Well, I obviously have commitment issues with this blog. I have once again failed at setting a posting schedule for myself. Summer has just been incredibly busy. I have been doing distance courses, visiting with family, catching up on TV I neglected all winter and planning my next trip. As I set out to do this year (have adventures if your new here) I am going on my next adventure. In ten short days I am going to be road tripping 17 short hours to Chicago to see One Direction. Please do not tell me how as an adult I shouldn't listen to or like One Direction, their music makes me happy and I deserve no judgement for doing something that makes me happy.

So now onto the motivational message of this post. I hope that by me doing something somewhat extraordinary to achieve happiness that it inspires you to take a big chance if the reward is beneficial to your happiness. Shouldn't we all try a little harder to find the promise land of life. Happiness is a choice. You can choose to say no to opportunities, you can choose to stay sedentary in life and never take chances. Or you can say yes, say yes to adventure, say yes to opportunities that might scare you, say yes to you. You are the most important person in your life and you deserve to be just as happy as anybody else.

Happy Monday!!

At War With Myself: #BodyPositivity #Fatshame

Recently, my twitter and Instagram feeds have been blowing up with two different social media movements. There is the #fatshame and the #bodypositivity. I have taken some time to think about these trends carefully and I am now at a war with myself.

I was a little nervous to post my thoughts on these subjects as both hit close to home in many ways.  As most of my close friends and family know, I have been on a journey to improve my health for approximately 2 years, to not much success. People think that to help me is to offer their opinions or tips, but the last thing I need is the opinion of someone who doesn't know what it is like. I know most of the reason why I have not been successful is my own fault and that I am my own worst enemy in this process, but I also know that my life right now does not bode well to making a complete lifestyle change overnight, it costs a lot of time and money, both of which I don’t have a lot of. Now, saying that I am trying to change the way I am is not me saying I hate myself the way I am, or that I will put up with someone else fat shaming me either, but I also don’t feel like we should be praising a person for being this way, because the fact of the matter is they, like me, are morbidly obese.

Instead of the popularity and press the body positive (BoPo as it is known in the social media world) movement is receiving, we should be voicing the problem and try to see the middle ground between both camps. I also would like to stress again that this is not me fat shaming myself or these beautiful people that feel the need to spread themselves all over twitter and Instagram, I am truly worried about the long term effects that these people think staying this way will cause. I am worried for myself to stay like this.

Truth is, to lose the amount of weight that I need to, diet and exercise alone will be a long drawn out process. I am most likely looking at surgical intervention (I have been on a waiting list for 1.5 years already) of which is not easily accessible unless you can pay for it yourself, but I can’t. It is extremely expensive and the only surgery that is covered in Manitoba is highly invasive, irreversible and is a minimum 3 year wait.

I feel that success cannot be a solo achievement in this war and it will not be helped with shame or praise, it will be defeated with truth and change. In order for any change to happen, we must voice the problem, a problem that our governments, society and even we, the ones it affects, are so quick to ignore. I need help. If there is a big health risk to being anorexic or bulimic and they get help through health insurance and your provincial health plan, why can’t they help the other end of the spectrum, both are a disease. If we start helping and fixing the problem now, the positive implications will be aplenty. Health costs will go down because the population will be healthier and not need as many prescriptions and medical treatments, there will be less depression and more happy people.

I ask the question every day, “should I embrace the me I am today, or strive to be something better?” I believe that if we stop trying to better ourselves, how do we reach our goals or grant our wishes? And if we don’t fix this now, if I don’t fix this now, will we (will I) be around to do that?

Hello Again!

I have been gone on sabbatical. I figured out that I had made too many promises to this blog and maybe myself. These promises were somewhat unrealistic with my current life situations. I have now come back, refreshed and with a keen sense of what I want out of this blog and what I want to share on it. Instead of the planned days and harsh schedule that I tried to adhere to, I am going to go free form. I was starting to feel extremely burnt out trying to come up with a new lesson to preach for Motivational Mondays and plan a recipe to try for Tasty Tuesdays, and that was never what this blog was supposed to be.

I made this blog to document my life and to talk about things that I love. It was meant as a reprieve from my office day job. It was supposed to be a creative outlet. So from now on I will promise a minimum of one post per week. That may be more and, quite frankly, if I am busy with life or on holiday, it could be less. I do promise though that if I do miss a week, it will be made up for in the posts that come from needing to miss.

I have missed this, the feel of the keys floating away as I type my thoughts. I miss the comments, though few and far between, I miss looking at my statistics and realizing that people I don't know have read what I have wrote, and on some occasions, come back to read again.

So I suppose I do have a Motivational Monday lesson that can be learnt here. Do something for you, and if it becomes work, stop. We have enough work in our lives that the things we do to escape it should not be hard, but easy.

Motivational Monday #14: Real Men Don't Buy Girls

Recently, 300 Nigerian school girls were kidnapped by the Boko Haram. They have tortured and taken the innocence of many of them and have threatened to attack more schools and take more children. They have been said to have sold the girls that they call "slaves" for as little as $12. This isn't right, just because it isn't in our backyards doesn't mean we can't do anything to help. I ask you today to take to what people my age know best, go to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. and take a selfie holding a sign with the #bringbackourgirls. Make sure to tag our government officials in it. If we can be heard, maybe we can give a voice back to the girls of Nigeria that have been silenced.

To read more on the story here and to track the progress of our efforts, please visit https://www.facebook.com/bringbackourgirls or track the hashtag on social media.

Tasty Tuesday: I am Such a Copycat

For Easter, I was in charge of dessert. I was told that it had to be enough to feed about 10 people and not cupcakes. Pretty simple instructions so I went to work to find a recipe. Recently, I went to Applebee's and had their Maple Butter Blondie and forgot how delicious it is, so that's what I decided to make. I had so many compliments on it and thought I should share it with you, and it has been a while since the last Tasty Tuesday.

The recipe: (found here)
**I doubled this and it fed about 15-18 servings

Blondie:

• 1 cup sifted flour
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 dash salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup salted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 1 egg white (beaten)
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips or 1/2 cup white chocolate chunks
• 1/3 cup water

Maple Butter Sauce:

• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup cream cheese
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (dessert topper)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Sift the flour, then add baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Sift all together into small bowl.
3. Add chopped nuts, mix, then set aside.
4. Add melted butter, brown sugar, beaten eggs, and vanilla in a bigger bowl and mix well.
5. Add flour mixture, slowly while mixing.
6. Stir in white chocolate chips or chunks.
7. Add water and stir so batter is even.
8. Pour into 9x9x2 inch pan.
9. Bake for about 25 minutes till toothpick comes out clean.
10. Let cool then serve with vanilla bean ice cream, maple butter sauce, and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
11. Maple Butter Sauce:.
12. Melt butter in a saucepan on medium heat.
13. Whisk in sugar, maple syrup, and brown sugar.
14. Add cream cheese a little bit at a time, whisking fast until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
15. Increase flame to medium-high while whisking continuously till sauce bubbles and thickens.
16. Serve warm on top of blondie and ice cream.

The Preparation: 

This was quite easy to prepare. Took about 40 minutes total. I had a hard time getting the cream cheese to incorporate into the sauce, I have had this problem before using no-name brand and I think that's what was wrong. Also, I suggest leaving it in the oven 5 minutes longer, but keep an eye on it.

The batter was kind of runny.

How big the double batch was

The sauce cooking

The Taste Test: 

This was fantastic. Next time I would still add more white chocolate to it. I also would try it with ice cream as I forwent this option.

The Switch Up: 

This was already a switch-up from its older sister the Brownie. I might try it with raspberries instead of walnuts next time and make a cheesecake brownie. mmmm...

Remember, let me know in the comments if you tried this and how it went. Share it on Facebook and twitter to make me your best friend 5ever. 

Happy Tuesday!

Motivational Monday #13: Just Keep Breathing

Your hero wears a cape, that's cute. Mine wears a bass and a camera.

This is Charles Trippy. He is one of my favourite YouTubers and the greatest inspiration in my life. He has been dealt a shitty hand, but everyday he gets up shakes off the day before and keeps filming it for the world to see. Three years ago, while on tour with his band We the Kings, he had his first seizure. It turned out to be a brain tumor, he got it removed and kept going. Months passed and he had another seizure, another tumor and brain cancer. He had surgery and is now on his 7th round of chemo and it has shrunk tremendously. Recently, he and wife, Alli, announced that they are separating. Charles could have gave up, but he didn't. Everyday since the announcement of their breakup he has posted his daily vlog as if nothing has happened. He kept on breathing.
I challenge you to follow in his footsteps. If something bad happens, keep going, keep trying and it will help you get through.

My Hobbies: Wedding Hair

In an effort to tell you people more about me I have decided to show you some pictures of my favourite hobby. I really enjoy doing people's hair and have recently started doing wedding parties. If you have any friends or you yourself are getting married. Contact me for rates and information. Happy Viewing!

Motivational Monday #12: Good Vibrations

I am a true believer in karma. I believe that we are rewarded by doing good. I believe that everyone has the fate and luck they deserve. What you put out into this world matters. Someone is always watching, it could be any god you believe in, it could be Santa, it could just be your boss or teacher, but making sure that you let them see the best of you at all times will give you a leg up on getting the most out of life. 

Life may seem unfair, but just knowing that at the end of the tunnel there is a light will give you more energy to keep going then you know. Sometimes the road is really bumpy and there may be an accident or two on the way to the destination, but the effort is almost always rewarded.

I don't have any life stories or personal anecdotes to accompany todays entry because I am still in the start of my journey, I haven't received the big pay off at the end, but just knowing that its coming gives me hope, and whats life without a little hope.

Happy Monday!

Motivational Monday #11: Decisions, Decisions...

"Fear has overcome me. I have become paralyzed and fallen back into familiar habits. I have failed." 

You can't let these become you, these words are poison and will not let you accomplish anything. Over this journey of life, I have realized that nothing good ever came from me saying "No". You have to make a conscience effort to start deciding to do things and saying yes for things to start happening. It will be a pretty boring life if you don't. The old adage is, you don't remember the nights you stayed at home in your pajamas in thirty years, you remember the nights you accomplished dreams and met new people and started becoming the you that you could be proud of. 

So goals for the week:

Say yes to at least one opportunity you normally wouldn't.

Make a decision that you are proud of and maybe have been putting off.

Happy Monday!

Happy Easter!!

A little minion egg I received from one of my favourite littles, Devyn.

It is such a wonderful time of the year! The dreaded snow is finally disappearing, jackets are less bulkier, i can picture myself wearing flip flops with most outfits and Cadburys Creme Eggs are out!!

I just wanted to put up a post to wish you all a Happy Easter, even if you don't celebrate it, lets celebrate spring on the horizon (and an extra day off work).

Have a great day :)

Motivational Monday #10: Friends

Recently, I went through a pretty horrible time when it came to my friends. I had a fight with one, that really wasn't either of our faults, but still ended very badly. This friendship will never be like it was and what I realized is that I am ok with that. My group of friends has not really changed since high school, but I have figured out through this experience that I have. My other friends said that the disagreement would not have an effect on our relationship, but I can't help thinking that it did. To me this is also ok.

What I am trying to get at on this wonderful Monday morning is that moving on and growing up are good things. Sometimes we have to move away from what we have always known to really find something great. Before you get ahead of yourselves, especially if this is my old friends reading this, I am not saying that my old relationships have ended or are ending. I am just at a point where I got  to comfortable and realized that my friends were moving on, and I was stuck. I have grown, I have learned, I have gone out of my comfort zone and what I have found on the other side is that I will always have my friends, but perhaps I have room for new ones too.

I recently started socializing with friends from work. They are a great group! I feel that for the most part, we are all at roughly the same stage in life and we all have so much in common. I can definitely call them close friends now and I feel great about it.

So if you are feeling stuck, possibly feel as if you are growing away from your lifelong friends, its ok. If they are meant to be your friends forever, they will grow with you, and if they don't, that's ok too.

Look Into My Life: The Kin Concert - 04/05/2014

This past weekend I experienced something I have never done before. I went to Winnipeg, stayed in a hotel and went to a small bar concert. It was amazing. Good people, new friends, great music and lots of memories made.

The night started off with a delicious vegan meal at Winnipeg-based vegan restaurant, Boon Burger. It was so good. Every time I go there I am astounded at the fact that there is no animal based products whatsoever. I normally get the Thanksgiving Burger (still my fave) but this time I tried the Prairie Chick-un Burger. It was also delicious but couldn't topple old faithful.

We then headed to our hotel, Place Louis Riel. This hotel is so nice. Each room is like a mini apartment. It had a full size fridge, stove and dishwasher!! For the price, I would highly recommend for any stays downtown. What was great about it too was location. It was about a 5 minute walk to the concert venue (which proved important).

Once we got ready my friend Laura's friends came over to mingle before heading to the show. It was great to meet new people and Greg and Courtney are super awesome. I would definitely hang out with them again. We played some games and had a few drinks then walked over to the concert.

The concert was at a place called The Pyramid Cabaret. It was a bar type setting and was very "rock and roll". The show started with a local band, we are sure we heard them say their name was Latke's (potato pancakes right?) but can't be sure. They were alright, but could use a few lessons in sound checking. The second band is a band called Finish Ticket. When I heard they were opening the show, I went to YouTube to see what they were about, and they are great. A great indie sound with hints of Maroon 5. I also really enjoyed all of their haircuts (weird?). Go check them out here.

Then the big show came on. One of my favourite bands, The Kin. I first heard them back in January when they opened for Pink, but they are so good I had to make the trip back just for them. They are truly a great band and super awesome to their fans. A few songs in they actually came right down on the dance floor and did an unplugged show with the entire audience surrounding them in a tight circle. Very intimate and very cool. I kinda wished they had done the whole show from their! You should go listen to every song by them here.

Well that was a long one, but I really wanted to tell you all about it because it was such a great weekend. I want to give shutouts to my friends Charissa, Laura, Greg & Courtney for making it even better and to my sister Brianne for having her birthday the day before to give us a reason to go. The band is coming back in the fall, and I will definitely go again.

Have a good day all!

Motivational Monday #9: Relax, Just do it...

Seems like an easy thing to do right, relaxing. More often then not I find it one of the most difficult things to do. I cannot let my body relax. I am always tensed up and clenching my teeth or tapping my foot. I even have restless legs when I sleep. I am forever on edge and I hate that about myself. My theory is lately that if something is going badly in my life I need to analyze and stress about it and if its going good I am continually waiting for the other shoe to drop and end up not enjoying the good.
This was demonstrated this past weekend. I was at a great concert in the city with great people and all I could do was stress about what was going wrong and I was paranoid about things that, rationally, I knew probably wouldn't happen. I could not sit back and enjoy that one of my favorite bands was playing a mere 10 feet from where I was standing.
This I believe is one of my worst flaws. I do not think of this as shaming myself for admitting that I have flaws or that it makes me a pessimist or whatever. I am a firm believer in admission helping the healing. If you can't admit to yourself when you need help or that your doing something you shouldn't be, you will never break the habit and long term will cause more harm. So this Motivational Monday may not be as uplifting as most, but what I am trying to say with it is, relax and enjoy the ride, admit when you have done wrong, but don't apologize for being you either.
Have a good week!

Motivational Monday #8: Limbo

I am currently at a point in my life that I am not very comfortable with. I call it Limbo. I have recently graduated and am still trying to further my education to ensure a stable career. I do not have a significant other and I am happy with that. I am living at home, attempting to save money and pay down student debt. I have a job, maybe not my forever job, but a job in my field nonetheless. What I find discomforting is that all of my friends seem to be leaps and bounds ahead of me. Most are living on their own, most are in relationships with the people they are probably going to be with for the long haul and some even have mortgages and back yards. I can't help but feel slightly behind and somewhat envious of where they are. 

What I have come to realize, quite recently, is that maybe I can't compare where I am with where they are. Maybe things that I find hard right now seem to come easy to them because they got a head start. Maybe things that I find easy, are what they struggle with. You can never compare your life to someone else, because that's just it, its your life. Its how you live that counts. 

So maybe I don't have that cute apartment or that perfect husband, but I do have a nice new car, I have a job with new friends and I am content for the moment. I am in Limbo, but it is my beginning and that will change soon.

:)

Motivational Monday #7 - Alright, Alright, Alright

Gratitude, thankful, appreciation. They all generally mean the same thing. Being grateful for what you have in life will only make you a better person. In his acceptance speech at the Oscars this year, Matthew McConaughey stated "It's a scientific fact that Gratitude Reciprocates". If you are thankful and appreciate your life, people in your life, your struggles, your wins, your opportunities, it will be worth it.

 Karma plays a big part. Even if you don't believe in karma, you have to realize the potential in not holding on to things, or grudges. What ever you believe in, whether it be god, aliens or evolution it has been proven that if you pay it forward, it will come back to you. This can be said for good or bad. Keep this in mind with how you live your life. Don't perpetuate hate, don't keep a rumor mill turning. You are in charge of your life and how you live it, just know that someone, somewhere is watching. That someone could even be your future self and you do not want to live with regret, it just weighs you down and eventually will swallow you whole.

Ok I am rambling now. Final words: Gratitude really does change everything.

Feeling inspired, share this with all your friends so they can be inspired by you!

Finally....Vegas Photo Journal!

I have to re-do the slideshow, coming soon...again.

Following My Own Advice...

On Monday, I wrote about being complacent and board and I realized, sitting at work today, that I do not follow my own advice. This blog was meant to spark some adventure and spice into my life and instead I am writing like I have, but truth be told I am my own worst enemy.

I have decided that no matter how tired I am after work and doing school work, I am going to attempt to leave my house every evening. This does not have to be to go out, or go to dinner or spend money (of which I don't have). I just want to start LIVING. I am stuck in a rut and I want you to be my motivation. I need to have things to tell you about or you will all stop reading. 

In the comments or on twitter, tell me stuff that I should do or try. Keep in mind a budget as I am still trying to pay off my huge shopping spree I took in Vegas. Speaking of, expect my long awaited photo journal of my trip coming this weekend! I promise!!

Motivational Monday # 6 - Success and Complacency

What are you doing right now? Reading my blog, right? Well i mean in general. Are you in a job you hate, are you with a person that makes you complacent, do you live in a place that your content with?

I was watching one of my favourite YouTube vloggers, the Shaytards last week. They were doing a live show to celebrate hitting 5 years of daily vlogs. Something that they said really struck a chord with me. Don't do what you do to make money, do what you love and the success will come. They are perfect examples of this. The Shaytards started out living in a small house in Utah, loaded with debt and both working in jobs they hated. One day they created a YouTube channel, now five years in the future they have 5 kids, own two homes, live in California, are debt free and own a multi-million dollar internet production company.

Now not everyone is going to achieve the success they have, but what they have taught me in their vlogs is that choosing to be happy is the first step in having the life you always wanted. If you are at a job you hate, your never going to succeed at it. So if you really enjoy something and are passionate about it, don't be afraid to pursue it. Don't be complacent, you're worth it. Your sanity will thank you later.

I am doing what I love right now. I never took the time to realize it, but I really enjoy writing. This blog is allowing me to test my limits and skills. Now, my sister will tell you straight away that I have awful grammar and I never check my work before hitting publish, but so what, practice makes you better. I say better because you should improve and learn your whole life, if you become perfect at something and stop learning you will have nothing to strive for, nothing to dream about, and what fun would that be?

If you felt motivated by this please be sure to use the buttons below and share it with people you think need some motivation today.

Motivational Monday #5 - I'm Back!!

Happy Monday All! 

After a short hiatus, I have returned to flood your life with positivity and such. Today's lesson really pertains to that, time off. Everyone needs to recharge sometimes and taking the time to do that will give you that much needed boost in all aspects of your life.

In the time since I returned from my vacation I have noticed that not only am I more efficient at work, I have seen a boost in my social calendar as well. Before I left I was too tired at the end of my day to even think about seeing friends or even going to dinner or a movie. Now I feel refreshed and ready to seize the day so to speak. So I encourage you all to take some time just for you, not necessarily go on a trip, but go and do something you like to do, something you are doing just for yourself. You will feel much better overall. 

Now with that comes some housekeeping. Our schedule is changing for a little bit. Over the last month, Just Paige has seen a tremendous amount of new readers, with that I want to make sure the content I am providing is top notch. For now, I will be posting 3 times a week with a fairly randomized schedule. I will still be posting Motivational Monday as everyone needs a Monday boost!

If you have any requests for posts, reviews or series I should consider, please post a comment below! As always if you liked what you read here, please share this post on your various social media pages, we need to build our army!

PS...My Vegas travel post is coming, I had to wait for a few things. Should be up sometime this week!

Travel Week #3 - The Home Stretch

I am a bag of nerves. Last night I made myself sick I was so nervous. I know this sounds odd as I am going on a fabulous trip, but it is scary at the same time. I am a person who likes control. I do not like unknown variables. If I am unsure, I am uneasy. Today the stomach ache has morphed into a slight butterfly feeling and the headache has subsided, but I still have a sinking feeling. I have not been on a plane since the age of five and it was with my parents. I suppose I need to grow up and have fun. Any tips on settling nerves?

So I embark tomorrow morning. We first have to make a three hour trek to Minot Airport. Then we will have a three hour flight, 2 hour time change and voila, we will be at our destination of Las Vegas, Nevada. Next weeks schedule will be slightly different, and by slightly, I mean completely different. I will not be posting until Friday or Saturday and it will be an entire download of my trip. If you think that is too long to be without me, make sure to follow me on all my social networks to get updates of how things are going!

      Have a great week!!!

Travel Week #2 - Packing

If you are reading this, chances are you are like me and have a hard time packing lightly. I tend to over pack and always have. When I was 9 and went to summer camp, I filled a hockey equipment bag and I was only going for a week. Well for my upcoming plane trip, this is not an option as most airlines impose a weight limit on baggage. I think I have come up with a great way to battle this.

Heys - Christmas Gift (From Costco I think)

For Christmas I received the holy grail of luggage, HEYS. It is a 2-piece set and one fits inside the other. What sets this luggage apart is how sturdy it is, but on the flip side, extremely lightweight. With the one suitcase inside the other they still only weigh 8 pounds. I recently came to the conclusion that I can pack my clothes in the smaller one and still bring the bigger one and only pay the extra bag fee on the way home. This way if myself or my travel companions buy too much stuff, we have a whole extra suitcase that we can use. I know that the extra bag fee is pretty steep at $50, but if we all use it and split it three ways, it is very tolerable. 

Hope this inspires you to do some creative packing. Leave in the comments some other tips you might have for me to pack lightly.

Travel Week #1 - Toiletries

Forever 21 - $4.80 (now on sale for $2)

So have you been in Target and walk down the aisle with the super cute miniatures of shampoos and that beyond adorable miniature container of vaseline hand lotion. Well I have and let me tell you, such small things come at a very big price! 

My biggest tip I have found in my vast traveling (as in none. I have been nowhere), is to get some empty small bottles and take what you already have. I managed to pick up a bag of bottles at Forever 21 of all places for $5. It came with 2 bottles perfect for shampoo, conditioner and body wash, a pumper bottle that will work great for my clinique face wash and a spray bottle that I am going to fill with my Sally Hershberger Keratin Treatment. I also found I had some extras from buying my makeup bag.

The only travel sized item that I bought into was tooth paste. At $1.00, it is a good idea to go mini because, beleive it or not, toothpaste is heavy! And when you are trying to limit a weeks worth of outfits and shoes into one suitcase that is under 40lbs you have to do what you have to do. Well I am off to go pack (not really I will leave it till the last minute, as always) 

Have a good day! :)

Motivational...Tuesday?

Well I did not post on Friday or yesterday. It was a long weekend and well, today is my birthday. Bad excuses I know, but justifiable to myself none the less. 

To say that today I need to be motivated would be an understatement. With how extremely uneventful and brinking on the side of terrible my 23rd year was, I am not holding out much hope for this one. However, it is starting with a BANG!! On Saturday, I will be embarking on my first big girl trip (and my first real paid vacation). I, along with my sister and my Bestie Kristy, will be going to VEGAS! To get pumped for this I will have a post everyday leading up to it having to do with prepping for a vacation.

 Stay tuned tomorrow! Oh and Happy Birthday to me!!

Weight-Loss Wednesdays #3 - What Have I Done?

In ten days I am leaving for my first ever big girl trip. I am going to Las Vegas with my sister and friend. But that is not what this post is about. I have made a commitment with one of my friends to start training for a color run.

A color run is a 5K run that you do for charity and get colorful powder thrown on you as you go. The two most popular ones are The Color Run and Color Me Rad. Color Me Rad is making a stop in Winnipeg in July and that is my goal. To be able to do it. I don't want to come in first, I just don't want to come in last.

Struggles of the Week: With the recent death of my best friend, Dixie, my toy poodle, I have used it as an excuse to eat what I want. I am weening off now, but pop was a major thing with this. As you read yesterday, I have bought some new tea to battle this and hopefully I am on the road to recovery.

Wins of the Week: I made Spaghetti Squash as an alternative to pasta and it was wonderful. 

Let me know how your resolutions are going, or have you basically given up like I did this week?

Tasty Tuesday: Tea Haul!!

"I say let the world go to hell, but I shall always have my tea" 

This is something that Dostoevsky and I have in common. A good cup of tea is relaxing and feels like home. I have recently gotten into more adventurous pickings and have come to love loose tea. On a spur of the moment trip to David's Tea I managed to spend a pretty penny and came out with some winners.

The best tea I have ever had was a Celestial White Tea called Perfectly Pear. Unfortunately, they do not make it anymore and I have been looking for another pear tea for some time. I managed to get Cranberry Pear Black Tea (Right). Though it looks like a trail mix in the tin, it created a wonderful tasting brew and I love it. It doesn't even need some sugar or agave to taste sweet. 

The second tea I got was Cream of Earl Grey. It is a blend of my fave Earl Grey and vanilla. It is like having a London Fog without the added calories of vanilla syrup. Tastes great with a splash of almond milk.

I also decided to splurge and get an infusing to-go cup. Not gonna lie, with the $35 price tag, I expected more. Though it is very nice looking and works great for most teas, I have found that because the strainer is meant to keep the loose tea locked in the bottom, my earl grey starts tasting bitter and over steeped. I am now on the hunt for a good (and portable) steeper that I can take to work.

Well that's all for today! I hope this has inspired you to embrace tea. This spring/summer I am hoping to do a series on different trials (and errors) of homemade steeped Ice Tea. Let me know of any you have tried that I should feature.

  

Motivational Monday #4 - That Four Letter Word

I have come to the conclusion that can't is a bad word. Could not is a better option because it is past tense and suggests that you have tried. If you don't even try, how are you to know your full potential. You are the only one who can control what you do. I ask you today, on a Monday full of wasted time that you say yes to one thing you would have said "i can't" to. It is time to embrace the you, you should be and Carpe Diem. Happy Monday all!!!

Beautiful Fridays #3 - Conceal, Don't Feel

If you think by the title this post is about Frozen (Disney's newest cash cow) then I have done my job by tricking you into reading this. Yes I am evil, I know. (I am also obsessed with Frozen, who isn't)

I, like many people, struggle with the dreaded dark circles under my eyes. I have searched and searched for something to help them and to no avail. Today I thought I would share with you the recent concealers I have tried and pros and cons to each.

Maybelline - Dream Lumi Concealer

$7.99 - Most drug stores 

Pros: Even though this is a liquid, I didn't need to set it with a powder and it stayed in place. I have fairly dry skin so that helps, but it had pretty great lasting power on its own. It did for the most part cover my blueness.

Cons: There is hardly any product in that tube, and you have to use a lot more in comparison to other products. I also was not to keen on the amount of highlighter in it. In some light I felt very shiny.

Benefit - The Fake Up Concealer

$29.00 - Sephora

Pros: I really loved this concealer. With my dry skin, I really appreciated the moisturizing feature. The lightest of the three shades also matched my skin quite well. The coverage was better than most and its staying power was about 6 hours with a powder and setting spray.

Cons: This was expensive. Even compared to other high-end makeup brands. I also had to set it and this tended to dry out the rest of my face, which is fine in the summer, but not possible in winter. There is also little amounts of product. I went through this stick in less than 2 months. With the price and amount of product, though it is great, I would not recommend.

Benefit - Boi-ing Concealer

$26.00 - Sephora

Pros: I thought since I had good luck with coverage with the more expensive Benefit concealer, I would give another one ago. This potted concealer was good at lasting and coverage was so-so. I ended up pairing it with the Maybelline one above and it worked pretty nicely. I also didn't have to set it.

Cons: The consistency is somewhat drying, which once again is fine in summer, but I tend to flake in winter and it was not looking very nice. I also thought that application was sometimes difficult. The potted packaging made using a brush imperative. I used my fingers because it smoothed it into my skin better. The coverage was also the wrong tone to cover my blueish circles. If you have the green toned circles, you might have better luck.

Rimmel - Wake Me Up Concealer

$9.99 - Most drug stores

I have honestly just started using this and so far so good, but  I have not been using it long enough to give an honest opinion. I will fill you in at a later date.

As you can see, the struggle is real with my problem. I think next time I will take the multiple recommendations I have received and go with the Benefit Erase Paste. I have been told on multiple occasions that it is a holy grail for under eye circles and blemish coverage. But feel free to leave your recommendations of concealers for me in the comments, and share with your friends.

Tasty Tuesday: How to Trick Yourself Into Healthy

As of late I have come to the conclusion that 4 posts a week on a amateur blog was a little far fetched, but I have persevered and have kept my promise thus far, however unless some spark of extreme energy pops into me, there will not be a post tomorrow. In the meantime, today, I am going to give you some really great healthy alternatives to your favourite things that you probably wont even notice a difference.

#1. Caulifredo of course. This was the ultimate healthy dupe and by the amount of views that post got, I would say it intrigued you all very much. Here is the recipe again, Did anyone try it yet??

Pinch of Yum Applesauce Recipe

#2. Whilst baking a cake, opt for using apple sauce instead of eggs. It creates a great moistness to whatever it is and an added level of flavour. This is great if you are giving vegan-ism a go, or just trying to cut back on your cholesterol intake. The ratio for replacement is for every one egg you can replace it with 1/4 cup applesauce plus a 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder.

#3. I got this idea from a co-worker. If you are addicted to ice tea like I am, try making your own. This ensures that you can gauge the amount of sugar intake as well as try different and innovative flavours. I recently tried a pineapple ginger with a bit of Stevia to sweeten. MMMMMMM!!! Its super simple to. Boil some water and pour it into a glass pitcher with 3-4 of your tea bags of choice (you can also buy jug size tea bags). Let it steep overnight then put it in the fridge to cool. Add your sweetener and you are good to go. I have also found that adding fresh fruit adds another level of flavour and sometimes you don't even need the sweetener or sugar.
Thanks Laura!!

#4. One of the most simple changes I have come across is to start using whole wheat pasta and brown rice. All the simple carbs are not worth it. Brown rice is more flavourful anyways. If its the texture you have a problem with, honey i've been there too. The best I have found is Catelli Smart Healthy Harvest (in the first picture). Pair it with some Caulifredo perhaps ;)

Well that is all I have come up with so far. Leave in the comments if you have any healthy dupes that help you out to stay on track. Ta!!

Motivational Mondays #3 - Twenty Seconds

Courage is something I have always struggled with. I have a hard time putting myself out there and trying new things. I worked at a job I hated for four years in retail, thinking that was as good as it will get for me. It took them letting me go to realize I am better. I went to school, made some great friends, learnt a new skill and came out with so many new experiences and memories that I have realized, nothing bad ever comes from trying. If you fail, you fail. That's part of life and will make you all the better for it. Before being let go from that job, I had never really failed at anything. I was a good student, never got into trouble and always did the right thing. In a way, it was the best thing to ever happen to me because it taught me lessons working in retail for the rest of my life never would. 

The first time I heard this quote from We Bought A Zoo, I laughed and said, "HA like that will work" So I tested my theory and talked to three new people at school, to my surprise, it worked and I made new friends that made my college years that much more enjoyable. Those three new people I still talk to regularly today. So for today I want all of you to try something new. Take a chance on something that on a regular day you wouldn't. BE BOLD. BE LOUD. Most importantly be unconditionally YOU.

Happy Monday!!

Beautiful Fridays #2 - I Gave Up My Soul...

This week marked the end of an era. I traded in my 2012 Kia Soul for a 2014 Kia Rondo. I know Fridays are supposed to be about beauty products and such, but I think my new car is pretty beautiful as well. As much as I loved my Soul, it was not fitting the needs of my lifestyle. On a recent trip into Winnipeg and of course to Ikea, we realized that even with the seats pulled down, the flat packs from Ikea, were a tight squeeze. So here for Beautiful Friday I am here to introduce you to my new car, Dixie. I named it Dixie because another era has ended. Saturday, February 2, 2014 is the day that my family has decided to put my 16 year old tiny toy poodle, Dixie Buttons, to sleep. She has lived such a nice life and has come to the point where quality of life needs to be considered. So in commemoration of her, my car is named Dixie.

She is a fire engine red, hot Rondo. She packs a big punch in her small shape. Inside she has a heated steering wheel and heated seats, power chairs, leather interior and best of all HUGE cargo space.Most of all I am the only person outside of the dealership and car manufacturing plant to have driven her. She had 19KMs on her when I got it. I also have command start now. I can start my car from my bed in the mornings (so wonderful). So below, have a look and if you like it, or think you would like my old car, go see Terry Coleman @ Planet Kia in Brandon.

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Weight-Loss Wednesdays #2 - The Struggle Is Real...

Struggles of the Week: This week I have had some fall down moments. I drank pop :(, I have not eaten enough veggies and I did not weigh or measure myself once. Bad Paige, I know.

WIN of the Week: In an effort to save some money and eat better, on Sunday I made some veggie wraps with avocado, peppers, egg whites, a bit of cheese and whole wheat small wraps. I just froze a bunch and throw them in the microwave before leaving for work. They are DELICIOUS!! I actually enjoy them more than the calorie filled ones from Tim Hortons. Paired with an Earl Grey Tea with almond milk in the morining and I am full up and not having any cravings until lunch time.

Goal for the Week: I am going to make an effort to go for walks. Long term, I want to be able to run and enjoy it, but once again, I am on the baby steps plan.

The journey continues...

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