Something that keeps coming up over and over again are these "30 day challenges."  Some are squat challenges,  plank challenges, some of them are a list of a few different types of exercises.  In some ways it's easy to think "At least I'm moving." or "It's good for me because I'm a beginner, I can ease into it." I'm ALMOST tempted to agree, ALMOST.  But not quite, and here is why.
Most of these challenges or lists of exercises are made by amateurs. There are VERY few of them out there that are made by some one who knows what they are doing.  You may think  again "Well who cares as long as I'm moving." to some degree this is true BUT  you are not going to get great results  in 30 days from  eventually being able to do a 5 min plank. You are not going to get  a great booty by  squatting 250 times by the end of the day.. What you will get are sore knees and other possible injuries, and very minimal results. You may even become discouraged because of:
I tell this to people all the time that  I would rather see you do a set of repetitions with weights, than waste your time  building up to 250 squats, its just not necessary, your body is going to get used to these challenges and adapt. Our bodies are way to smart for these home made  monthly challenges.
New things are being learned about your bodies every day and how we build muscles and how we train. I am a coach, I am not a personal trainer, but I've researched enough in my journey and  have been in the fitness world for over 15 years, to know the basics. Fitness is NOT a one size fits all.Every one has different body types, different metabolisms, different wants and needs.  Whether you are going to work out at home (which is what I now do thanks to beach body) or in the gym, you need to educate your self on what  type of program will work best for you.   I'm going  list a few  programs here  for a variety of different levels.

1. For the ULTIMATE Beginner I give you 10-Minute Trainer with Tony Horton

a look at all my prepped containers  5 rows of 3 (breakfast was not prepped)

This is what the kit looks like, I already had Shakeology so I didn't order the full kit, if you do NOT have Shakeology already you will need to order the full kit! Prep: There is significantly LESS prep work involved in this cleanse, the main reason for that is that most of your meals are in liquid form and come in the kit. There are a few food options through the day, and they don't require much prep work, I would suggest writing out a plan thought, I did prep my dinners for night 1 and night 2 the night a head because I was working  all day and around dinner time so I didn't want to be starving . Day 3 was my day off so I just made dinner as usual.

My messy meal plan for the 3 days

Inside the booklet are your recipes for what your dinners could be, and what your portion size for your snacks are, as well as guilt free seasonings and  and other little tidbits. The tea options I did drink a couple times but not as often as they suggest you could, I didn't have time for  starters and I also really don't enjoy herbal teas. The tea needs to be decaffeinated, which MOST herbal teas are BUT for the record Chai tea is not!

An idea of what the  cheat sheet in the book looks like!

From Zehrs its pretty decent for a herbal tea, they have a great website which I liked because the box doesn't say decaf though the website does!

Spinach salad option, very filling! Day 2: I followed again pretty much the same plan BUT for breakfast I left the banana out of my shake and had grapes instead and didn't have any teas. I also prepped the night before the cucumber salad because I wanted to have it marinate a bit more over night. Again I was super busy as work , so my lunch time  Vanilla Fresh I got at about 3pm and then I had my snacks of 2 celery sticks and PB  about 45 mins later right before my client came at 4 and Dinner was about 6pm. Initially I had wanted to run out and grab broth because i skipped my veggie option at lunch I thought I could slice carrots and put them in the broth for a soup, but  we got busy and that didn't happen so I had my veggie option as a snack after dinner maybe about 7:30 8pm I was maybe a bit more hungry but not enough to keep me awake, which is usually my test... If I'm hungry enough  I can't sleep. If I had to compare day 2 on both cleanses this one was much better, no head aches! I did skip my work out  but I was really too busy to get it in, so it was a bit of that mixed with I  wasn't sure I should push to hard. If i hadn't been busy I think I would have tried to get it in

Cucumber salad meal option Before I go on about Day 3 , I want to pause a moment and talk about the Fiber Sweep.  First, do NOT let the name scare you! That has to be THE worse name ever! This fiber drink will NOT have you running to the bathroom, it is NOT a laxative!  So do not worry, you can still go to work, or to the store it will be fine. I heard some pretty mixed reviews about the effects of it, and its time for TMI, sorry skip this if you don't want to know this stuff! My friend who did this cleanse said that she didn't do AT ALL in the 3 days. I read that in another review. I read a million reviews before I tried this cleanse to get the tricks and the do's and do not's! What they DID say was day 4 everything did "sweep" and  clean out and all was right in the world again.   For me, I was actually been Pretty normal with  few issues.  I was  a bit bloated feeling on day 2 and slightly less on day three.  In the booklet there are * beside the veggie options  for the lower gas producing veggies.  So I don't know maybe in choosing those you may experience some constipation? I'm not sure That part is all  personal body chemistry.. All I can offer is drink as MUCH water as you can, you need to flush your body of everything! As I mentioned I researched this cleanse A LOT. It is very different from the Quick Fix because you are drinking  most of your meals not eating them, BUT the idea is the same, clean eating, frequent meals and high protein.  I have posted a little video FROM the Official Beachbody youtube channel. There was also another 45 min video I watched, geared more towards coaches (which I am) and they explain that the fiber sweep has Chia seed in it, SO  you need to make sure your water is cold and you drink right away, OR it will thicken like Chia does. I was a bit worried about the taste but it  is fine , it tastes similar to an ice tea, very lemony. I feel like any one who has has had children has probably had to drink that terrible orange pop or the chalk type drink  pre c section before, so if you can drink those this is like ice cream compared to that! Also watch out because there is a typo in my  booklet   I think its the vanilla fresh shake?  or maybe its the Fiber sweet but it says 140 ml of water is what  is to be mixed and then in brackets (1 cup)  one cup is 240 mls its just a typo, as its written correctly  in other spots in the books!

Day 3: I went back to having my fruit in my shake (If you looked on my  meal plan I choose banana, one serving is 1/2 a banana I had  3 or 4 that were about to turn for the worse so I opened them all up and cut in half and shoved in the freezer so they worked perfect for this cleanse, I hate to waste).

Me with my mid morning and LAST fiber sweep of the 3 days! hooray! 1/2 way done!

The first part of the day went well, I had a day off  and I actually did my Body Beast arms work out, and  did a ton of laundry. Not sure if it was because I was off work, but I was starving by dinner, I probably felt the worse on day 3 of all the days!  Again maybe I shouldn't have done my work out, or maybe I've just had too much time to sit and think about it, I also ate dinner at a normal time and not late because I wasn't working. Could have been the meal I chose for day three, it was definitely yummy the Carrot Moroccan Salad, very easy and quick I would totally make it as a side dish, on a reg night to get some veggies in!

Moroccan Carrot Salad

BOYS!!!!  It seems easy right? Buy them a train, or a car, and they are happy. True, BUT they are only really going to be happy for the  20 mins when they first receive said car or train and then they will toss it in with the millions of others they have just like it.

Rowan with his Freight Train by: Donald Crews book, its simple and colorful and still a favorite!

My first two children were girls, I could shop for DAYS for the two girls. Maybe this is because I myself am female so I find I know what they like because I just buy what I would have liked.   When Rowan came along, I was stumped  his first Christmas and EVERY Christmas Since. There is usually ONE  very commercial item he asks for , and I feel obligated to buy it. Last year it was that Zoomer Dino. As of today the 79$ toy he has played with exactly 1 time, on Christmas day! Currently I think the tail is broken on it, and it needs to be charged, and who knows where the controller is for it.  Other than that one  main thing  I find I'm usually  frantically asking people what to buy and what they are buying, or people are sending me lists from bloggers, who I think have NO clue what kids like or even have children of their own.  This Christmas Rowan will be 5! He's kind of in a funny age group right now,  he doesn't necessarily want baby toys but he's not big enough for some of the big boy toys..  When I was trying to think of  the toys he  has had the longest and likes the best   and ALWAYS plays with, I thought ok why not embellish on that.

 His first Christmas  he got a few toys he has played with  for the past 4 years  they are as Follows





lets talk a little bit about what is NOT on this list. VIDEO GAMES and ELECTRONICS!  My son has an Ipad, we got it for him for his birthday, right before we went away to a cottage  that  had a VERY long drive.  I  bought it for that reason, but ALSO because  Ipad has some of the best educational apps you can find. Also my kids go to French Immersion so there are a variety of french games also. It didn't make the list for me 1. because we do have it but 2. because  that is  something people either are all for or totally against and to be honest, I don't love the idea of  Santa bringing electronics. I'd rather see them from parents for birthdays where we can then stipulate the amount of time  spent on them etc.

No video games on this list either, or remote control toys. Simply put they NEVER get played with! Either a remote gets lost, or  siblings fight over video games and I end up taking them away. There is also nothing I  HATE more than watching kids sit around playing mind numbing video games... Previously we did  buy a couple Disney games for the xbox 360 and we do have some dancing games. My kids Loved Disney Universe, but its 2 player and there are 3 of them.. I do not like waking up to  fights at 7:30 in the morning, so the game was taken away  and put in the cupboard, its been there for a couple years now.. They also  enjoyed Disney Infinity, a little less fighting with that one as it can take more players, there are 2 if not 3 versions of this game.
For me the in the spirit of Christmas, I like to see Santa bring toys that are 1. Played with 2. Appreciated and 3. Use a little imagination, or require some  brain power.  Which is why it doesn't bother me to buy multiple sets of building toys.  These are ALWAYS  played with. My kids favorite thing to do is to go to their Nany's house and  build with  the oversize empty rolls she brings home from Walmart. I don't even know what comes on these rolls, Shopping bags perhaps  but she brings them home and they build for hours and cover the entire basement floor.
The Fur Real Friend may seem  strange for a boy, but for a boy who has grown up with sisters, and loves animals its a huge hit.  For starters  my dad (Grandpa) has a pug . A much chubbier and probably more boisterous pug and then  my little guy has seen his sister get a Fur Real Kitty and the other the monkey, so he  was due and this pug is perfectly gender neutral!
Super Hero's are  a no brainer, I don't need to explain that, I tried to stay away from them as long as I could because I hate when little boys run around kicking and shooting and pretending to fight,  I have no come to realize they just do that all on their own, you cant control it, so you may as well learn to live with it! plus  when you build all your towers and the dinosaurs invade you need some one to save the city!

With that clearly these are just a few things that I have found to be a big success, they are not crazy elaborate toys, they are simple which I'm a big believer in, there is nothing worse than randomly purchasing toys just to hit a certain dollar number because that's what was spent on another child. We also try to add 1 book at least per kid, a pair of Pj's and some article of clothing, My little guy doesn't appreciate that as much as his big sisters do, we also are big on  the stocking stuffers being  cool toothbrushes (the expensive character ones that spin, and  body washers etc.  We don't do chocolate, because truthfully, we still have Halloween candy in the house and there is enough buy and cake and ice cream at Christmas we just don't need to. It wont get eaten ! I probably sound totally un hip  with my lack of video games and  chocolate for Christmas but i promise you my kids get more excited over  say chocolate milk and eggnog in the fridge  or  special goldfish crackers than they ever do chocolate!  Enjoy the holiday season every one I hope you all find whatever you are looking for and have healthy, happy holidays! Take the time to slow down and have a cup of hot cocoa with your family!  If you have snow (in Southern Ontario we do not current, its been almost 10 degrees every day this week) enjoy it Tis' the Season!

XOXO

Samantha

I'm not entirely sure which came first  but I have 2 VERY distinct memories of running as a kid. Both that always stuck out in my mind and made me think I could never be or want to be a runner..


One memory (and again no idea which came first)  was being on the Cross Country team.. I feel if i had to take a guess I would have been in gr 3 maybe 4 though I could be wrong on all accounts. I know we had more than one meet, and I know I wanted to do well, but I was also a very shy  child and I remember starting off running with my friend, and I KNOW and I still remember the feeling  of energy as I write this, that I could have  really excelled. Been first probably not, but I remember slowing down and stopping to walk with my friend who was cramping up.
Then my next memory was Track and Field, and I KNOW this was gr 3.  You got to choose from the standard running events and one of them was  an 1800M  which is JUST shy of 2km.  I would NEVER have signed up for this on my own, not  ever. BUT my 3rd grade teacher (Ms. Lowes) said  to me " you are a fantastic runner you would be great at this."  So I thought  , ok lets do it, the teacher said i'd be great at it lets go for it.  The day of I remember cramping up so bad and crying and wanting to die and wishing for it to be over.. I'm pretty sure I pulled out and didn't finish. It never occurred to me to WALK, in fact the only thought I DID have was keep up to every one else.

I have a few other  vague memories of track days, mainly trying to get out of them, or I'd pick the shortest  more sprint type races , and to be honest for a kid who did NOT care to be there at all I usually did ok.  Fast forward oh about 20 years.. I have this BRILLIANT Cousin Chelsea Lynes (click on her name its linked to her stats).  who ran competitively for years and just LOVED it. Her cousin ran, I knew a girl who was a bit heavier in school who started running and lost a ton of weight.  I would sit back and say "Wow I wish I could learn to LOVE running." I actually said this a few times over the course of a couple years, Until one day I decided , I'm going to TRY and run home from my  daughters gymnastics class. So I did.. and I FELT great! That's when  the truth hit me.. You can't sit around waiting to LOVE something you need to just make it happen. IF you want it bad enough  you will choose to get off your butt and do it.. Sitting around watching other people live their lives wishing you love what they loved will never do anything for you.  It seemed like such a simple theory, and yet it took me two years to figure it out, and interestingly enough I know people right at this moment, who I have no doubt are happy for my successes but are jealous that I go out and run, or that I've had success  in the physical fitness and health realm of life. They aren't bad people  and I don't hate them for it but they just haven't had their "Ah Ha" moment yet.

When I first began running it was like a fad had hit, every one and their mother was out running. Some of my friends prefer the solitude of running alone but when I was first starting I still had a lot of hang ups about people watching me run, or god forbid stop and walk while out for a run.  So I was lucky enough that I had a few friends we would go to a local trail or a quiet route often as dusk and we'd run, and we'd walk, and we'd laugh. Some times we were determine to  do it all and others we  were happy to just be out  and  going at a relaxed pace. As we got more serious  we would meet up with headphones and  you would see us staggered  along the road  at our own paces.. If there is one thing I have learned it is that finding that perfect PACE MATE is not  an easy find.  When you run with a group or  in a race, it becomes very clear there are a lot of different running styles out there, and almost ALWAYS some one faster than you are.

A bit chilled before the race but excited to GO!

After dabbling at running for a few months ( the winter meant taking a break, in Canada we get lots of snow and its cold, I wasn't that die hard yet) All sorts of Color Runs started popping up all over the place. A group of us  decided to put in a team and run the Color Me Rad  in Kitchener, Ontario. It seemed like a good race to start with for my first. It was fun, you wore white and got doused in color.. 2 of the girls on my team I knew but didn't know well and wasn't in regular contact with them, and the other was my long time bestie, who HATED anything fitness oriented especially running.  This should have been my first tip off  as to how things were going to go down.. We tried to "train" for the 5km.. even though it was a FUN run we (mainly myself) didn't want to be dying  and gasping for breath so bad we couldn't enjoy the run. My friend eventually as the  event drew nearer was no where to be found as far as "run buddy "went.

Had to get a pic with the awesome Signage!

 The night before the run the forecast was NOT looking promising, I believe it was September, and it's notoriously  rainy in September. It was calling for a rainy 18 degrees and my friend said she and the other girls were not up to running their first run in the rain ( I should mention they were my ride) but they would let me know.  As  a teen I would maybe think there was hope, as an adult I knew that that was code for "No way in hell am I running in the rain!" I some how got talking to a few of my other friends I knew were doing the run as well and they invited me along with them, and THANK GOD, they did. It never ended up raining, it may have misted (like standing near a waterfall) but it never rained.  I ran the ENTIRE 5km without stopping, which is crazy for me because I had at that point not run past 4km. We had so much fun!  Now in all fairness to my friend the reason I love her is because she's never afraid to admit she was wrong... every ones news feeds on Facebook were lighting up with photos of the run, when I finished the race I had a message waiting that said " I'm sorry, I'm so mad at my self, especially since it didn't even rain."

If you haven't done a color run yet, I highly recommend it, they are for all ages, sizes and walks of life.. Great family fun.. After this event  I've done at least 2 more.  mainly the Color me Rad, we did one The Color Run, which was ok,  I had a few issues with it which I will write about some other time. My kids love the color runs they beg to do them,  they are a must try at least once! This particular  Color Me Rad run  as I said was in Kitchener , right down town. and ended up at Victoria Park, which was a great finish place.  There were tons of food vendors and places to take photos, as well as an apparel station and a dj playing music.  No medal for this run but the kit was rather cute , a t shirt, and some glasses and some extra color powder. I beleive we got a discount code too so our cost was about 40$ which isn't bad for a days activity and  some exercise.


After that first race, I got bit by the run bug hard!! In fact more than 2 years later I'm still adding race bibs and medals to my  race board I made. It is my hope to eventually review each race for you here in my blogs so it will help motivate others, or  give information to  people local to me on what to expect from the kits! My best advice to every one who WANTS to  learn to run, is just do it.. You wont regret it, you may suffer from aches and pains, and you may not starts off as strong and fast as you want to be, but   you wont know what you can do if you don't start! There are some great programs out there couch to 5km is one of them,   you can also you a run a block walk a block theory. There are also  lots of learn to run programs at the local YMCA  and Running Room all over Ontario!Happy Running!

Finishing your first race is such a proud moment!

xoxo,
         Samantha










     

I've never been much of a cook. There I said it.. I mean I could make potatoes and cook chicken and heat stuff up, but on a whole, I have never been the type to spend time in the kitchen. Or, for that matter enjoy the time I did spend there, and I certainly wasn't very inspired or creative with what I did. I grew up , like a lot of Canadians did, ham and potatoes, spaghetti, and chicken or pot roast...with the odd veggie tossed in.. My mom I think (and I feel bad about this now) probably did what most of us do and started off cooking a plethora of different meals, all of which were probably well loved by her and my dad.. Then you suddenly end up with one kid who will ONLY eat chicken and another that will eat anything BUT chicken and decided, "Ok for sanity sake I'm going to cook the basics." We did the same in our house for years, and then it turned into take out more often than not and then the same boring meals that were not properly portioned. When I found out about 21 day fix, I quickly realize there wasn't much room in the meal plan for the way we had been eating. I was nervous at first.. because of my lack of cooking talents, but excited.. I decided in that moment I wanted my kids to remember me cooking healthy, and not from boxes and creatively.. After all food is fuel and its important to love what you eat and fuel your body properly. Previously I had purchased some Epicure products, most of which I have to say are fairly clean and what salt and sugar they do have is minimal and made from the best version they can be made from. When I started the 21 fix I decided I didn't want to waste things I already had if I didn't have to, I wanted to make what I had work.. I also wanted to take the foods we LOVED and make them into a healthier version. People get crazy trying to reinvent their meal plans, KISS method applies here. Take it easy, and make what you love, just tweak it a bit! What did I love in this house?? PAD THAI!!! I actually didn't realize at first that this recipe would turn out as much like a Pad Thai dish as it did. I've been trying to make my own version for years buying store bought versions of sauce and BAM I fell right into this one!


 The first thing I did was take my epicure Sesame Ginger Dressing mix and prepared it in one of their Cruets to recipe like this: 2 Tbsp (30 ml) Sesame Ginger Dressing Mix 3 Tbsp (45 ml) soy sauce or gluten free soy sauce 3/4 C (80 ml) oil 1/2 C (125 ml) rice vinegar I my self for my family of 5 used half this recipe But you could make the whole thing and use it on a cucumber, pasta or garden salad next day. To find a list of ingredients click HERE

Finishing touches on a Friend/Bride Photo by :One-12 Photography

So while I am  totally immersed in fitness, that is actually not what my day job entails.. I have been and am currently  in the fashion industry, specifically HAIR!!!  I've been working  in the business for over 12 years, and it's something that I just absolutely love.  I have the best job! I get to hangout with my friends  or #hairbesties as #guytang would say.  The neat part about my job is that its multifaceted.  I'm a chemist, an artist,  a therapist, and some times butt kicker.  I get to be creative in my craft on a day to day basis!  its wonderful. People often ask me if I have  a  favorite specialty, and  I never know how to answer that.. I kind of love it all!  I would say the most fun I have is when I get to be expressive and free through color and style. We can get a bit busy in the business with the root touch ups and the day to day  we forget to have fun and create a little. If we are lucky enough (which I am) we have clients who indulge  us and let us experiment with our art on them!

My girls at a photoshoot (glam style) Photo by: One-12 Photography and My little Dude because Boys can have good hair too Photo by: Vanwalk Photography

Aurora and her Sunset hair

#IcedWatermellon

Even though I have worked in MANY salons,  I currently work for my self from the house. It is something I took up after I had my first child and decided to have a 2nd and a 3rd.  It allowed me to have flexibility in my schedule and ultimately kept me from having to take 1 year off a 2nd and third time, while  still being able to spend time with my kids and enjoy them and really be there for them.  This is something that cannot be done without a WONDERFULLY understanding  clientele! I always thank God for just how lucky I am to have a group of clients who understand a mothers need  and a childs need. While I mostly worked when a spouse or grandparent was available to watch the children, I did often work through nap time.. or on occasion, unsuccessful nap times.  I was also Remarkably lucky my kids were all  GREAT sleepers and fairly easy babies, and  though I may be bias in my opinion very CUTE!

 Currently though I have NO children in the home  while I'm working (other than summer holidays etc) and it has been GLORIOUS!  I love my kids  but I really enjoy my one on one time with each client.  Its a great time to connect and really learn about your client and their needs. For me even when the kids were in home that was something that meant the most to me.. I never wanted to feel distracted from the client I was with at the time! Which is a big reason  why I worked  around my partners hours or grandparents schedules.. So that they could have my undivided attention.  Also a reason , along with safety concerns (there are sharp scissors and chemicals flying about, not to mention hair which is a hazard all its own), I suggest  people leave the  children at home  while visiting the salon.. especially small babies that are wanting to be held..  I couldn't live with my self if I dropped color on a baby!    Its a restful time, free from life worries, and other distractions!  Right?


So in the past I've participated with  fashion shows and photo shoots. Its probably one of the top things on my "Favs" List.. I recently worked with a brilliant girl named Kirsten Young of Kirsten Young Make-Up Artistry who I have  had the lovely pleasure of working with  previously on a commercial/photoshoot to promote her services..    So through out this  post you will see a few photos  of the work we've done together along with a few others!  With that  feel free to post any  questions  on HOW-TO's that you would like to see!  I know there are a billion on the web  but why not make it a billion and one!

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