Holla!

Yesterday after work I headed out to go find a bridal shower gift. Kevin's cousin is getting married at the end of next month and her bridal shower is Saturday. So being that I've been so busy I didn't think until yesterday that I needed to go shopping.

So I printed off the bridal registry (thank you Lisa for registering). It makes shopping so much easier.

As I walked into the store I walked past a clearance section. Something caught my eye. Something very similar to what I've seen before.
That's right Caitlin has a plate just like this one.

Here another!

After getting what I needed for the bridal shower, I was 'marven! It was 4:30 and I knew if I just started on dinner that I would be eating in 30 mins. I just couldn't make it that long.

I grabbed a banana and sliced it in half down the middle. I thought I would try out my sunflower seed butter I'd bought. It's not nearly as sweet and savory as cashew or almond butter, so I sprinkled on some unsweetened coconut.

Then it was time to start cooking. Stir fry. With quinoa.

Always make sure you rinse your quinoa before cooking. I use a cheese cloth. I reuse it 2-4 times for the same thing before I toss it out and get a new piece.

Simmer for 15-20 mins.

I had just over 2 servings left and thought I might as well cook it all and just store the rest in the fridge for an easy grab later.

Then on to the other ingredients. I had taken out a turkey breast to thaw the night before, but I was home alone and this is a mother of a turkey breast. So I left that in the fridge for another day and went with some tofu. Smoked tofu.

Onion, snap peas, zucchini, and orange pepper.

Sauteed until the veggies were softened to my liking. Then I tossed in 1/4 cup of my cooked quinoa, and drizzled some Peanut Satay sauce over.

All plated and ready for serving. It sure did hit the spot!

After dinner I went to Hot Yoga where Janice taught again tonight. My girlfriend MJ joined me and we both left feeling like we missed Jana (the owner). We may look into switching our Hot Yoga date nights.

Happy Friday

Well, we did it! We made it to the end of another work week. Sadly I wish mine ended today when I leave work at 3:30. It does not. However this weekend is my last workathon of shifts I picked up just incase I got laid off. This is what my weekend looks like:

Saturday--> 9am-3pm at job number 1, 3pm-11pm at job number 2.

Sunday --> 3pm-11pm at job number 2, then back to work Monday morning at 8:30am.

I wouldn't mind so so much if this wasn't Kevin's weekend off from work and next weekend when I'm off he is working. *grumbles*

So let me finish recapping yesterday before I start on this morning.

For my mid afternoon snack I had a sliced up gala apple with a 1/2 cup of non fat cottage cheese.

I got home not too long after my snack as I didn't snack until almost 3:15. When I got home I was starving. I however took my time in the kitchen cooking everything in plenty of time to have dinner ready for just after 5 (note the time on the kitchen clock).

I couldn't decide which picture and lighting I liked better, so I was vain and posted both today.

Salmon salad (yes I said I did some cooking for dinner tonight)

Cooked Salmon Salad

• 2cups romaine lettuce
• 3-4oz of skinless salmon
• 1/2cup broccoli
• 5 stalks of asparagus
• 1/4 cup cooked quinoa
• pinch of sesame seeds
• pinch of drilled dill
• 1/2tbsp soy ginger salad dressing
• Red pasta sauce

Directions

1. Take your salmon and place it on some tinfoil, would be skin side up. Broil on 500-550 for 3-4 minutes.
2. Flip your salmon and sprinkle with your pinch of dill and sesame seeds.
3. Broil for another 3-4 minutes.
4. When finished let it sit and cool.
5. Get your steamer ready and take your asparagus and steam for 3minutes
6. Replace the asparagus with the broccoli in the steamer for 2 minutes.
7. Chop up your asparagus into 1/2 inch pieces.
8. Let your veggies cool.
9. Cook your rinsed quinoa as per the directions on the box. I used 1/2 cup milk and 1/4 cup quinoa (to serve Kevin & myself).
10. When finished cooking add in 1-2 wooden spoonfuls of red pasta sauce. Stir.
11. Add all ingredients to your chopped romaine lettuce.

After dinner I went to another class of Hot Yoga. This was Janice's first class teaching Thursday nights. I know Janice from aerobics classes from my community centre gym. I don't know what to think of Janice's class as of yet. I might like it, though I can't tell. All I know is that it's not like Jana's classes, and I need to try a few more before I can decide if I like Janice's class or not.

Kevin and I were going to watch some PVR from last week as we have both been so busy, but our memory was full and stopped recording Saturday before last. Grrr. We don't even have a lot on our PVR. The frustrating part of this is that we don't have Lost, this or last week's Grey's, this weeks Office, HIMYM, House, Cougar Town, Modern Family or this weeks 90210 (my guilty pleasure). Without PVR I would never watch any of these shows. God I love PVR.

Kevin had agreed to come to Cardio Bosu with me this morning and swimming after class. I was pretty excited. Only because this involves getting out of bed at 5am, and Kevin is not an early morning person, AT ALL! lol

For breakfast I started off with something filling. I've recently been going overboard with add ins in my oatmeal, which are extra calories I don't end up burning off. So I've scaled back this morning. 2/3 banana, 2tbsp raisins, 1tbsp chia seeds, 1tbsp pumpkin seeds to 1/3 cup oatmeal. Just as good with all the extras I had been using in the previous weeks.

Cardio Bosu was a biatch this morning. It has been 2 classes that I've missed (Friday mornings). But to boot this was a new circuit routine. I've never had my hair stick to my forehead before because I was so sweaty my hair got that wet. Wow!

Kevin, well I'm not sure how he felt about class if he liked it or not. I will ask him later today when we meet up after work, when he's more rested and rejuvenated. Even at 8am when we left the gym he was groggy and indifferent when I asked him how he liked class.

I did say we went swimming. My right shoulder is sore today. Not rotator cuff shoulder, rather outer muscle shoulder, just above my bicep, sore. So I only swam for 10 minutes. Also Kevin doesn't have goggles so he wasn't swimming as best as he could. We'll have to get him some.

Here at work now, and eating my mid morning snack. Funny how early my mid morning snacks come when I eat breakfast at 5:15am.

• 175g of a mix of plain and vanilla liberte Greek yogurt
• 7 raspberries
• 3 large strawberries
• 1/3 cup All Bran Buds
  All together
  Just to show off my spoon and it's eyes. Amy from Amy's Quest to Skinny was also enjoying some vanilla flavoured Greek yogurt and strawberries yesterday.

Do you have any big plans this weekend?

Feeling Great

Well there is so much to write about this morning! Layoffs, workout videos, a fabulous morning workout with the husband and some pretty amazing food! p.s. sorry in advance for the long post today.

Let's start with the layoffs. Remember when I was all uber stressed out that I might lose my job? Well, the drama continues. It has not gone away by a long shot. If anything, it has gotten worse at work. Bumping is still happening all throughout the agency. Rumours as to people being bumped are being spread a week before those people have been given their notice. And these rumours people have all turned out to be true so far. Monday 2 of our 3 full time workers were given their notice and their options (accept layoff and take Employment Insurance or bump someone with less seniority). They opted to bump. Well the union president told them both, individually of course, that they might not even be able to bump down from their full time position into a part time one (our part time list is 16 people with 5 casuals). They were told that there is 16-20 people bumping all throughout the agency and ultimately our department is the bottom of the barrel so those other people might take the positions our full timers are looking to bump down to.

So what does this all mean for me? Well if this is all true and this is how it plays out. I am part time, part of the 16 part time staff. That would mean if the full timers who are 1 and 3 above me in seniority can't get a part time spot, logically that would mean I'd lose my spot as a part timer.

How am I dealing? Well I am far beyond worried stressed anymore. I am annoyed stressed. This whole process has been going on already from start (where they announced they would be making cuts) to now, has been 3.5 months. And the layoff/bumping is still going on, and could be until May 18th.

Ugh whatever, I'm so over it, I wish I could just be told one way or another right here and now what my fate is going to be. I'm sick and tired of them stinging us along and it taking over my life.

Breath!

Yesterday's mid afternoon snack I shovelled into my mouth so fast I don't even remember what it tasted like. I thought I had a meeting right at 4pm, leaving me with mear minutes to eat. Turns out I didn't have a meeting until 4:30. Well at least I could relax as I digested a little. lol

1 serving of Liberte Greek plane yogurt, 1/3cup of all bran buds and 1 tbsp crasins.

I was anxious to have dinner. A repeat salad from the other day, which apparently I didn't share with you, so here it is today! This is where I used me homemade red wine raspberry vinaigrette I walked about here.

• 2-3 cups baby spinach
• 4 large (honkin') strawberries (1/8thed)
• 6-12 raspberries
• 1/4 cup blueberries
• 1/8 avocado
• 1 tbsp of cashews, slivered almonds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, Pumpkin & sunflower seed
• 5 halves walnuts

I truly love fruits and nuts in my salads.

I also ate a grapefruit after my salad. I sneaked out of work 10 minutes early as I wanted to check out WalMart for . . . . . Some Jillian Michaels. I've been hearing a lot about her 30 day shred, so I did some research and messaged some people who had or are doing it. I was sold based on their feedback. But after 2 WalMarts and no luck, I headed to Future Shop. There I found 1 30 day shred.

Now I was looking for two. One for me and one for my girlfriend MJ. No luck finding the second, but I did find this,

[Source]

I thought well I could 'share' and by share I don't mean take turns with the DVD ;-) the two between us. And for 9.99$ each, you can't go wrong. [Source]

So MJ is going to start her shred Saturday May 1st. I work from 9am-11pm so I haven't decided when I will start mine. Maybe May 2nd-May 31 (that's 30 days). Yup seeing it now written down, that is what I will do. :-D

I ran out of Future Shop as I had a hot date at 8:30. None other than my favourite Hot Yoga! It was an advanced class. This is my second advance class, and I'm loving it. I love trying all the balanced postures (extended side arm balance, eagle pose, peacock, crow and headstands). Luuurve it!

This morning came so early. Even earlier for Kevin (as he didn't get home and to bed until 1:45am). I was so so so happy that Kevin agreed to get up with me for a early morning workout.

For breakfast I started again with my new favourite Apple Larabar. Honestly its perfect for me first thing in the morning before a workout.

After mowing down on this, it was out to get on the bikes. Not before stopping to use some masking tape on our right pant legs (neither of us have chain guards and it was only 6 degrees Celsius out). Sadly I didn't think to take a picture of this.

Off we were for a 13k bike ride followed by a short 2k run. My energy was running low and so was time before work otherwise I would have pushed through for more K's. Back at home Kevin and I did some weights working our arms and then did some ab work.

Then as I promised Kevin, I would show him the advance postures I've been working on in Hot Yoga. He was impressed with my progress (I can't always get the poses or hold them too long but keep practising).

I grabbed a quick shower and though I was going to have a mushroom egg white scramble, I was short on time. So I made something I could take with me in the car to work for a mid morning snack.

• 2 tsp ground flax
• 2 heaping handfuls of baby spinach
• .66 of my banana from yesterday
• 1/2 pint of blueberries
• 1/4 pint raspberries
• 1 cup Almond milk
• 1 beet

It was delish and hit the spot around 10am this morning.

Question: What is your favourite Yoga pose? Have you ever tried a pose you didn't think you could do, but gave it a try anyways?

For me that was the first time 4 weeks ago when I first tried a headsatand. It felt great just getting into the pod.