Wedding of Royal Proportions

Many people share a strange fascination with the Royals or maybe you watched because it was an event televised around the world. We are all a bit voyeuristic at times, and I mean, this is a real life fairytale unfolding before us all. You know that someplace deep down inside, part of you wishes that you could be part of that world, even for just a day. Additionally, in my situation, I am just a sucker for weddings!

This event was full of pomp and pageantry, but at the same time, beyond what you would traditionally expect from the Royals, there was nothing excessive. I must give praise to Kate for making excellent decisions on all of the details, she really focused on everything having meaning and symbolism.

The cake was full of symbolic representations, but above all, it was a true masterpiece:

I think she has truly grown into the ideal Princess, well technically Duchess of Cambridge. She has taken on a lot of the characteristics necessary to execute her new role. I look forward to see what she will do in the future and of course, what she will wear!

Ok so let's talk fashion:

Obviously the dress was perfection. The optimal combination of classic and contemporary, it was elegant and slightly understated, sheer perfection. Fit for a princess indeed, kudos to Sarah Burton for the design. Personally I would have liked it if her hair was styled up, but hair down suited her just as well.

I like that Will and Kate updated tradition and had a maid of honour and best man. Pippa looked fabulous and what a slammin body, absolutely stunning. Harry looked dashing, but who doesn't love a man in uniform.

Many of the ladies in attendance were rockin Philip Treacy head pieces, more appropriately "fascinators". Beatrice and Eugenie looked a bit like the ugly step sisters, poor girls. The most stunning piece for me was Zara Phillips, what a work of art:

My only complaint - didn't anyone tell the priest he was going to be seen by many, and should maybe consider checking in with the barber this week? Oh and maybe a little less of the dreadful singing.

What a delightful day in the UK. I truly hope these two find true happiness, it is not an easy life as a Royal, but maybe they can bring a renewed sense of optimism and respect for the Monarchy. Their relationship is evidently different than many of other previous Royals, and there is a very important lesson to be learned here - your dream of being a princess can come true!!!

Be Green

This past week 2 causes that are very important to me were given some extra attention. It was National Organ Donor Awareness week and also we had Earth Day. Both of these causes are connected  by a certain theme: reuse and recycle!

Be kind to Earth and minimize your footprint, but also reuse and recycle your body parts! Are you conscious about how your habits impact the earth?? If you are curious there are many tools online that can help you calculate your carbon footprint.

In Canada, over 2000 people receive a life-saving transplant each year, while there are approximately 4000 people waiting to receive a transplant (Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, 2009). Have you thought about being an organ donor?

This past week I also had to renew my drivers license, where I received the paperwork to be officially registered as an organ donor. Of course I was quick to sign the paperwork, however in Canada the final decision is left to the family. Have you discussed this with your family? Tell your family about your wishes and encourage others to do the same. You never know, you could end up saving several lives.

Get Shredded

Seeing as I am somewhat of a health and fitness expert (at least that is what my fancy degrees suggest), you would think I have this mastered in my own life. When life gets busy and we get stressed, we often put taking care of ourselves at the bottom of the priority list. Did you know that physical activity can reduce stress? The things we actually need the most, we seem to neglect.

The past 2 years of my life were quite chaotic and stressful, it wasn’t constant, but I can say that was the overarching theme of grad school. I know I neglected my health during the high stress times, even when it was while writing about the positive benefits of physical activity and healthy eating.

Over the month of December I was quite indulgent and packed on a bit of weight. I wasn’t too concerned because previously I would lose my “holiday weight” in no time once I got back to my pedestrian life in Montreal. However, there have been some changes this year. I live in a more convenient area, and do not have to walk as far as I used to, nor do I walk up a steep hill anymore.

This in addition to my extremely sedentary full time job resulted in the weight staying right where I put it.  

Now that I have a little more order in my life I have decided to practice what I preach. I had 2 specific sources of motivation to get me started: lose the weight from last year and get bikini ready for my Barbados trip this spring.

For me natural and organic are the best strategies for optimal health. The best method to weight loss and body change is so simple caloric intake < caloric output. THAT IS IT!

So it was time for a change. After debating different programs and strategies I decided that my road to a healthier life would start with a balanced diet with an intake of approximately 1400 calories a day (slightly below the average intake for a female) and my main source of physical activity would be The 30 Day Shred. The video is based on 3 levels, 10 days each and the movements are based on muscle confusion. It is a highly effective program for a 25 minute workout. I knew committing to regular long workouts was not realistic for me, which is why I chose the Shred. The Shred is based on a 30 day program, but my intention is to do it continuously, with some modifications to keep it interesting and challenging.

By modifying my eating habits and adding a bit more activity a day I did see results. After 2 months here are the changes:

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Measurements	14/02/11	17/03/11	18/04/11
Arm	28.5cm	29cm	28.5cm
Thigh	56cm	55cm	56cm
Upper waist	81cm	78cm	73.5cm
Waist	84cm	85cm	76cm
Hips	103cm	98.5cm	93cm
Weight	160lbs	154lbs	147lbs

I am very pleased with the results, but I have to admit, my dedication is starting to wane. I think in part, it is due to my schedule being more variable than before, but no excuses. I have felt great lately and I want to keep it that way.

Playoffs

Another sure sign of spring is playoff hockey. The best teams in the league face off to see who will get to hoist the cup. I will be rooting for my boys from the D, but living in Montreal doesn't make it easy. Habs culture is unprecedented and a little unruly. I have learned to appreciate them. Luckily these teams are in different conferences so I can publicly support both teams until the finals, if they happen to play each other, which seems unlikely at least for this season.

These playoffs mark the 20th consecutive year that the Red Wings make a playoff appearance. I don't know what it is about this franchise, but I can honestly say that I am so proud to be a fan. They have always selected some of the finest people to bring leadership and guidance to this team. From the early days of Gordie Howe, but of the times more relevant to me is the era of Scotty Bowman and now with former McGill alum Mike Babcock bringing strong coaching to the bench. Stevie Y is a legend, of all the athletes from all the sports around the world, he is my number 1, I would go into the plethora of reasons why, but I will spare you the sport psychology essay.

In living rooms, cubicals and pubs across the country, the discussion will be centrered around hockey. Celebrations will be had, tears will be shed, both of joy and sorrow, many beers will be consumed, all in the name of our nations passtime. God bless hockey!

Place your bets people, who will bring home Stanley?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

It is my birthday!! I am not letting anything get me down today. I always give myself a free pass on my birthday, indulge with no consequence. Why not, right?  Time to celebrate!

Spring Rain

I think it is official, spring is here and not just on the calendar. I am truly feeling refreshed and that sense of renewal. What a beautiful weekend, warm temperatures, sunny skies, who can ask for more? As a perfect end to the weekend weather, we have rain. For me this is exactly how I want to end my weekend. A quiet evening at home, the smell of fresh rain and its cool breeze through my windows, oatmeal cookies in the oven, a candle burning and a cup of island mango and peach white tea.

I happen to love the rain, particularly storms. Preferably when I can enjoy them from a sheltered place, though sometimes getting caught in a storm can make me feel so alive. One thing I miss the most about home is the crazy storms, those cracks and rolls of thunder that make you think the house is going to shake off of the foundation. Windsor is the thunder storm capital of Canada and I love it. Montreal's storms pale in comparison, although rainstorms seem to last significantly longer here.

I hope everyone had a great weekend, it sounds like the weather put on a good show for many areas. Tomorrow is a new beginning, a new day, a new week, and a new age for me - it is my birthday! Looking forward to a fabulous day, cheers!

Disappointment has a name

Here comes my first (of many, I’m sure) rant on the blog...

I have realized that I am an anomaly in today’s society. I can honestly say that I am reliable and have integrity – can you?

If you make plans, however casual, follow through. Do not even imply making plans with someone if you are not willing to commit. Please respect me enough to not waste my time. Also, if you need to cancel plans, be sure that it is for a good reason. I don’t want to find out that you decided to bail on me, half an hour after our scheduled outing, to go feed the pigeons at the park.

A general tip for everyone, learn to be punctual. No one is interested in waiting for you. Unless you enjoy having people pissed off with you, be on time. To those of you who are chronically tardy, have you ever realized that when group plans are made, you are told an earlier start time than everyone else? Pathetic. If you are always late, maybe you should re-evaluate your planning skills.

Don’t be a pussy, say what you mean and mean what you say. If you want to say NO to something then do it – of course there is a diplomatic way to approach it, but don’t dick people around. Furthermore, cut the crap. I don’t want a song and dance about everything you do. Make your point and get on with it. Actually this leads to my next point: shit or get off the pot. Enough frolicking around in the tulips, if you are going to do something – do it, otherwise stop talking about it and move on.

If someone emails you – respond, and in a timely fashion. Particularly if they have asked you a question. If you don’t have the answer, acknowledge the request and explain that you are either searching for answer or simply don’t have it. This also applies to text and phone messages.

My next point is a tribute to all of my friends who have left our hometown to better ourselves. When we come back to town for a visit, please recognize that we are not home for an infinite amount of time and of the time that we do have, there are a lot of demands and expectations pressed upon it. If you genuinely want to see me, it is up to you to do what it takes to make it work. I have limited flexibility and my time is running out one second at a time. I will not chase after you.

NEWSFLASH: You are not that special, your time is not more important than another person’s. Show some respect and brush up on your manners.

Dancing with myself

well there's nothing to lose, and nothing to prove....

I went dancing last night for the first time in a long time. What an excellent way to forget everything else going on in your life and just live in the moment and lose yourself in the music. It is also a fun way to burn calories! My feet are sore but it was well worth it.

The club is a fun scene, but I must admit I equally love dancing in my living room all by myself. Plus at home there is no risk of being groped by randoms! Bonus =)

So my advice to you is to break out your favourite pair of shoes, make a playlist of songs you love to dance to, and shake it like a polaroid picture.

26

There are just a few days left of being 25 years fabulous. Subsequently, this marks an excellent point in time to reflect on my life and unravel myself into existential thought – I should note that I am not in crisis mode, yet!

As I reflect, I ask myself, “What have I done?” - but I think when we ask ourselves this, we often focus on what we haven’t done and lose sight of what we really have accomplished. Part of my resolutions for living a better life is being positive and always seeing the bright side. However, in fairness to myself, I think I accomplished and did some great things in the past year. Here is a quick recap:

I completed my Master’s degree at McGill University!

I presented at 4 conferences.

I found myself in Toronto; Tucson, AZ; Quebec City; Burlington, VT (twice); Ottawa; Philadelphia, PA; Mont Tremblant – aside from my time in Windsor/Detroit and Montreal.

I celebrated with my grandparents for their 50^th anniversary.

I was a bridesmaid.

I went to a Habs game.

I tried curling for the first time.

Plus a lot of other stuff that made me smile!

Now to continue on this trajectory and continue to do great things. Twenty six get ready, because I am on my way!

26 (twenty-six) is the natural number following 25 and preceding 27
A rhombicuboctahedron has twenty-six sides
The atomic number of iron
The number of miles in a marathon rounded down
The number of bones in the normal human foot and ankle
The number of ounces in a midsized bottle of liquor

Flats of Fury

It is early April, the last of the snow is almost behind us, rain is ever present in the forecast, and I have that renewed energy that comes every spring. One other big change that comes with spring is wardrobe. Time to dig up those fun flirty prints, capris, lighter jackets and flats. Yes, those evil shoes that we have a furious love/hate relationship with. They are so cute and very versatile, you can incorporate them with so many looks.

WHY must they cause so much pain and heart ache? I know that in early spring we must train our feet to get back into spring and summer shoes and build up those calluses. But those flats, the pain they cause is unreal. I have yet to find a strategy when I am in store shopping for flats, to really know how brutal they will be. I bought some new ones recently and I jumped around in them, walked around the store a bit, and decided they might actually be functional. Then yesterday I decided to take a very short walk and break in my newest purchase. I am now in complete agony. The second half of the walk I tucked my pants into the shoes, nonetheless, massive blisters and they burst before I got home.

Despite the pain they cause, I still love them, I can’t part with them and always want to wear them. I give in to the pain every time. This season I will be testing out new strategies to reduce the pain. I will invest in those adhesive pads for the back of the shoes. I was also told that super glue on the skin can work. I have used packing tape on my heels to prevent the friction. The lengths we go for fashion. A good friend of mine has encouraged me to invest in some Cole Haan flats.

If you have strategies to making your flats work for you, please share it with the rest of us!

“If you want to forget all your other troubles, wear too tight shoes.”  ~The Houghton Line, November 1965  

Raison d'être

Welcome, bienvenue to my lair. My place of seclusion, where I can retreat from the world – wait, this is the internet, who am I kidding. The raison d'être for this is simply to share my thoughts and what is going on in my life; also it is part of a list of goals for this year. As I debated the subject matter of my blog, would it be about food (how cliché), a new hobby or my latest existential crisis? I wasn’t sure there would be enough content with one topic, so instead I am providing a general window into my life and my thoughts.

I must admit my initial reservation about doing this. It seems a bit voyeuristic, not to mention vain. Why does anyone want to read about what is going on in my life? It is presumably because they are desperate to grasp at any viable reason to procrastinate from doing something.

So who am I? Well I am from Windsor, ON and I did my B.A. in psychology at the U of Windsor, followed by an M.A. in health and exercise psychology at McGill. I love food, sports, shoes and traveling. I am currently living in Montreal and just trying to make sense of it all.

Where do I go from here? Feel free to join me on my journey of highs and lows and mostly the mundane.