30 Day Challenge

For 30 days I will do hot yoga. I've been doing yoga for many years and I wanted to finally commit to it. Through Moksha Yoga Kildonan I'm deepening my practice. It's only day 6 and I've already seen improvement. I feel better, I have deeper sleeps, and I'm more flexible. At Moksha I track the days I'm there with cute little stickers beside my name on their board. I'm also playing yogi bingo at Moksha. Things like a 10min savasana or a taking a picture in my favourite pose gets me a square.

Through the studio I get to attend three workshops and a finale party. My first workshop is Tuesday, a Moksha flow class. Flow class might be the hardest because instead of holding poses your moving through them fluidly. It takes more control to be graceful. Flow classes really challenge me and help me grow in my practice.

Today I did two classes. My second class was a hot hatha class. It was nice to do such a relaxing practice after my regular class. The class is there to relieve stress and tension. It was so relaxing I fell asleep twice.  Hatha is not my favourite but I can see its benefits for other yogis.

My life is busy and I like it that way. Before starting the challenge I certainly had my doubts as to how I would fit my practice in daily. This is just another reason why it's a challenge. In my one week I've come to realize what it means to have an active lifestyle. To lead a healthy lifestyle you need to be active daily. Making that time is very important. Setting aside one hour a day to focus on myself both mentally and physically feels amazing. Sure I could use that extra hour a day for homework or making money but I've chosen to put myself first. I'm happy I didn't let my doubts get the better of me. Let the countdown begin!

Two years later

It's two years later. I'm proud to say I've learned more than I imagined and I've grown up in so many positive ways. CreComm is hard and lives up to its reputation. It's also made me appreciate the little things more. Now that CreComm is finishing up I can say hello again to relaxing full sleeps and the hobbies I love - but it was all worth it. Every headache and team project was worth it because now I have two jobs I love with companies I admire and enjoy working for. This post is a little thank you to CreComm for helping me open the door to new and exciting opportunities. 

Don't Lie to Us - Vote at truthinadmatters.com

Wonderful cyber friends I have some big news!

In one day, the #dreamteam (Kris Shaw and myself), put together a video PSA, a radio PSA, a print  PSA, and an intro video. Tons of work for AD standards Canada but the end product is pretty neat!

Our work was submitted to Ad standards Canada and is now in a competition for 10,000! That's quite big. There's five prizes. We really want to place!

Right now what we want to do is get into the top 20! It comes down to your vote! We need your help. We'd love it if you'd vote for us at:

www.truthinadmatters.com

Our campaign pokes fun at testimonials - that we know aren't true. Even the people doing the testimonials have trouble believing what they're saying. You can see the full 2 videos on their website.

...So GO to the website and VOTE for 'Don't Lie to Us'. The Ad Standards website is secure and won't send you junk mail. You're allowed to vote once a day! Get voting my friends!

Click on the link --> Radio PSA to hear it on Soundcloud :D

Be honest. Be upfront. Truth in advertising matters.

'The Plan'

I finished my IPP (independent professional project) today! I presented in front of a panel and left with a smile. Tune Up has ended peacefully and proudly.

As I was presenting the goals of the project I began to think about my own. In a month and a bit I will be done my post secondary education. What happens next is a mystery - and I kind of like it.

For as long as I remember I've always had a next step. There was always something planned for me to do. It's crazy I've reached the end of 'the plan'.

Now it's time to think about what I want. What is on my bucket list? What's on yours?

I've started to compile a list:

- be in a tomato fight in spain
- go bungee jumping
- study yoga in India and get certified
- read the power of now
- go on a wine tour
- ski and swim on the same day
- do some SUP and more paddle boarding
- read the paper in the Dead Sea
- get a degree in art history
- go to the Vatican
- take a cooking class in Thailand
- see the pyramids
- do a 30 day yoga challenge
- have lunch in central park NY
- participate in the Wonderlust festival
- take a girls vacation somewhere tropical
- walk on black sand
- learn a ballroom dance
- visit Santorini with Banman
- do what I love and love what I do

I'll continue to add to the list. This is only the beginning. The end of school is bittersweet (and truly nerve racking) but this list makes me think about the new adventures I must go on.  Can't wait!

Coconut Oil to the rescue

I've hopped onto the coconut oil bandwagon.

This is miracle oil. Really. I feel like I can use coconut oil for everything. Right now I rub some on before taking a shower and it's done wonders for my skin in this dry cold winter. It's been great for my sandpaper elbows and my cracking knuckles. It's good for chapped lips, taking makeup off, and helps repair hair damage. It smells so good and feels even better.

I went from using Coconut oil topically to using it when cooking. It's great as a butter supplement. I use it to grease pans and steam with my veggies. It's also even better when you put it into smoothies! Apparently Coconut oil has many health benefits. It helps kill viruses, bacteria, and fungi. It reduces your cholesterol and helps prevent Alzheimer's disease. It's been shown to increase energy and help you loose weight. Like I said, it's a miracle oil.

Tonight I vouch for coconut oil. Try it. I keep a jar of it in my bathroom and another jar in the kitchen. Two thumbs way up.

Mantra of the week

It's fairly obvious I'm a yogi. A prairie yogi to be exact. Sometimes it's difficult to mesh my hippie self with my professional shopaholic self. It's the truth! ha!

Knowing that, I follow Rachel Brathen, yoga_girl, online. She is such a wonderful spirit and I really admire her values and passion for life. She's my daily inspiration and one of my role models.

Last week she shared this simple saying on Instagram:

Be like the river.
Go with the flow.

Let it lead you to the infinite stillness of the ocean.


These few words have helped me enormously this week and I wanted to share it with you. Do you have someone being difficult around you? Are you nervous about a project? I sure had these two stressors in my life this week and this little saying with a big meaning brought me back to a stillness and a calm.

Whatever is bugging you right now (be it a relationship, school, family) sometimes it's best to let it go. Go with the flow. We have this need to always be right and control our next step. It can become tiresome and stressful. -- Not to say you should be a pushover in anyway shape or for, but if it means losing a battle once in a while to save yourself from a war I say go for it. Life is too short to get caught up in drama, negativity, and worry. Be like the river.

I hope in some way I helped a reader find calm like I did this week with my new mantra. Have a wonderful weekend :)

Dessert for Breakfast

'Life is short, eat dessert first' 

 My new breakfast is too good not to share. It's a recipe I adapted from Kalee Mund's Ayurveda stuffed dates dessert: 

_________________________________________________________________________________

Ingredients:

1 large container of dates

Filled with: 

-1 container of plain greek yogurt (or strain plain yogurt for same effect)

-Organic maple syrup

-Saffron

-Cinnamon

Prepare the dates by slicing the top of the date and removing the pit.

Make the filling by mixing together the spices in with the yogurt.

Stuff the dates with the filling and leave in refrigerator until ready to serve

_______________________________________________________________________

This recipe is awesome, but I like to change it up! What I do is mix my vanilla greek yogurt with cinnamon and maple syrup. So Simple and so easy to mix right before you are out the door! Then I dip my dates into the filling. It's scrumptious. All hail to having dessert first. Why not?

To end off today's short post, here's a quote from the movie Remember Me that fits: 

Ally: I have my dessert first.

Tyler: Is that a political statement? A medical condition, perhaps?

Ally: I just don't see the point in waiting. I mean, what if I die while eating my entree?

Tyler: Is that probable?

Ally: It's possible. What if I choke? What if an asteroid come hurling down onto the restaurant?... I'll tell you what, if you swear on your eternal soul that I'll make it through my entree, then I'll wait. But before you answer, consider that if something does happen, you'll have to live the rest of your life knowing that not only did you lie to me, but you denied of my one last indulgence. Are you prepared to shoulder that kind of responsibility?

Tune Up!

Guess what? Wow it's reading week! I wanted to take a moment to let my readers know that I only have 3 episodes left of my wonderful and informative radio show Tune Up!

Tune Up, if you're not already familiar, is a health and wellness show that airs Thursdays at 8pm on Red River Radio and goes on Sundays at 7am on CKUW 95.9FM. Now if you miss it on either of those awesome stations you'll want to visit my other blog ---> tunein2tuneup.com

I've had many amazing guests on my show and every episode is up on the blog for your listening pleasure! We've talked about everything from eating disorders, detoxes, yoga, addictions, mental health, meditation, swimming, acupuncture, MS, heart health, diet, running in Winterpeg, Ayurveda, and tons more.

On a personal note: This show has taught me so much about how to live life in a more healthy and balanced way. I'm very grateful to have had the opportunity to explore something I love to learn about through a school project and I'm also happy to have been able to share it with my listeners. I want to thank each and everyone who has tuned in and showed their support for the show. As well a big thank you and hug out to each guest for making the show a success! It still amazes me how many people gave me their time to chat in the Red River College basement for an hour. THANK YOU :D

Now there are only 3 episodes left. Time has flown by and we're almost done! Tune in this week to hear my episode with Stephaine Theissen about her Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Jordan Cieciwa, personal trainer, from One Fit City. 

A stroll through Target

It's a Monday morning and instead of going to class I get to people watch in Target. Thank you Kenton :)

I grabbed a cup of the best orange blossom tea from Teavana (since once again I'm sick with pharyngitis) and walked into Transcona's new department store - the one with the large bullseye on it.

Very few people browse Target on a Monday morning at 10am. What made it feel really empty was the absence of music. Without music I felt as if I had the entire store to myself, I could actually hear myself think. The silence was a nice change in comparison to other noisy department stores such as Wal-Mart.

Delaney, a woman at guest services who has worked there since March 2013, said their busiest time is Friday nights when people are going home after work. Monday was an inservice day for most schools so I did see a couple of kids there with their grandparents. When I was there the main group of people browsing were elderly mall walkers and a few adult singles looking around. Delaney also mentioned many people come to Target to buy only a couple of items and that's its not a place where you'd stock up on all your groceries. The woman in front of me in line bought a chocolate bar and the man behind me bought some hair dye. Both people were only buying one item and so was I.

I ended up buying a Valentine's Day card. I'd casually already looked at other stores for a card but they were picked over and I'm a tad particular. I use to work at Hallmark - way back. I like to choose a card with just the right picture and just the right saying. Seldom do you get both in one card. I was pleasantly surprised to have found a great card at Target.

Now how adorable is this display? It was front and centre, got my attention, and I bought a card. Successful and awesome display Target! But where Target faltered was when it came to the gift. After finding the card I thought 'now where's the candy at?' Their Valentine's display was WAY at the back of the store. Sure there were some signs telling you where to go but it was located in the back corner of the store. If I wasn't on a mission for this assignment I wouldn't have ventured to the back of the store. I guess they want to keep the Valentine's day candy for next year - because no one will find it there. Again a cute display, too bad no one will find it. 

My favourite part of Target was their freezers. Sounds odd but they have motion detectors that turn on the freezers lights when you walk by. That really made me feel special. Energy conserving and attentive freezers? I dig it. 

Now is our Target different than the ones in the states - for sure. One of the best parts about going to the Target in the states is getting those items that aren't available in Canada. This is still true. Even though there's Targets in Winnipeg it doesn't mean they carry states products on our wish list. I will say I do like how Target often uses whole numbers to sell products such as $3.00 instead of $2.99. It seems more transparent and honest to the consumer. Many might say the prices are higher here in Canada but I'd like to take the dollar difference into account. Sure it's not much of a difference anymore but it's still a factor.

I wouldn't go out of my way to shop at our Targets. It's really a glorified Zellers. It's a store better used for convenience than anything. Christina, the morning cashier, said things have really slowed down. Every once in a while she said there'll be a busy rush but it'll be short. I think the excitement around Target has definitely worn off. The store reminds me of Safeway in a way where if you want the store to yourself go to Target. Better yet, when you're not looking for anything too specific come relax at Target.

Forget fear.

Is it better to do what you love and be poor - Or be rich and miserable?

Many say money doesn't matter but sometimes you really need to pay the bills. (and benefits are nice)

This year I get to graduate twice! The University of Winnipeg is giving me a degree and I'll get a diploma from Red River College. This is a very exciting year. I've been a student for the past 19 years and I've finally perfected the art. It's all coming to a bittersweet end and reality is beginning to set in. Unfortunately there's no job openings for a professional student anywhere.

The pressure to get a job is more intense than ever. Now I must use those pieces of paper I've earned to get me a 'real' adult job. Without going into too much detail, I've found two jobs I'm head over heals for: one in promotions and one as a PR yogi. I have my two dream jobs! (While working my retail job - this girl needs clothes!) So what's the problem?

Do they pay the bills? For now they do.
Do I love my bosses? That's an understatement.

I still worry. That's the problem. Logic says I should be working a big girl job one that's 9-5 Monday to Friday that has a pension and a good blue cross package. The smart woman I've become has been taught year after year that is what is expected of her. This is why I've been putting so much effort into my education. I've put in the effort now it's time to find a real job and reap the benefits. If I'm not working one now, I should be actively seeking one. Except I'm not.

For my work placement this semester I decided to take a step back from being in control and let the world decide where to put me. My thinking was where ever I go I'll make the very best situation out of it. There's no bad work placement. It's what you make of it that counts. (This is very different from my perspective last semester where I was very determined to get out of town - and I did)

Fate, if that's what you call it, introduced me to one of my dream jobs as a PR yogi. I couldn't believe how crazy wonderful this opportunity was and I felt as though it presented itself to me. I didn't actively seek it out. It was similar to my promotions job. The sequence of events have been odd and it's been about being in the right place at the right time and meeting the right people.

I'm not actively seeking a 9-5 Monday to Friday job for two reasons: 1) I'm still in school 2) I'm ridiculously happy doing what I love.

They say if you love what you do you'll never have to work a day in your life. I think that's how the saying goes. I feel truly blessed to have these opportunities and honestly I want to go to work, it's fun, and I can't believe I get paid for it.

When I start thinking about the future fear creeps on in. Am I making the right decision by staying at part time jobs that are semi unstable? If I want that big house with two dogs and a good retirement fund I should start looking for that desk job somewhere.... It doesn't help that both my parents are well educated government workers who've worked their way up and have wicked jobs.

Then I'm reminded I'm 22. I've got a few years to enjoy these jobs and who knows what doors they'll open. I need to stop getting caught up in the expectations that come both internally and externally. It's time to forget fear, stop thinking 'what if?', and do what makes you happy. Choose the path that puts a smile on your face and gets you out of bed in the morning. I've decided poor and happy is the right fit for me - for now. I've chosen to believe when you're happy on the inside the rest will fall into place.

It's flu season. Watch out!

Dearest blog readers,

I hope you're feeling good and keeping your health in check. I got the flu this week and it knocked me out! I couldn't believe something so little could make you feel that bad. I'm pretty sure I got it at the Keith Urban concert (which was a blast I dare say even though I'm not a true country girl). 

The flu was three days of un-fun. I made that a word.

At first I didn't think it was the flu... I was just at a concert all night - but then the more the symptoms added up the more I tuned into the answer.

My symptoms:

• Fever - that was fun. Then came the sweats. And then the Chills. I'd say the chills were the worst. I couldn't stop shaking for 20mins and my finger nails started turning blue. Ew.
• Headaches and/or body aches - Ouch. I couldn't decide which side to sleep on - back - front- side- they all hurt. 
• Fatigue. Still feeling weak today. There's barely anything in my system. My body is slowly rebooting. 
• Nausea, vomiting, and...well you know that happened. 

How to avoid the flu:

• Get the shot - So obvious. I don't ever go for one because the last time I got the flu was when my mom bought home the new Swan Princess on VHS ... a.k.a 1994. From now on, flu shot please! They just came up with an inhale method to get the vaccine. For kids. I'm a big kid. 

What to do once you have the flu: 

• Getting plenty of rest. SLEEP. Seriously it's the best remedy. Amen to sleep. 
• Drinking clear fluids. Water, tea, and G2 was my go to - I needed a sport drink to replace the electrolytes I'd lost to prevent becoming dehydrated.
• Humidifiers are good especially in winter to help you breathe better  
• Hot showers and warm blankets. There's no other way to calm the chills. 

If you get the flu, which you might, a good reminder is just try to make it through the day because the end is near. Mine only stuck around for two and a half days. It's short lived but it certainly sucks. You might still be contagious for another week afterward so be careful. Good luck comrades! Stay happy, stay healthy! 

There's no place like Om.

I'm a Prairie Yogi!  All thanks to Monique Pantel and Rachelle Taylor, two CreComm Alumni, who are beautiful both inside and out. They've created the Prairie Yogi community where us yogis get together in the best venues to do some relaxing and often much needed yoga. You get to meet some amazing people, laugh a lot, and feel good. It's the best. 

This past weekend I had the pleasure of participating in my 3rd Prairie Yogi event. It was their Body Mind Soul Cleansing Workshop. We did some Bikram style yoga first then settled in and got to see Kalee Mund in all of her cooking glory making an ayurvedic meal for us. 

What is an ayurvedic meal you ask? Let me give you the gist. Ayurveda is an ancient medical system in India. It's about treating the mind, body, and soul in a holistic manner to heal itself. It's a system of living that involves a healthy dose of diet, exercise, and meditation. It comes down to balance and taking care of yourself as a whole. The meal Kalee made for us was called Kitchari. It's a cleansing dish to aid in digestion and energy. In it's simplest form it's a soup made from rice and mung beans. After dinner we chatted while enjoying some stuffed dates and tea. It really hit the spot! 

If you want to find out more about the recipe or Prairie Yogi go to prairieyogimagazine.com.

Sunday was a such great day alongside one of my best friends Amanda as we sweated it out and ate a delicious meal. Thank you to Prairie Yogi for putting on another successful, wonderful, and inspirational event! Can't wait until the next one!