What Made Your 2014 Memorable?

Welcome to the new year! How excited are you? Chances are probably not all too excited. Lets face it most of us get to January first thinking "new year new me". The thought in itself is exciting, but then the tasks start strolling into your mind; work, getting in shape, family, daily routine and the list goes on. Everything you want to accomplish in the new year seems to pile up and you feel like its unattainable.

   How about looking at your past year instead? What would happen if you did that? Look at your most proud moments, those that made you cry because something fantastic happened, or moments that you took for granted because at the time they didn't seem all too big. Those are the moments that made your year. Creating goals and tasks help kick start the new year, but those don't make your year special.

My past year I surrounded myself with people who kill it at life. Those who are ambitious, successful, passionate, confident, creative, loving, and just full of life. Those are the ones who pushed me to succeed, pushed me to enjoy my year and helped me through any difficult process. What did they do to help me accomplish this?

Comfort

I don't mean it as get comfortable, and don't try new things. I mean the exact opposite. Try things that scare you, that motivate you, that make you take chances. Believe me, the thought of getting outside your comfort zone is scary. You get comfortable with a daily routine. A workout routine, a weekly schedule, relationships and so on. There is nothing wrong with being comfortable, and I don't mean you have to say yes to everything. Just be open to new experiences. My most memorable experiences this past year is when I just did it. Just go for it became my motto. 

I want to do it all 

Life is flying by faster than we would like it to. Heck - I'll be 27 this year, and I still haven't seen the whole world yet. But I am putting myself out there to make things happen in the most fun ways possible, whatever way it may be. I will never allow myself to look back and wish I had tried for something more. You don't regret what you do its what you don't do. Which is partly why I started this blog, to keep readers motivated, inspired and get their creative juices flowing. I will kick you in the butt with my success stories and my failures... I just hope some of you go out there and achieve what it is you want, no matter how big or small it is, its worth trying for. 

Don't hang around for something or someone, go out and get it. There will always be something that will be better if what your waiting for doesn't want to last. Like I said;

Life is short

People will come and go, time will continue to pass. Throw your energy to everyone around you. as my best friends and I say " you do you". The energy you give out, will bring you back all that you want and need. Self love and doing what you love is most important. Do what makes you happy, healthy and balanced. 

Continue to grow and become the best you that you can be this 2015. Make people laugh, smile and enjoy the moments around you. This is your year, make it the best yet, and when you look back on this year in 2016, don't look at what you didn't accomplish, look at what you did. Look at who you inspired, who inspired you, who made you smile, and who got you out of your comfort zone. Most importantly, do at least one thing that will make you proud and stands out among the rest!

Have a w o n d e r f u l 2015.

Make each year something better than the last. Make it c o u n t.

+Love

+Laugh

+Smile

+Venture out

+ Inspire

+ Be you

Go For It

I have moved countless times, traveled to different countries and took chances when opportunities came up. I can honestly say I'm L I V I N G life, and in the best way possible. I have the most support  guiding me along my journey and I'm so very grateful for absolutely everything I have ever encountered.

The time I was asked to move to British Columbia on a whim and I said yes changed everything for me. It taught me to grow up ( because everything had always been given to me ). I had to learn to make my own money, not to buy myself nice things but to pay for my rent, my food and a healthy life. I taught myself, a once shy and introverted girl, to become an extrovert, to take chances and to make things happen because they  N E E D to happen. I felt the struggle of living in a new city with knowing nearly no one, and having the struggle of finding a job (which was difficult due to the time of year I arrived).

The struggles and experiences I had during that year made me such a strong and independent individual. There were some unexpected and unfortunate events that lead to my coming back home to the prairies but I will always have a strong love for British Columbia as it has taught me so much and  it didn't hurt that t was able to be closer to my family. 

 When I moved back home. I felt I was missing something. So that year I upped my travel. I went to Europe; saw Paris, London, Belgium, Holland and the list goes on. I was able to hop on a plane and fly to someplace I had never been to, and only dreamed of seeing... all by myself. I experienced different cultures from all over Europe, Australia, Canada, and more. I tried cuisines that were delicious, and some that were mediocre. I visited historical monuments, and if you know me, you know I just H A D to visit anything that had to do with The Beatles... I'm only like, the biggest fan.

After my Europe trip I had definitely caught the bug. The travel bug that is. I ended up going to Vegas, Minneapolis ( which is just a short 8 hour drive, but a great short get away none the less), Cuba, Mexico and the list goes on for days. However every summer, my family and I always go back to the lovely BC to do hiking, mountain climbing, fishing, and many other things that I never would have thought I'd be doing ( I'm terrified of heights).

Most recently, I signed up with a vegan company, Arbonne. If you know me, you know I'm a lover of all animals, so hearing that Arbonne is an animal cruelty free product line with no paragons (which is a product that makes your skin feel oily once you've put lotions and other products on your body), I felt there was no choice but to jump on board this beautiful thing called Arbonne. Upon saying Y E S,  my upline ( whom I've known since High School), offered me a trip to Vegas for one of Arbonnes exciting and captivating conferences. Obviously, I said yes. Look at all the experiences I have been able to take on by saying one simple word! I Won't stop saying yes either!
  Anyways, upon my arrival in Vegas, I became friends with a wonderful woman from Alabama who was there for the conference as well. Since then she has become my Southern Momma. I look to her for guidance when needed, and we stay in touch as much as possible. While waiting for my friends to arrive,  I decided to take a tour of the city since I had not been there for a few years. Low and behold this incredibly shy girl meets a wonderfully, handsome, and charming man at a cafe in the Cosmopolitan hotel. It took all my courage to strike up a conversation with him - and I did it. This led  us to eating our sandwiches together, and later that night going out for a wonderful dinner.
  A few weeks after, he invited me to NEW YORK! yes, amazing. I was treated like an absolute queen. I was spoiled, not necessarily by money and material items, but just the love and the charm of this man. To which we still keep in touch and we continue to grow our friendship, and relationship.

The point of this is that everything leads to something. Take chances. and enjoy what is brought to you. Get out of your comfort zone, keep striving for new chances and new experiences. Life happens when you least expect it. It can continue to amaze you.

Just go for it

Experience it 

and live it

never be afraid to live life 

Beat the winter blues

 With Holidays coming full speed toward us, it tends to leave us feeling lethargic. I unfortunately feel this way during the holidays and tend to dislike the winter months because of it. I have taken it upon myself to snap out of it and get into a routine of eating right and exercise. This not only makes me feel and look good but it takes me away from the feeling like it is hard to make accomplishments with the cold. With the new year quickly approaching I suggest getting excited by trying something new and fun. Try working off all that stuffing and turkey from the comfort of your home as a start!


Some steps in fighting that winter blues:

• Plan a vacation get away - could be a few hour drive or if the budget allows, plan somewhere hot with a group of friends or that special someone

• Plan a night in with some friends to do crafts and baking. Or if you you aren't into either, get together with friends to find something new and unique in your city that you can try as a group.

• Continuously create goals for yourself - Whether they are small goals or big goals, make them. If you create short term goals for yourself, it allows you to consistently work towards something to keep you busy. It can be something as simple as writing in a journal everyday, or planning your meals the night before. Anything to help make you feel accomplished. Perhaps creating a dream board will work best for you.

• Exercise - This one is huge (for me anyways). When we exercise we release endorphins that make us happy and feel more relaxed. A quick workout at the gym or home can be a great stress reliever. Not to mention this is a great way to help you feel better about your appearance ( a great workout is better than make up anyway). Best part of all, exercise boosts your energy level. What better way to kick start your day or week?

       Here I have some great exercises that are easy to do at home

Abs:

• 30 sit ups
• 50 reverse crunches 
• 30 air bikes
• 50 leg lifts
• 100 oblique crunchers per side 
• 100 toe touches

Repeat 2x

Booty workout 

• 30 jumping jacks
• 20 lunges
• 10 squats
• 10 plie squats 
• 20 side lunges
• 20 glute kickbacks
• 15 short bridges
• 10 side leg circles - each leg
• 20 glute kickbacks
• 15 squats 
• 10 plie squats 
• 20 jumping jacks

Repeat 2x

These are just some ways you can incorporate some fun activity into your life without getting dragged down by the winter blues.

A new month is a great opportunity to look forward, reflect and create new goals. Every month I create a new goal for myself. Whether its becoming a better me, creating fitness goals, or future success goals, I always seem to find something I can improve on and look forward to. 

Life Goal // Success Goals

• Create a new business plan/goal for the month of November
• Do at least one good deed per week // something that puts a smile on a strangers face

Fitness Goal // Health Goal

• Reunite with my flexibility
• Up my repetitions // 3 sets of 20+ 
• Start a juice cleanse

Dancing is a great cardio workout, and a fun way to spend time with friends you have not seen in a while. Not to mention an amazing stress reliever

Booty workout of the day

_______________________________________________

• 50 squat jumps
• 30 walking lunges or stationary lunges
• 30 dead lifts // good mornings
• 30 squats
• 30 sumo squats
• 30 hip thrusts

You can do this booty workout at home :) 3x

She makes going to work difficult when she is snuggled so cute with her blanket. 

Pick up and Go!

There is a lot to be said about nature. I encourage everyone to step outside their backyard and
e x p l o r e. You don't need money to enjoy what nature has to offer. An early morning jog, a brisk walk in the city, or a quick drive to the mountains or trail can clear your mind of stress and worries.

I turned my cell phone off for a week, stayed clear of social media, internet, and television and realized how much beauty there is to life. I took a hike through the mountains, walked through the bushes on trails, and fished in the river. 

On my journey I realized that there is no need to be attached to our devices. It helps us to stay in touch with those far away from us, our bosses and of course our friends and family. However we get sucked into an idea that we must rely solely on the use of our devices.

Oh Canada!

Happy Halloween!

http://ghostesswiththemostest.tumblr.com

If you know me, you know it's no secret that Halloween is my favourite time of year ( aside from Christmas of course). Halloween is a chance to dress up scary or gory, and it is a chance to freak your friends and family out with your creative side.

From baking, decorating, and playing with make up I love it all. Showing off your creative side is always exciting. You don't need to be a professional, you just need to love what you are doing. 

My Brain Cakes

Skull pizza pops

Witches fingers

Another enjoyable aspect of Halloween, is picking pumpkins with friends

 

And carving those pumpkins with friends 

Celebrating with those around you bring joy and excitement. 

My carving of one of my all time favourite movies

You get to enjoy things you wouldn't enjoy on any regular day.

http://spookyhome.tumblr.com

Best of all you can share these moments with those around you. From pumpkin picking, corn maze walks, haunted tours, and parties or gatherings with friends. 

My favourite wines; Apothic red and Gnarly head red wine with home made cookies, cupcakes, and reese's pieces

One of my favourite Halloween tumblr pages to look at is http://ghostesswiththemostest.tumblr.com. I encourage you have a look if you are an avid Halloween goer like myself!

Add Beauty to your life

We take for granted the beauty of our world. Enjoy every aspect; the good and the bad. One small positive thought could change your day.

These flowers are in lieu of my great uncles passing. It has been a hard time for me. However I have had a ton of love and support. This lead me to realize, my uncle wouldn't want me to be upset, he would want me to celebrate who he is.