but i know that I've had more success when I walked into the gym already knowing what I wanted to do. Even if it's as simple as "leg day", "arm day" or "cardio". I like to find different interval workouts or circuits to follow since it takes your head out of the equation. All you have to do is follow along and most of the time you'll be surprised that its already been 30 minutes or that you've done 3 rounds. There are thousands of routines online to pick through on-line. I like Tone It Up, Alexa Jean Fitness and Pinterest for different options.


5. Music, Music, Music!: I'm the girl lipsyncing to Mariah Carey, Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande on the treadmill and moving her hips to Zac Brown Band, Avicii and Christina Aguilera while doing biceps. Whatever gets you grooving is going to make your workout better, guaranteed! I love listening to my favourite songs while doing cardio because even if they're heartfelt ballads it still distracts me from what I'm really doing since I'm too busy imagining myself belting the song out on stage at MSG haha




What are your workout necessities?
Anything I should be giving a try?
Linking up with Amanda for favourites!

September Love List

//waiting for the ferry to Victoria//

What I Watched: The season premier of Survivor and the finale of Big Brother. I've got a thing for CBS reality TV, it's my little escape throughout the week. Brandon hates both of these shows so it ends up being "me time" snuggled up with a cup of tea. I think the finale of BB ended perfectly and I'm super excited for this "all-star" season of Survivor, although c'mon people you voted out Vytas before Abi!!!?

What I Snapped: Bear lounging. He seems to take after me and needs/wants all the soft fluffy things.

Who I Loved: I recently fell in love with CellaJane. Her style is so effortlessly chic. She's been giving me some great fall inspo.

What I Wore: Sweaters! Since the temperature has started to drop, I've found it so cozy to rock a big baggy knit sweater with leggings when I'm lounging around the house. My fav is a few years old but this one is similar.

What I Did: Picked up my fitness game. I'm thinking October is going to be a great month exercise wise simply because I got my groove back this month! Well, definitely towards the end of it haha. I've been rocking some great playlists and challenging myself with new sets and cardio. Bring it on!

What I Ate: Tapas! Two nights in a row we had the pleasure of enjoying a variety of tapas this month. From mussels, to yam gnocchi to flank steak everything was so amazing. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

What I Drank: Yorkshire Tea. at night in a tea-cup with lots of milk. mmmmmm

Where I Went: Brandon and I headed over to Victoria on Vancouver Island one weekend to visit his sister and her boyfriend. It was perfect weather and it was so nice to catch up with such a beautiful couple. We had lots of laughs, drinks and food (too many of one of those) and when we left I was already looking forward to the next visit!

What I Heard: Drag Me Down - One Direction. I've shamelessly listened to these guys for a few years now but if their past albums didn't do it for you I'd highly suggest giving this song a listen just to witness their development. Its a great tune and is a fav for the car ride to the gym.

What I Used: I've been baking up a storm as of late and have been loving my KitchenAid mixer. 1000x easier to mix and somehow cookies taste better!? Plus I'm obsessed with the splatter of white flour against the Royal Blue colour of mine. #housewife

How did your September go? Any favourites this month? See my August Loves here!

 

I Heart Weekends Like This

 

A little bit of a late weekend recap, but its only mid week so I'm deeming it still appropriate.

Friday evening Brandon and I had a stay-at-home date night filled with re-watching Limitless (in preparation for the tv series - I give most new series a chance) and a little fire outside. It was a super clear evening and it wasn't too cold yet so some favourite songs, a cozy blanket and a couple of beers started off our weekend on a great foot!

 

Saturday was mostly lounging and chores. In the evening, we went to see Black Mass with Brandon's parents. I've always loved a good mob movie, expecially with Johnny Depp at the helm but if my opinion counts for anything, I'd suggest making this a home watch. It was a cool inside view of a pretty notorias kingpin in the 80's but it was kind of anit-climatic and doesn't require the movie theatre vibe.

 

Sunday Brandon and I went on an adventure downtown! We started at the Vancouver Antique Market, which is pretty much the coolest place ever. Any rustic, industrial or antique furniture lovers should absolutely check it out.
 

We ended up finding a piece for our living room, to house the electronics and pretty things but i'll show you it when its installed and ready to be photographed :) After convincing ourselves that we didn't need everything in the store we decided to head out and find a cute lunch spot for some tasty grub and a few pints.

 

 

We ended up at Bier Craft on Commercial Drive and were lucky enough to get a table on the patio. It was perfect for people watching and coming up with fun fall plans. Days like this are truly my favourite. Good company, good food and no schedule make me a very happy weekender.

Hope yours was a great as mine! What did you get up to?

Straight Outta Date Night

Oh how I love long weekends. Brandon and I opted for a low key one and it really helped recharge my batteries. Between relaxing, cleaning, organizing and gym sessions we managed to sneak in a quick date night.

 

Typically Brandon and I are pretty low key so a classic dinner and a movie is about as crazy as we get for nights out and this past Saturday was no exception. We enjoyed a lovely dinner at Famoso Pizza and then finally got to understand what all the buzz was about with Straight Outta Compton. 

 

My opinion? It's definitely worth a watch simply for the pop culture references and to have a better understanding of a world that I honestly knew nothing about. NWA originated when I was just a baby but I obviously know who all the members are. That just goes to show how much impact these men had on the music industry. I mean I'm a country lovin' Canadian girl who can still be moved by intense but passionate Californian rap artists with something to say about their reality. Relatable? no but understandable? Yes.

 

 

A Letter: To My Younger Self

Dear teenage Brittany,
 

Hair gel should be used sparingly, "hair fuzzies" are not the end of the world.

School and more importantly high school is such a fragment of time compared to the rest of your life. Have fun, make dumb choices, learn from those choices but don't let those years weigh too heavily on the person you become.

 

 
Hang out with people you actually like. I still don't understand why some people are "popular" and others are not. I know that you care a lot about being considered popular and NEED to hang out with those who will give you that status but making lasting relationships with people who share your interests is much more important.

Work on that project with that cute boy in English class... you might marry him someday ;)

Don't put your hobbies and interests on the backburner for fear of "missing out" on parties. You should totally go to the parties just don't make partying your only hobby and/or interest.

I want to say don't wear the dorinhas. But who am I kidding, you loved them and they gave you motivation to work hard so you could afford $100.00 jeans on your own.

Love yourself more than anyone or anything. These are the years in your life when you SHOULD be selfish.

Have more than one favourite bra....

Stay away from the drama. You will never get back the hours wasted on talking shit about other people.

Try to put yourself in other peoples shoes. You felt like you were struggling and I can guarantee that everybody else is too.

Don't listen to any of this. You are a teenager and you know everything already. Have fun, be safe and don't drink and drive!!
 

Essay Series: Hot Topic Intensity

 

I love the internet. I love that you can find the answer to anything with just a few key strokes, that you can plan every facet of your life through so many outlets and that it has made our world incredibly small. One of the things I do not love about the internet is the bandwagon type mindset that it has created.

 

Somewhere between researching history projects and connecting with friends and family grew this monster of a gang mentality that I just do not understand. People are so quick to voice their opinion by simply clicking "share" on a post or article. I honestly wonder how many people actually read the whole thing or if they simply agree with the headline. It gets worse on publication websites where everything from politics to world affairs to lifestyle choices to celebrity gossip is being miscommunicated, extorted and slandered.

 

I understand, and believe me, appreciate the right of freedom of speech (hello, I'm standing on my soap box right now) but I'm just tired of the obvious lack of research most people do before they hop on whatever bandwagon is driving by that week.

 

For example, my Facebook and Instagram newsfeeds have a different trend monthly if not weekly. This week it is the refugees from Syria, prior to that it was Cecil the lion, Transgender Awareness, Bill Cosby, Ferguson etc, You get the point. ALL of these topics are IMPORTANT, do not get me wrong, I believe they should be  talked about. My issue, is the intensity that these events have and their quick rise to "trending topics" the amount of times something is shared and commented on before they implode and are pushed aside for the next big issue.

 

And have you read through the comments on controversial topics? Holy moly. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but when you have to degrade someone by commenting on their appearance, race or religion to get your point across... c'mon people. I no longer consider your opinion warranted at that point.

 

My plea today is to simply read, educate yourself, form you own opinion and discuss (in a respectful way) all of these important issues. If you feel strongly about it, then share those articles, posts, photos and links with your friends and family, comment on a thread if you think your 2 cents are valid and respectful. And probably the most important, remember that if you want something to change in our world you have to be willing to be apart of it and support it for the long haul. They say Rome wasn't built in a day and no major advances globally were either. If you want to support a cause, you have to share the correct information and find other ways to make a change other than on the internet.