thinking out loud : currently

...watching once upon a time, season three and girls, season three. #WhatIAm

...singing along to this song, this song, this song, this song, this song, every single one of these songs, and every song by this girl, this girl and this girl. #WhipMyHairBackAndForth

...celebrating the fact that my baby sister has turned 18. ohmygoodness! Time flew so fast! I still remember the very first time I saw her pretty face and all of the many amazing memories! Kara is my baby sister and I love her so much! Hope you had an amazingtastic 18th birthday and sorry I wasn't there to celebrate with you! Love you lots!

#TwentyFourThirtyFourIDontEvenKnowTheScore

...drinking this tea, this tea, steam distilled water, shots of  E3 Live, green juice and green smoothies.

Get Up & Go Green Juice

Ingredients:
2 cups spinach
1/2 grapefruit
2 apples
1-one inch piece fresh ginger
2 celery stalks
ice (optional)

1. Working in this order, put spinach, grapefruit, apples, ginger and celery through the juicer.

2. Fill 2 glasses with ice, if desired, and pour the juice into the glasses.

I prefer to make the juice, fill my mason jar and sip on it. mmm.

 

#NotTheBestJuicerInTheWorldButItWillDoForNow

...reading mockingjay (the final book of the hunger games trilogy), which I started reading in december, is taking me a long time to read. #DontWantTheStoryToEnd

#ILikeToRemoveTheCoverFromMyHardcoverBooks

...eating pomelo, pineapple and mango topped with artisana coconut butter, hemp seeds and bee pollen. I also made a batch of tasty peanut butter berry bars from the lovely Becky at Olives & Wine and these healthy peanut butter rice krispie treats #BetterThanRiceKripieTreats from Lee at Fit Foodie Finds. #PeanutButterMakesAComeback

FOODIE FACT : Pomelo is where the grapefruit is hybridized from with the help of the orange. It is also one of the high packed Vitamin C fruits which hold with it so many benefits according to Dr. Linus Pauling

Here are some basic facts:

Vitamin C is a cofactor of enzymes involved in the formation of collagen, a protein which strengthens and makes skin elastic encouraging faster wound healing. Vitamin C enhances the absorption of iron in the body.

Pomelo is also packed with fiber, a must-have nutrient to help maintain regular bowel movements, prevent hemorrhoids and even colon cancer.

This amazing fruit helps those still not on plant based diets lose weight due to its high natural fiber content.

This is one of my favorite fruits and is a great way to trick the body in feeling full. For those who are trying to slowly transition into more raw plant based diets I would definitely recommend having this fruit part of your diet.

...and salad. always lots. of salad. 

You are a goddamn tree stump with leaves sprouting out
Reborn. 

Mary Lambert  - "I Know Girls" (Body Love)

...trying to comment more often on blogs that I really enjoy. It's so easy to read blogs in a reader and then flip to the next one. As a blogger, I love getting comments so I'm really trying to share the love. Just know that even if I don't comment every. single.time. I'm still reading you.

...wishing that I had tickets to go to this event this weekend. I'm definitely not a biker chick (not that there is anything wrong with that). Yet, I fell in love with motorcycles and boys who ride them when I was in my early twenties (I think I'm more addicted to the speed than the bikes, but that's another story).

Did you see who the special guests are? Chibs and Tig from Sons of Anarchy. SOLD OUT. Boo!

...needing some more z's. I've been getting into the habit of staying up later than usual and snoozing through my first and second alarms, which leads to cranky rushed mornings. Me and "My Little Taste Tester" no likey.

 ...crushing on Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter/rapper/drummer/record producer/fashion designer/entrepreneur/thinker/innovator/genuinely beautiful person, Pharrell Williams. #LovePharrellForReal #BecauseHeHappy

...sharing this post to lovely miss Amanda's Thinking Out Loud party page, filled with inspiring, thought-provoking, thoughtful posts.

Visit Amanda's blog, leave her a smile and a cookie, and then go comment on some of the other Thinking Out Loud posts. 

wiaw : i wanna be a ball(er)

It's time for another "What I Ate Wednesday" post!

This party is brought to you by the loverly miss Jenn from Peas and Crayons.

Instead of focusing on a day of eats, I would like to present you with a platter of sweet heavenly goodness:

For Christmas dinner, my date (that's right) and I were in charge of dessert. It was his idea to cut and arrange fruit for fresh fruit platters, so we did pineapple, grapes, watermelon, blueberries, aloe vera, banana, mango, and pomelo.

Naturally, I wanted to contribute a little something more...enter Amanda's no-bake holiday cookie energy bites, Angela's peanut better balls, and Kathy's no-bake gingerbread man cookie dough balls.

Amanda's no-bake holiday cookie energy bites were perfect to make for Christmas. A winning combination of white chocolate, orange, and cranberry, these sweet little things certainly didn't last long. Lucky for me, I made a double batch of these babies.

Angela's Peanut Better Balls. Will the peanut butter/chocolate fans please stand up? These magical balls are made with ingredients like 100% natural peanut butter, pure maple syrup and coconut flour. I wish I listened to Angela's suggestion of putting these into mini cupcake liners because once you have them in your fingers, they melt so quickly. But, so worth it!

Kathy's NO Bake Ginger Bread Man Cookie Dough Balls combine two things that I adore: ginger and molasses. Instead of the typical gingerbread men, which can take some time to make, allow your taste buds to celebrate the flavors of the holidays in bite-sized form.

Wanna be a baller?

Get to the kitchen and make some balls (or bites)

thinking out loud

I'd be lying if i said that Christmas hasn't been on my mind a lot lately. ANYWAY. I've had a lot of other things on my mind too, which is what today's post is all about: thinking out loud.

This link-up is brought to you by the lovely miss Amanda from running with spoons. I've never tried running with spoons but i think i would be really great at it, especially if there are treats involved.

1. Even though it's only thursday, it actually feels more like a friday for me. as of 2:44pm today, my "little taste tester" officially started his christmas holidays and has the next sixteen days off from school.

2. What is your favorite Christmas song/album? My favorite is The Bells Of Dublin by The Chieftains. When I was growing up, celebrating Christmas with my family, and especially with my brothers and sisters, was an unforgettable experience. Our father played this album every year at Christmas time and made this album unforgettable for me and for all of us. #ILoveYouDaddy



3. Speaking of music, I've been listening to Lorde's album more and more over time, and the more I listen to it, the more songs I like. Her music is like a breath of fresh air and then some...and she's a kiwi too, which I adore. Lorde fans..what are your favorite songs off the album?



4. I've been watching Once Upon A Time on Netflix and I am loving it. With each episode, I feel like I'm taking a trip into the woods to discover the mythology behind Red Riding Hood or to learn more about Snow White. Rumplestiltskin has really been messing with my head though.

5. There's a new gym in Ottawa called Liquid Gym. It's a North American first - with physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, recreation, training, and an endless pool, all in the same location.  This is obviously not your typical gym though. It’s for people with injuries or medical conditions who will benefit from hydrotherapy and range of motion exercises. The Ottawa Senators have one of these amazing underwater treadmills in their dressing room, but the Liquid Gym has six of them.

6. I love all things ginger (and molasses too). When a friend messaged me to tell me about a new Ginger Secret she had heard about, and that it was the best thing ever, of course I was all ears. I laughed at her because I've known about the Ginger Secret for years and I can attest that it is the fastest way to prepare fresh ginger, plus you will be able to always have it on hand. Curious yet? Here it is. Enjoy!

7. On the topic of food, there are so many things I want to make this weekend. Cookies, balls, squares, salads, green things, blue things, and purple things too! What are you making for Christmas? Please share. I will love you forever! :)

Seven is my favorite/lucky number...so that's my cue to say Goodnight, Sleep Tight and Shine Bright! X