lalaland

Four Going on Fourteen

2012-06-12T21:15:00.000-04:00

In just a couple days, Miss Cate will be turning four. Yikes! I still find it very hard to believe that I have been a mother for that long!

It has become a bit of a tradition to throw large lavish birthday parties for the girls. We are often the party hosts and we love doing it so what better excuse to get together with friends and family?

For Cate's First Birthday we had a Garden Party in our backyard.

First Birthday

For Cate's Second Birthday we had a Dora Party complete with a scavenger hunt through the nearby park.

Second Birthday

For Cate's Third Birthday we really went all out and held a Princess Party at my inlaws beautiful home just out of town.

Third Birthday

Really, there was no topping that last party.

With two kids in daycare full time, the purse strings were a little tighter this year and so we decided that it would be a kids only party. Also, Cate had already "invited" all of her little daycare friends to her party, so I figured why not? I searched around for the right venue for the party, and as it turns out, it was right in our neighbourhood!

The Birthday Girl and her little sister.

This past weekend, Cate celebrated her fourth birthday at A Gym Tale. From start to finish, every detail was looked after. Upon arrival, all the kids were signed in at the front desk under Cate's name. From there, the kids tackled the giant indoor play structures. There was even a little area for Maddie to hang out while the big kids worked their way up to the top of the big slide.

Half and hour later, the party host came out, called all the kids down, and lead them into the "enchanted forest" for another 30 minutes of princess themed obstacles course, parachute games, and of course, bubbles.

Circle Time

They then headed over to the party room for hot dogs and lemonade, followed by the princess cupcakes that we brought in. The hostess took care of everything, including tending to the kids' requests for 5 refills each! Next we moved onto presents and Cate was in her glory with all her little buddies around her. When she finished up, there were still a few minutes left, so the hostess put on a few magic tricks to keep the kids entertained until the very end.

Princess Crown Cupcakes

As each child left, Cate handed them one of the home-made magic wands that we created using oreo cookies, pink chocolate and sprinkles :)

Sweet Magic Wands

Overall, the party was a hit and both girls were well worn out by the end of the day. Success!

30 Minutes or Less

2012-05-27T19:55:00.003-04:00

It seems like the last 5 months have been a series of false starts. Every Monday starts with a stern lecture to myself and promises of more exercise and less food. Every Friday inevitably ends with too much food and not enough activity. This cycle, combined with my return to a full time job with 2 young kids at home, has resulted in me GAINING on even more weight, despite my repeated attempts to LOSE weight.

Something's gotta give.

This weekend, my circle of friends and I competed at the Ottawa Race Weekend - Cate & I in the 2K and my hubby in the half marathon... yes, you heard that right! My friend, Katie, also achieved a life long dream of completing a full marathon - with an awesome time to boot. We had a blast the whole weekend and really felt part of something so special to our city.

My inspiration team!

Seeing everyone succeed has really inspired me to go further and so tonight I signed up for the 5K race at the Army Run in September! Not only that - I indicated that my predicted finish time will be 25-30 minutes...

WHAT?!?!

That's right...

I've decided that short distances are my thing. I will never be a marathoner, nor do I have any interest in running for that long and so I've set a goal for myself to train this summer to increase my speed over 5K to come in under 30 minutes. At the Resolution Run in January, I came in just under 37 minutes so I have a little bit of work to do...

Overall, I'm happy - I finally have a fitness goal rather than a weight goal!

It will certainly be easier for me to achieve this goal if I lose some weight in the process, but that is not the focus. The focus is training and increasing speed.

As a first step, I have set a training plan for myself that includes short 2.5 km runs, strength workouts, cardio classes and yoga. I've made a deal with myself that I'm ok if my workout only lasts 20 minutes sometimes, as long I as get my butt moving in the first place.

So, now it's your turn. The Army Run usually sells out and up until mid-June it's only $30 to register! Does anyone want to join my in my quest for a personal best? I could really use a training partner... hint, hint...

Tastes like Chicken

2012-05-02T21:03:00.002-04:00

I consider our family to be somewhat adventurous eaters. We love international cuisine and we eat curry at least once a week. Cate even had her first taste of shrimp in her first year. I guess that leaves me somewhat ashamed to admit that yesterday was the first time Cate ate fish.

Yes, she is nearing 4.

Yes, I know fish is full of omegas and great for brain development.

Yes, I know we *should* be eating fish twice a week.

I grew up in a house where fish came in battered sticks from a fella name Mr Highliner and was served with ketchup (let's be honest, most things I ate were accompanied by ketchup). Living in the burbs outside of Ottawa, we didn't have access to fresh fish. Of the few times I can remember my mom cooking it when when they were entertaining, all I can remember is the smell.

Mmmm Nemo

I guess I've always been like that - smells can really set me off. Recently I made a whole bunch of turkey burgers to freeze, but unfortunately the smell of the defrosted turkey turned me off so badly that they are still sitting in the bottom of the freezer...

While I struggle with the smell, I wouldn't say that I dislike fish. I still remember how much I enjoyed fresh mahi mahi in Hawaii, or the time I went to The Pelican on Bank Street with my old boss and had the most delicious tilapia. I guess a big part of it comes down to the reality that you cook what you know. I haven't the least idea of how to cook fish really well. To the same token, anyone who knows me well knows that I don't really eat meat on bones, and well, fish have a whole lot of tiny little bones!

Putting my quirks aside, while perusing the frozen section for new dinner ideas this week, I came across the fish section. For some reason, this time I stopped and the shame of depriving my kids (and myself) of these crucial omegas prompted me to take a good look. It would seem as though the frozen fish department has expanded to include some items that actually look appealing! On a whim, I picked up some tilapia with a multigrain coating.

This is what I bought - highly recommended.

My expectation for the kids was that Maddie might eat it, but odds are Cate would take one bite after much coaxing and the rest would sit untouched. When I picked the kids up from daycare and I told Cate we were having fish sticks for dinner. I said they taste exactly like chicken nuggets (her favourite, she could live off those things). Surprisingly, she said "ok, Mom. Let's have chicken fishies".

It took a good 40 mins from the time we got home until they were ready, so I had two famished little girls on my hands. The fillets came out looking quite good, if you ask me. I cut them up for the kids - small bites for Maddie and larger nugget sized bites for Cate - and of course, served Cate's up with a side of ketchup (some habits never die).

Much to my surprise, she devoured them and promptly asked for more! Maddie also ate all of hers and started dipping her pieces into Cate's ketchup (she really is her mother's daughter). In the end, Cate ate more than a whole fillet herself!

I could not believe I had waited so long. Especially because hubby came home and started munching on the leftovers. What was I waiting for?

Today when I picked the girls up from daycare I told Cate what we were having for dinner and she got upset with me and said she wanted more chicken fishies! I had to promise that we could have them tomorrow night since dinner was already in the slow cooker.

I'm not sure if fish will make it into our weekly rotation, but now that the kids (and hubby) seem to enjoy it, I'll be sure to keep it in the monthly mix.

I guess our house might start getting a little smelly...

Am I the only parent who has waited so long to introduce fish? Do your kids like it? Do YOU like it? How often does your family eat fish? Have any recipes to share?

The Pink Ladies

2012-04-22T21:02:00.000-04:00

It was a long and uncertain road, but yesterday I had the chance to celebrate the months I spent fundraising with 6 hour long fitness classes at Bust A Move! I joined 4 other lovely ladies from the Losing it in Ottawa community to get our sweat on.

The event itself was terrific. Everything was very well organized and the most impressive part was that they managed to seek out enough sponsors to cover the cost of the event so that all the $349,000 raised will go directly to support both the Maplesoft Centre's Cancer Coaching Program and the Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre.

As some of you know, I actually reached my $1,000 goal and so, as promised, on Friday night I went from blonde to PINK!

I can't believe how well the colour covered!

I joined the rest of the "Pink Ladies" at the Ottawa Athletic Club on Saturday morning. The atmosphere was invigorating and we were all anxious to get moving.

After a few opening remarks, the exercise began with an old school hi-low aerobics class. I broke a sweat in the first 10 minutes and loved how intense it was. It also had me second guessing my ability to keep it up for the whole six hours!

Luckily, hour number 2 has a surprise in store with Richard Simmons leading a low-impact dance style class. I ended up on stage for the opening set and let me tell you, I had a blast! When I first heard he was coming, I was definitely a little creeped out. I'm not sure whether it's the short shorts or his gregarious personality, but it was a bit much for me. Now that I've "met" him in person, I have gained a lot more respect for him and really got a kick out of his workout.

It seems like the camera really had a thing for my pink hair - it made several of the local newspapers!

Not sure why my arms are up, when clearly that is not what we're supposed to be doing! Photo credits to The Ottawa Sun

Stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Photo credits to The Ottawa Citizen

Got to love the wide angle lens - look how long my leg looks!
Photo credits to The Ottawa Sun

The day continued with Zumba, Yoga, Kickboxing, Belly Dancing and even a free massage thrown in for good measure! While I found it to be a good workout, I didn't find it over taxing, although my knees and calves are a little worse for the wear today.

I ended the day with a quiet evening at home while the kids were out at Grandma's and Grandpa's for a sleepover. As I expected, I didn't make it much past 9pm before I fell into the wonderful deep sleep that follows a day of being active.

Once again, THANK YOU to everyone who donated to support this worthy cause and allowed me to participate in this amazing event.

I couldn't have done it without you.

How much are you willing to give?

2012-04-11T08:16:00.000-04:00

Today, I made an executive decision.

I registered to become an organ donor.

You might be asking yourself why it has taken me so long to do so. I have been thinking about this subject for many years and finally today I had the AHA moment that I was waiting for to push me to make this decision.

Like many of you, I have been following Hélène Campbell’s story of her battle with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and her quest for a new pair of lungs. She has been advocating for organ donation through social media and has even received the support of celebrities like Justin Beiber and Ellen DeGeneres. Last week, Hélène underwent a double lung transplant and thankfully, she appears to be recovering well.

After reading several articles and tidbits over the last few months, I have finally managed to change my perspective on organ donation. I started thinking about how I would feel if it was my daughter waiting for a lung transplant. I couldn’t imagine being put in a position that so greatly relied on the generosity of others. More so, how could I possibly ask someone else to donate their organs if I was not prepared to do the same myself?

To be honest,the biggest factor holding me back was fear. What if I was in a coma and there was still a chance of survival, but someone I don’t even know decided that my organs would be better donated to someone else, than to keep me alive on the chance that I could survive? A bit silly, I know. Maybe I’ve watched too many medical dramas with unethical pushy doctors that they have made their way into my subconscious and now have me doubting our healthcare system.

Today, I turned over a new leaf and have decided that I trusted the health care system enough to fight for me. I trust my family enough to know that I would want to keep fighting for as long as I could. BUT, if there was absolutely no hope –then I would want to help someone else.

What do you think about organ donation? Have you registered to become an organ donor?

If you’re from Ontario, just go to beadonor.ca and have your health card ready. You can also check to see if you’re already registered.

Sweet Easter Treats

2012-04-05T10:11:00.003-04:00

Lately, Cate and I have been in the habit of baking together once or twice a week. Usually it's something healthy like my favourite cinnamon swirl protein bread or a whole grain fruit muffin, but with Easter coming up this weekend, we'll be doing the rounds for family dinners and so I decided that we should have some Easter treats to bring along with us.

Since they turned out so well, I thought I would share the recipe with all of you. I had to make a few modifications from the original recipe that I found here http://www.curiositiesbydickens.com/easter-birds-nest-cookies/

Aren't these just adorable?

Easter Bird's Nest Cookies

1 cup Butter
1 8oz package of Cream Cheese
2 cups Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla
1/4 tsp Coconut Extract
1/4 tsp Almond Extract
2 cups White Flour

2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
Flaked Coconut

Green, Yellow, Red, and Blue Food Colouring
Candy Covered Eggs – I used PC speckled eggs because I liked the natural looking colours.

Royal Icing – You can make your own with icing sugar and water or you can buy the premade cookie icing with a piping tip already on the package.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat together butter and cream cheese till smooth. Beat in sugar. Add egg, vanilla, and extracts. Mix well. Stir in the flour and baking powder.

Roll dough into balls (about the size of ping pong). The batter was really sticky for me so I added more flour to make it more manageable. Place them a couple inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. Make an indentation in each one using your thumb.

Bake for 10-12 minutes on the centre rack. Cookies won't brown, so keep an eye on them. Remove from oven and use the back of a spoon to press down the indentation again.

Meanwhile, mix coconut with a couple of drops of each of the food coloring in a small bowl with a lid or a large freezer bag. Cover and shake until all the coconut is evenly covered. Adjust the colours until you get a nice deep brown colour. Spread icing in the indents on each of the cookies (I used a small paint brush) and fill with coconut. Press down on the coconut flakes and then tip them over to get rid of the excess. Place another dab of icing on top of the coconut in the centre of the cookie and place 3 multi-coloured eggs. Press down to secure them in place. This recipe makes about 60 cookies.

Et voila! Now you have adorable little bird nests! They make cute Easter table decorations, but are also tasty and satisfying.

These cookies were a lot of fun to make and kid friendly too. Cate pitched in to do everything from measuring the ingredients to "painting" on the icing and placing the eggs. Best of all, she is quite excited to deliver her special gifts this weekend.

Happy Easter (and don't eat too much chocolate!)

Pretty in Pink

2012-03-01T07:30:00.000-05:00

As February comes to end, I start to get anxious for Spring. The snow starts to melt, the days become longer, and the sun starts to shine a little brighter. This prompts me to look at my calendar in anticipation of summer nights barbequing in the back yard with friends while the little ones play in the kiddy pool. Truly living in the burbs at its best!

While pondering the family calendar this year, I was reminded of Bust a Move coming up on April 21st. I am so looking forward to the event itself, but the fundraising really has me concerned. As a team we've reached 44% of our $5,000 goal, but we still need to raise another $2,800 in the next 7 weeks!

So...

We've decided to up the ante!

If we reach our goal before April 20th, we've decided that we would all dye our hair PINK!

I'm not talking a pinkish tone of red, I'm talking PINK. I thought I would take a few minutes to try out a few looks. Let me know which one you like best!

Should I go Canival Pink?

or Lady Gaga Pink?

That said... hurry on over to the Bust A Move website and put your pennies in the mix to support breast health and get me one step closer to becoming pinkalicious.

Where I'm at.

2012-02-29T13:52:00.003-05:00

A wise man once said “if you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all”. Maybe this accounts for my recent absence from the blogging world. It seems like the last two months have been a haze of illness, lack of motivation, and false starts.

I feel like so many of my blog posts revolve around the excitement of starting a new phase of fitness or my latest weight loss achievement. It sets me up as a role model and motivator for others and that makes me hesitant to write about the hard parts of a weight loss journey.

But let’s be honest, that’s what it is.

A journey.

There are ups and downs and not everything is sunshine and rainbows.

I’m surrounded by so many positive influences and cheerleaders in my life. They make me want to eat healthy, be active, and stay social. …most of the time.

My Isagenix anniversary came up this week. Since last year I have lost (and kept off) 38 pounds. While this is a success, I still focus on the 8 pounds I am up from my lowest weight last year which was around Labour Day and also the fact that I have yet to hit the magic number to bring me back to my pre-pregnancies weight.

Silly, I know, but when you commit your life to something, you crave results.

A lot of my success last year came from the motivation to fit into my bridesmaid dress. Well, once again this year I have the honour of standing up with one of my dear friends at her wedding and we are ordering the dresses this week. That being said, I’m still stumped by what size to order.

The chic dress that I get to wear

Should I go with what fits me now and have it taken in a bit if I lose a little?

Or, should I be more ambitious and go a little smaller to motivate me to get my groove back?

I’m leaning toward the latter.

Either way, now I have a goal.

Rainbows and Party Hats

2012-02-05T21:39:00.002-05:00

Today, we celebrated Maddie's first birthday with family and friends. We had a lovely lunch time party and the birthday girl soaked everything up! She was on her best behaviour and such a doll.

I decided on a rainbow theme based on some of the amazing things I've seen on Pinterest over the past year. As usual, I went a little overboard, but it's just so much fun that I couldn't resist. Plus, Cate got a real kick out of everything, and she can know recite all the colours of the rainbow in order and has taught all of her daycare buddies how to draw them.

The decision to go with this theme really stemmed from these cupcakes. I did end up re-making them since the batch from last weekend were really inedible. These ones turned out light and fluffy - just perfect!

I wanted to add a few personal touches and so I made a fun banner showcasing pictures of Maddie from each month of her first year.

And of course, there were balloons!!!

I also made a little game board to play "Pin the pot of gold under the rainbow". I traced out where the pot of gold was supposed to go so there would be no question of who won. It was a hit with all the little ones!

Pinterest also had some great ideas for food. The fruit kebobs were a hit. I've never seen so many kids eat so much fruit at a birthday party before!

Single serve veggie cups with dip in the bottom made it easy for guests to wander with their snack.

The Birthday Girl was so excited to get the party started that she was dancing on the table with her Grandma.

The precious trio of BFFs. Cate was impatiently waiting all week for her besties to come over.

First things first, kids need food! We pre-made a ton of grilled cheese and ham sandwiches with yummy cheese like havarti, cheddar, and pizza mozzarella. Lesson learned though - cover them while they sit in the over to stay warm. They were a "little" dry when they came out and needed to be popped into the microwave to soften up again.

Oh yeah, we forgot party hats!

The Birthday Girl ate up her lunch so she could get to the best part...

Cupcakes!

But she was not the only one with this in mind...

In the end, Panda ended up with the bulk on the cupcake.

Maddie did not disappoint. She has icing all over herself - including the back of her head!

Finally, she was spoiled by all her friends and family!

Thanks to everyone who came out today!

It's a Cake-Smashing Day

2012-01-29T17:51:00.002-05:00

In anticipation of Maddie's first birthday on Wednesday, we had a mini cake smashing photo session this afternoon! Cate was excited to participate and she helped me to make the cake (ahem... eat the jelly beans).

While searching for a healthy cake recipe, I came across a suggestion to combine cake mix + 1 cup of greek yogurt + 1 cup of water. Given my love for greek yogurt, I jumped on it! The result was, well, a bit rubbery. Not sure exactly where it all went wrong. I strayed from my usual Betty Crocker mix and bought the Dr Oetker. I think that may have been my first mistake. I made Maddie's Birthday cupcakes later with the same mix, but swapped the yogurt with a cup of applesauce. It was a little lighter, but not much.

Now I have 48 cupcakes that are a little chewy... I haven't yet decided if I'm going to remake some for the party next weekend. Thankfully I have a bit of time to think about it.

Do you have a go to cake recipe? If so, please share! Would love a more natural "clean" cake for Little Miss Maddie and her guests.

Finally, here are a few pics of this afternoon...

Rob - Goals - You win some and you don't accept the one you lose

2012-01-20T19:20:00.005-05:00

Hi all,

12 days ago I posted a few January goals and threw a couple on for 2012 just to keep it interesting. I also promised to keep everyone updated on the progress and I am pleased to say that overall, I think I have done fairly well but have to admit that on a few fronts there have been some struggles.

Actual updates are found below but before I give you all the juicy details, I thought I'd write a bit about rolling with the punches, enjoying the little victories and trying to chalk up the set backs as learning experiences.

I have to admit that I suck at rolling with the punches, set backs and stupid, fu#king learning experiences. I know it's cliche after all the Charlie Sheen lunacy a few months ago but the man has a point, who doesn't like winning.

(Sorry about the bad picture. My usual editor is out wiht friends tonight)

Over the years, like most adults, I have come to accept that everything isn't going to go your way. I hope I'm gracious in those defeats and learn from them but I don't think this means that you need to like it. In the past, especially when it comes to losing weight and getting in shape, I perhaps have had a bit of a defeatist attitude and when things have started to turn for the worse, I have given up and then given in to the cravings. You'll see in a few moments that I had a few set backs in the last couple of weeks but I have decided that they aren't going to stop me from getting to those goals. Maybe a few of them won't happen in January but mark my words, they will happen. Now, on to the update:

Goals:

1. Stick to the Isagenix program:

I had a couple of off days. In particular last weekend, when I got into a few beers and followed that up with some serious junk food. However, overall I think I have done fairly well during this 30 day cleanse and funny enough, when I stick to the program I have more energy and feel ten times better than I do after scarfing down a medium pizza. (Just for the record, I did not scarf down a medium pizza on Saturday night but I think that is only because I didn't have any cash on me.) Don't get me wrong, I still love pizza and will definitely have it again but in the context of healthy living, I don't feel very good about myself or in my stomach when I have a gut full off cheese and grease. I'm not exactly ready to call this one a victory but if I had to grade myself on this particular goal, I'd give myself a C+. I passed but not by a whole lot.

2. Lose 25-30lbs during the cleanse:

I had said last time that I had lost just over 18lbs in about a week which probably speaks as much to how much junk I had in my system and how badly my body was craving healthy living. After that few plateau days last week, I am pleased to say that as of Friday, January 20th, I am down 23lbs. This means 2 more pounds to go until I hit the low end of the this goal. I am confident that this one is going to be a win and I'll give myself a grade of a B.

3. Exercise every day for the entire 30 day cleanse:

Unfortunately I had to take last Sunday off from the exercise. I really felt like I had beaten the crap out of my body and it just needed one day to rest up and recover. However, I got right back on the wagon the next day and was even able to get to the gym for a run on Wednesday. Overall, I have been really pleased with the exercising and now that Laura has convinced me to sign up for the Isabody challenge, I think I have even more motivation. This one was definitely a win and I'm giving myself an A-.

4. Do at least 50 push ups by the end of the 30 day cleanse:

Last time I had said that I had done 23 push ups. Well, I am pleased to say that this morning I was able to do 35 push ups. I've got 12 days to go and while I'm not 100% confident, I think I have made good progress and this one is in my sights. I'll give myself a B.

Overall, I'd say I have been a strong B on this 30 day cleanse. Not an A but definitely in the top half of my class. I promise I'll post the final totals and my grades as I see it.

On a related side note, I saw piece on the news the other day that said most people stop working on their resolutions by the third week of January and since tomorrow is the 21st, I want to find out how everyone else is doing on their resolutions. Also, just because you've fallen off the horse on your resolutions is no reason to accept defeat. Instead, hold up your middle finger to losing and go for the win!

It's Official

2012-01-18T21:20:00.001-05:00

I signed up for the IsaBody Challenge!

Hubby also signed up. He's such a copycat that way (love you, hun).

The IsaBody Challenge is a body transformation competition. Participants have between 16-24 weeks to compete for the most amazing transformation while using the Isagenix products. The deadline for this year's challenge is June 20, 2012, and so we will actually have a maximum of 22 weeks to attain our goal.

I have a guest post going up on the Losing it in Ottawa blog on Sunday that talks about my new approach to life. It is really what prompted me to look for a goal. I'm not a runner and don't want to join Rob in his dream of running a marathon. That's just not me. I'm never going to be a figure model, my kids made darn sure of that one. So then what's better than a body transformation competition where I have the chance to win money and trips to some of the biggest Isagenix events? Motivation enough for me!

Some of you may say, why now? Haven't you already lost a ton of weight? You're fine the way you are.

Well, while I still have a few (dozen) pounds to go to get me to my ideal weight (whatever that is), I am more interested in seeing how I can tone my body and find my figure. I'm seriously still looking for my waistline - it disappeared sometime in 2007 and still hasn't come back.

I'm also looking for motivation to get me to the gym and to stay active. With my return to the office, it's easy to find excuses to put my feet up. I need that goal to keep me focused.

I plan to post my progress on a regular basis as well as share some of my workout plans. I guess I'm going to have to get some first!

And so with that, I will leave you with some cringe-worthy "Before" pictures that I submitted with my entry. I went all out and decided that I needed to wear short shorts and a sports bra for full effect. I really don't know why I keep putting terrible pictures of myself on the internet... you would think that a Marketing professional would know better...

Be kind and wish me luck!

Rob - Vomit, The Police and IsaKarma

2012-01-16T19:22:00.005-05:00

Hi all,

Rob here with a short post/vent on how sometimes life has a way of biting you in the ass and you're not quite sure whether it's your fault or Karma dealing up a good swift kick right to the goodies. However, in spite of the negative start, I can make the commitment that this won't be a "woe is me" post.

I think it all started on Saturday when I succumbed to temptation and strayed from the Isagenix program while having dinner and spending the evening with good friends. We had a great time playing possibly the worst board game ever invented and I am not just saying that because I lost.

For those of you who have not had the pleasure of playing The Price Is Right Board Game, it is the most disjointed, slow and confusing game. It can only be played while enjoying copious amounts of beer and hard liquor (neither of which is included in the 30 Day Cleanse) and that is where all the trouble started.

I tempted the IsaFates and had a few beers on Saturday night which led to some less than spectacular food decisions. In my defence the beers were Molson 67s (as in 67 calories) and the food I was low-cal chicken chili. The problem was I ate far too much of it! Who knew that a serving size wasn't half a slow cooker pot?

To make matters worse (probably because of the extra carbs) I woke up on Sunday sore from two straight weeks of exercising and feeling out of sorts. I was able to stick to the program right until dinner time when once again I decided to tempt my IsaKarmic balance and I started to snack.

Well, about 11 o'clock Sunday night, I guess the IsaGods decided to punish my poor behaviour and little Maddie, in the middle of cutting her 7th tooth decided to cry inconsolably for two hours straight. It went very quickly from upsetting to annoying, then back to upsetting, then a little bit tiresome, and finally exasperating.

Finally, about 1 o'clock in the morning, the tooth must have finally popped through. She drifted off into dreamland just as Cate wandered into our room to tug on my sleeve and tell me that she just puked...in her bed.

I'm sure those of you with kids (or pets) can sympathize with my plight. There is nothing quite like cleaning up a vomit filled bed at 2:30 in the morning with your nose covered and just trying desperately to keep your kid quiet not to wake the other one up. I tell you, I was dog pee on the carpet away from the perfect parental nightime. Once again, I blame this on the IsaKarma.

Finally, this morning, running 2 hours late for work because I let the kids sleep in, I get pulled over about five minutes from my office for speeding. I couldn't even argue very much, because the laser had me dead to rights. It was at the very moment I was handed my ticket for $110 that I realized you just shouldn't mess with your IsaKarma because it will knock you cold and then kick you while you're down.

I'm writing this post while dripping sweat from a hard workout and have stuck religiously to "the rules" all day.

Trust me, I won't stray again.

I don't think a can afford to tempt my IsaKarma again.

The Most Beautiful Flowers Around

2012-01-15T21:04:00.000-05:00

With the rush of the holidays over and my return to work, I can finally look ahead to the things I have planned for this year. One of the things I'm most looking forward to is Bust A Move. It's a day long fitness extravaganza and a celebration of breast health. I'm excited to kick off the new year by fundraising for such worthy cause.

The more I learn about this event, the more excited I get. Did you know that the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation recently opened to Maplesoft Center? In designing the region’s first cancer survivorship centre it was the Cancer Foundation’s vision to create a home-away-from-home for cancer survivors and their families. Nestled beside the Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Survivors Park, the Foundation's survivorship centre is a place of quiet refuge and reflection, support and empowerment during the cancer journey.

This park is especially dear to my heart. When I was pregnant with Cate in Spring 2008, I would travel back and forth from the Ottawa General Hospital for a variety of tests, ultrasounds and consultations to ensure that our little girl didn't make her appearance too early. On the ride there we would pass the Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Survivors Park at the corners of Riverside, Industrial and Alta Vista. I watched as the park grew from a pile of dirt to a luciously landscaped park, and one by one, these beautiful flowers were installed. Sure enough, the park appeared to be complete just as Cate made her appearance in June 2008.

This summer, I finally had a chance to visit the park with my friend Katie and her girls after a workout at The Athletic Club. We packed a picnic lunch and had a chance to soak up the sun in this beautiful and meaningful park. I also managed to capture a few pictures of our first visit. I'll be sure to bring the girls back another time to play under the flowers.

Miss Maddie loves the park

Kasey looking so precious

The three little girls

Yoga in the park

I so love these flowers

Your donation to support breast health would mean so much to me and the rest of the Losing it in Ottawa team. Even $5 will help me reach my goal of raising $1,000 for the cause. If you would like to donate, simply click here to see my official Bust a Move fundraising page.

Rob - Blogging: Writing, Art Form or Science?

2012-01-15T12:17:00.004-05:00

Hi all,

In my week 1 weight loss euphoria last Sunday, I committed to writing a posting at least once a week, to which I was promptly informed that one should never make those types of commitments.

This got me thinking about all the other things that people informed me - a virtual blog virgin - about the medium and I thought it might be interesting to correct them all, or at the very least, address them.

As far as my previously made commitment to writing regularly.......

Oh well, too bad.

Not only will I stick to my earlier statement, but I'll take it one further. I will up that to a minimum of twice a week. That's right, I just said that.

In one post, I'll write about getting in shape, Isagenix, and the lifestyle change that we've made. While the other post may expand to include topics like swearing and life in the burbs.

Actually, the idea of writing about a variety of subject matter is another blogging no-no. I have been told if you want to gain a regular audience, you need to pick a subject and stick to it. I guess this makes sense since you are supposed to write about what you know and most people are going to read the things that interest them, but frankly I have a lot of interests so I think I'm going to write about what I want to and just hope that you find it enjoyable to read and continue to provide your feedback.

Further, people also tell me that blog posts don't always have to read like essays because in today's web world, people don't have really long attention spans. I don't know if this is true or not, but regardless, when I write about something it will take as many words as it takes to get thwe point across. Some posts will undoubtedly be short, while others will ramble on so long that you'll think you are reading a short novel. For those of you that get bored just reading the back cover of a book, I'm going to keep this one short. (This post was much longer until my favourite editor got her hands on the computer).

Finally, I was also told that if you want people to actually read your blog it needs to have pictures so here you go:

I will make a commitment to put at least one picture in each of my posts, but I will not guarantee that the image will match the subject matter in any way, shape or form.

Well, those are the immediate blog "faux pas" that come to my mind. Can you think of any that I am missing? Or worse, committing? Trust me, I'm tough and can handle the criticism.

Weekly Wrap-up - January 10, 2012

2012-01-11T20:11:00.000-05:00

Overall weight lost: 56lbs

Weight lost this week: 6lbs

Work outs: Thursday - Yoga (60 mins) / Friday - Strength (30 mins) / Saturday - Off / Sunday - Off / Monday - Strength & CXWORX (60 mins) / Tuesday - Off / Wednesday - Off

Accomplishments: I made it through my first week back at work and managed to stick to my cleanse! I *may* have snuck in a glass of wine on Friday night, but I also resisted a table full of treats at my uncle's birthday party on Sunday. That's compromise in my world.

Challenges: Exercise has been a challenge this week. I stayed on track last week, but this week has the working mom life is starting to catch up to me. I made it to the gym on Monday at lunch and then again after work to join some friends for the new CXWORX class (awesome, by the way!), but haven't been back. I brought my gym stuff into the office today, but between meetings and deliverables, I just couldn't make it. I will try again to make it in tomorrow for a light workout since it's cleanse day and for sure go on Friday. If any of my work colleagues are reading this - you have the right to give me a boot if I'm still at my desk at noon on Friday...

Thoughts: I had lost 8lbs by last Friday, but put on 2 over the weekend due to a little extra snacking. All healthy, but just enough to stop the losing pattern. I'm hoping to get things rolling again this week. Just a reminder of how important it is to stick to the program. Overall, I am still feeling more toned than ever, so I know it's just a matter of patience and focus. Sadly, I only possess one of those qualities...

Rob - The Art of Swearing

2012-01-09T18:00:00.008-05:00

When I was a teenager growing up in a small town, like most people, I used profanity as a regular part of my everyday vernacular. Now that is not to say that I dropped the F-bomb while talking to Grandma or threw in the dreaded C-word while ordering a pizza. Similar to most young people, I incorporated swearing into most conversations but understood that there were times and places that certain phrases just weren't appropriate.

Perhaps it was an introduction to a wider range of people or maybe it was moving to Ottawa and being exposed to both official languages on a regular basis - by the way, in my experience no one can swear more eloquently than a bilingual francophone using both French and English in the same sentence - but, during my university days and the years I spent working in the trade show and special events industry, my swearing moved into new and uncharted territories. While I still understood that there were times that cursing was inappropriate, I actually do recall dropping the F-bomb in a conversation with my Grandma.

However, once I entered the 9-5 office environment, got married and especially when I became a father, I really and truly thought that I had gotten a handle on it and the days of wildly inappropriate language spewing forth out my my mouth like a drunken sailor were behind me. Sure, if I smashed my finger with a hammer or got puked on by one my girls, a flurry of filth was bound to come out but seriously, who the f*#k wouldn't do the same thing. For the most part though, other than the odd rare night out with friends when the drinks were flowing or the above mentioned shock/injury related instance, I really did believe that I had cleaned up my act.

Now just in case you were not aware, my oldest daughter is about 3.5 years old. She is bright, well spoken, full of energy and for the most a pretty good kid so it was a huge shock when she looked me straight in the eye a few months ago and said;

"Daddy....F*#K."

Like most parents before me, I'm assuming, my jaw hit the ground and once the initial horror had passed, I tried desperately to keep a straight face and come up with a good game plan for dealing with 3 year old potty mouth. I was used to potty work of another kind, but this was totally different and I was unprepared. I figured she must have picked this up from one of her relatives, or an older kid, or even TV because I had been good for years. Unfortunately when I asked her where she learned that word, she told me that it was from me, but on some level, I continued to pretend it wasn't me.

Well, after talking to numerous other parents, I came to the conclusion that kids are probably going to learn all the bad words much younger than I did and based on the general consensus, if you don't make a big deal out of the swearing, it will just fade into the background.

Armed with my new found knowledge, I forged ahead and all my conversations with my daughter included only G rated words for about two weeks when our wonderful daycare provider informed me that she pulled out the S word. She had also created a song using only the word poop which I am ashamed to admit was really catchy. I still find myself singing it every now and again.

Unfortunately the swearing, while not happening on a regular basis, has been increasing in frequency since that first incident. In fact, just last night she turned to me and said, "Daddy - What does crap mean? Crap! Damn! Crap!" When I told her those were bad words that we shouldn't really use and asked her who had said them, once again to my great shame, she informed me that I had just used them while while watching the hockey game. Oops! For the third time since Christmas when confronted about my daughter using bad words, it would appear that I was the source of all this inappropriate language.

Absolutely not. I'm innocent. I swear, literally or not, that I have been a model citizen. Well, maybe I use the odd cuss word now and then....Wait a minute, holy sh*t, mo&*%r f&ck!r, Tabernacle and smash me over the head with a f%^king rubber mallet, I think maybe I am part of the problem. I really actually swear all the time, about everything.

Now, I'm not saying that I am going to stop cold turkey, but now that I'm aware and for the sake of not being totally mortified when my daughter tells the waitress at a restaurant that she didn't damn well want the regular milk and to bring her a f&*king chocolate one instead please. (We have been working hard on our please and thank yous). Rather, I'm going to actually work even harder on what is coming out of my mouth and at the same time try not to get too worked up about it. I mean, when we were at the skating rink the other day two young girls walked by and said some things that even made me blush, so perhaps swearing isn't as taboo as it once was.

I don't know how many of you have dealt with something like this at work, home or with your kids, but I have realized that there really is an art to swearing or rather, not swearing. I thinking most people probably have a few good, shocking, bad language stories and we can all use a laugh so why don't you share them below so I can stop feeling so damn guilty.

Can I take your order, please?

2012-01-08T20:45:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post to let you know that we have finally set up our Isagenix Associate website!

Since hubby and I are both big fans of the program and frankly, can't stop talking about what a driving force it has been in our new lifestyle, I've linked it here on the top right hand side to make it easy for you to browse through. I know that some of you have questions about the program and the products, so go ahead and take a look. You can even order directly through our associate website just in case you're craving some IsaDelights in the middle of the night...

They now come in Milk Chocolate too!

As always, don't hesitate to track me down if you have any questions!

Rob - Beating the S*#t Out of the January Blahs

2012-01-08T09:39:00.003-05:00

Hi everybody,

So it's been a few months since my last post and I must admit that this past Fall and Holiday season, while very relaxing and great family time, has been one of those off the wagon times in my life. I had fallen right back into some of those bad habits and frankly, I went a bit nutty on the food/drink over the Christmas break. I think I actually had cookies and Baileys for breakfast one day. Seriously. But what can you do? My philosophy has always been there's no point in beating yourself up over things you can't change. I must admit though, that I am a bit disappointed in putting on a bunch of the weight that I had worked so hard last year to take off.

However, towards the tail end of my descent into a sugar and alcohol oblivion, a few things did keep me from going completely over the edge. First off, we had committed to running the Resolution Run on New Year's Eve so I had to keep exercising no matter how many parties we attended or junk food was in the house. Also, on the exercise front, I started playing hockey again this fall after probably 18 years away from the rink and for those of you who played as a kid but have given it up, I highly recommend taking it up again. Hockey is one amazing workout and frankly is just a f*#king awesome sport. Further, I have been toying with the idea of running a half marathon in May and possibly a full marathon in Fall so I think on some level that may have stopped me from taking that 4th helping of dessert on some nights depending on the number of beers consumed. Finally Laura decided to start a serious 30 day cleanse on January 2nd and get totally back onto the Isagenix program which we had so much success with this past year and convinced me to get back on track.

I set some goals for myself and on January 2nd, after full day recovery on January 1st, we hitting ground running so to speak. Well, it's Sunday morning, January 8th and I'm almost a week onto my 30 day cleanse. In part due to some "gentle" encouragement from Laura and in part becuase I have felt a little guilty about not posting a blog for such a long time after my much anticipated debut, I've decided that I'm going to commit to writing at least one blog each week. I will provide you all with an update, good or bad, each Sunday plus maybe a few other tidbits. I'm thinking that making this committment will help keep me motivated and on track so here we go:

30 Day Resolution Cleanse Goals

1. Stick to the Isagenix program:

So far, I have been fairly strict and have stuck to the program except for a couple of 35 calorie yogurts for dessert and a bite of cheese yesterday. I have tried to limit the snacking to IsaSnacks, IsaDelights or 6-10 raw almonds and other than some Skinny Sticks (if you have not tried these, they are a low calorie replacement to chips!!) last night, so far so good.

2. Lose 25-30lbs during the cleanse:

Now I will say that I am probably not typical and when I stepped on the scale before starting this cleanse i was openly shocked at how much weight I had put on during my season booze and suger. (I had lost about 98lbs but ended up putting more than 40lbs back on.

However, as of this moring, I was down a little over 18lbs! I am pleasantly surprised with how quickly the excess weight seems to be coming off. I fully expect this to slow down next week but that's okay and I encourage everybody who is still carrying around the Christmas spare tire to just get started on something. Isagenix has worked fantastic for me and I would recommend it to anyone, especially those who haven't really dieted before but any type of healthy eating and regular exercise is going to help.

3. Exercise every day for the entire 30 day cleanse:

Speaking of exercise, I decided that rest days just don't work for me and I was going to be hardcore and do something every single day. Funny enough, I was watching those commercials about your kids needing an hour's worth of exercise each day and it got me thinking that i probably need the same thing.

Total success on this one! I have managed to get some form of good exercise in every day although I will say that yoga on my cleanse day was a bit tougher than I thought it would be and I have not gotten out running as much as I had hoped but it is winter and I do live in Canada so I can't complain too much and it looks like we are going to have good weather this week so I'm hopeful I can get out at least two days.

4. Do at least 50 push ups by the end of the 30 day cleanse.

For some reason I thought this one was going to be easy but I suspect this might be the toughest goal that I set for myself. I have done push ups every morning this past week as a way to start the day and have gone from 15 to 23 this morning but 50 still seems as long way off. However, I still have 23.5 days left on this cleanse and I am committed to kicking the s*#t out of this one. I'll let you know how many I'm up to next week.

I also set a few goals for 2012 and I'll just list them this week but perhaps next week, my blog will be "Kicking the S*#t out of 2012"

2012 Goals

1. Run my first half marathon in May (I've signed up!!) and begin training for a full marathon in October.

2. Do 100 push ups with stopping.

3. Trim down my BMI to a respectable rate and finally have a flat stomach.

4. Feal great and spend lot of quality time with my wife, kids, family and friends.

Well, I think that's it for now. I'm going to remember that January in Ottawa can be amazing if I make the time to do the things that make me and my family happy/healthy. I wish all of you the best for 2012 and I want to hear about all the successes that people are having with resoutions.

Back at it

2012-01-04T19:10:00.003-05:00

I've been back to work for the past two days and it's pretty much as I expected. I really like the freedom of carrying a purse rather than a diaper bag; of choosing when I want to eat my lunch; and most importantly, going to the bathroom when nature calls. Nothing compares to being stuck with a sleeping baby on you when you need to go pee!

While most of my workload and co-workers are the same, one thing that has changed is that now I bring my gym bag with me! Pretty much the only perk of my office location is that it is a 3 minute walk from the gym. Today, I stuck with "The Plan" and managed to fit in a 30 minute strength workout on my lunch hour. I'm planning to do this twice a week, complimented by two evening workouts and one on the weekend.

You might have noticed that the little number on the My Fitness Pal badge on the right hand side has shot up... Oops! The Christmas holidays were indulgent, but I'm already back in the swing of things and more determined than ever. I think that a big part of that is that hubby is also focused. He has some big plans for this year (which I will let him share with you himself) and so we both started a new 30 Day Cleanse on January 2nd. I have already taken off a good part of what I put on over the holidays and I'm hoping to be back to my lowest weight by the end of next week.

How are you keeping up with your New Years Resolutions?

2011 Push-up Challenge

2012-01-01T11:32:00.003-05:00

As promised, here is my video submission for the Losing it in Ottawa Push-up Challenge. Keeping in mind that I had just run the 5K Resolution Run and had already gotten into a few mixed drinks, I didn't quite make my goal of 20 from the toes followed by 5 one footed push ups on each side...

We'll leave those fancy tricks for Liz!

Anyone else want to share?

Moving Forward

2011-12-31T15:00:00.000-05:00

2012 will be the year to go further. The year to take all the changes I made in 2011 and crystallize them into our lives.

Hubby and I will be starting a 30 Day Cleanse on January 2nd and I have to admit that I'm looking forward to it. I'm craving routine and structure. I will also be going back to work on January 3rd and I'm excited to be back at it.

In the spirit on New Years traditions, here are my resolutions:

My January goals:

1. Get back into the swing of working, exercising, and eating right.
2. Cleanse out all of the sweets and treats I've eaten over the holidays.
3. Take off the weight I've put on over the holidays and hopefully a few extra pounds for good measure...

My 2012 goals:
1. Find and maintain balance between all of the things that I love - family, work, exercise, wine and dinner parties!
2. Finally reach my goal weight - another 40-50 lbs to go - I'll figure it out once I get closer!
3. Make a commitment to practice yoga on a weekly basis - so good for my soul!
4. Run 10K, not sure if it will be in a race or just on the treadmill yet.

What are your resolutions?

If you dream it, it can happen...

Looking Back

2011-12-30T21:04:00.002-05:00

2011 was a great year for me and my family.

I started my Maternity Leave in January and took advantage of a little ME time before baby came.

We welcomed our little Madeline in February and were so lucky to have yet another perfect child.

We started our first 30 Day Cleanse in March and were immediately thrilled with the results. We quickly became fans of all the Isagenix products.

I reached my pre-pregnancy weight in April after only 2 and a half months.

I took my first photography class in May and it guided me to take the most precious pictures of my girls.

I joined Goodlife Fitness in June and found my inner gym rat.

Hubby and I completed the Mitsubishi City Chase in July in a great time AND had time to grab a pint at The Prescott before we crossed the finish line.

I discovered the Saunders Farm Exercise Class by Exer Susie in August and can't wait until we get to go back in the Spring.

We celebrated 5 years of marriage in September and travelled to my new favourite city - NYC.

We began the long awaited renovations on our basement in October. One step closer to having a new home for all the toys.

We travelled to Florida and took the girls to Walt Disney World for the first time in November. It was such a magical trip and we can't wait to go back once Maddie gets a little older.

And finally, in December, I will run my first 5K race at the Resolution Run with my hubby by my side.

This has been a year of firsts. A year of healthy choices. A year of setting a good example. That being said, there is still room for improvement.

The journey does not end here.

Getting Ready for Change

2011-12-26T22:54:00.000-05:00

A week from today, I will be back in the workforce. As I suspected, my last few days are flying by. Being the neurotic person that I am, I'm trying to ensure that every nook and cranny of the house is organised. It's almost like the nesting feeling that I get when I'm pregnant. The need for everything to have a home.

I've also been going through my closet to put together some work friendly outfits since I realized that I can't wear my lulus to the office. I will be back to the land of dress pants and blouses. My mother-in-law and I ventured out today to check out the sales for Boxing Day. I'm happy to report that I found a few key pieces that I've been looking for. The best find has to be this belt for $6.

Fun Belt from The Gap

I bought it to match a dress that I also bought from The Gap while we were in Florida. You know it's time to go back to work when you get excited about wearing things like this everyday - just can't pull this off staying at home!

Next on the list is meal planning. I was hoping to have some dishes stored away in the freezer, but it seems as though we have emptied it rather than fill it this holiday season!

We have a few weekday staples in our house - chicken fajitas, turkey chili, chicken curry - but I think we'll need to mix it up a bit to keep us interested this winter. I'm looking for recipes that are easy to prep, take 30 mins or less to cook and are between 400-600 calories for serving. Do you have any family favourites to share?

Here's the recipe for a new favourite in our house:

Thai Chile Peanut Meatballs

40 frozen fully cooked chicken or turkey meatballs
2 heaping tablespoons chunky peanut butter
1 14.5 oz can light coconut milk
1 tablespoon red chile paste
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 packets of Splenda or stevia

Put your meatballs in a 4-6 quart slow cooker. In a medium bowl, combine all other ingredients. Pour over meatballs. Cook for 2-3 hours on high or 4-6 hours on low. Stir to combine before serving. Serves 4.

Per serving: 479 calories / 16g Carbohydrates / 35g Fat / 29g Protein

Serve with whole grain brown rice and steamed broccoli for a well rounded sensible weekday meal. This recipe is a modified version of this one over at melanie makes.

Enjoy and please don't forget to share your favourite week night recipe!

Uninspired

2011-12-21T22:43:00.000-05:00

In case you haven't noticed, I've been feeling a little uninspired lately. Between the slew of holiday parties, my inability to follow through on my diet objectives, and the fact that I might very well be grieving my last couple of weeks at home, I haven't had the time or inspiration to put some words out in the world. Actually, maybe I'm lying. There have been a few occasions of the past couple of weeks where I have sat here thinking about something to write and yet nothing came out.

It's official. I have Blogger's Block.

It seems to fit in nicely with my loosening of the rules on food and exercise. I took last week off from the gym due to Maddie getting sick on Monday, Tuesday, then Wednesday, Thursday was cleanse day so I didn't want to ruin it by exercising and inevitably being hungry later. By Thursday afternoon, I started getting sick and by the weekend hubby was very sick. The exercise gods were against us. A week without exercise starts to put doubt in your mind. It creeps in slowly and makes you think that you are incapable of doing the things you were able to do a week ago.

Can I still do 20 push ups?

Can I still run 5k?

Can I still run 5k OUTSIDE?

Can I still run 5k outside in the COLD?

On Monday morning I was determined to answer at least one of those questions. With Katie by my side, I ran 5k on the treadmill in my best time yet - 37 mins 10 secs. My goal before the Resolution run on December 31 is to get 2 more runs in and hopefully one of them will be outside. I also have to get back to my daily push up routine to stay competitive in the Losing it in Ottawa Push up Challenge - Has anyone in LIO blogged about that yet? It's been decided that I will video my push ups wearing my NYE party dress...

That's right ;)

Other than that, there have been a few false starts at trying to get "back on track". Man do I hate saying that. I'm trying to accept that it's ok to take it easy over the holidays. Unfortunately, I'm doing a terrible job at meeting in the middle. Gotta keep trying though.

One of the factors giving me hope and forgiveness is knowing that on January 2nd I will be joining a group of others in a Resolution Cleanse. We'll be following the Isagenix 30 Day Cleanse and sharing our progress and success through a Facebook group. We would love more people to join so let me know if you want more information!

I think that in combination with my return to work on January 3rd will be just the kind of structure and routine that will bring me back to the happy healthy place.

Until that time, I will enjoy life's little pleasures and try my hardest to ignore the guilt.