.Reality

Maybe it's because I'm thinking about the fact that this week I'll get my last full pay cheque for a year. Or maybe it's because the nursery is really starting to come together & baby stuff is building up in our living room. Or maybe it's because a new friend in a first time moms group I joined headed to the hospital and delivered her baby five weeks early! Things all of a sudden got real, and I got hit with a bit of a reality check this week.

I know I've mentioned it many times in this blog but I absolutely love to travel. I had a couple of ideas for trips to go on while I'm on maternity leave but my eyes seem to be bigger than my budget. I still want to conquer a few of them but I think DisneyWorld might be on hold until at least 2017. It's disappointing, but at the same time just not realistic. We're going to be in charge of a little person soon! I'm still coming to terms with that. 

At 38 weeks today, technically there's two weeks left before the due date but baby could come really at any time at this point. I can't really explain how it feels to be excited and terrified at the exact same time! I've been trying really hard not to complain during this pregnancy as I am very thankful that I'm able to get pregnant, however, as the days go on I'm starting to feel more and more uncomfortable. I'm pretty lucky that since the first trimester I've had a fairly good pregnancy. Now I believe I have entered the painful, waddling stage :). I also have crazy insomnia, which was bothering me before I got pregnant but now it doesn't seem to matter how little sleep I get the night before, I can't fall asleep until after midnight. Maybe this is my body preparing for lack of sleep once little Baby Peanut comes along?

The nursery is coming along really well. My husband painted, built the crib and changing table, and we just put up the giant Snoopy wall stickers yesterday. I love Snoopy. The room is starting to look awesome!

I miss running. I really, really miss running! Almost as much as I used to miss gymnastics when I was in a car accident and had to quit. I'm really looking forward to slowly getting back into it starting with walking around the neighborhood when the snow melts! We've had such an odd winter so it's kind of hard to say when that will happen, but I'm hoping by April I'll have the energy to start off slowly and work my way up to running half marathons again. I'm still signed up for the half marathon in Vancouver in October and fully plan to rock it (and by rock it, I mean cross the finish line) and I'm hoping to conquer a 15K in June for the Heart & Stroke Foundation, but I may change that to the 5K walk with the family if I'm not feeling up to it.

I've been trying to blog for about a week now & have been having troubles putting my thoughts together, which is why this one is a little all over the place. I blame the baby brain. :)

xo,

Dianne

PS: I've been slowly prepping some freezer meals so that when the baby comes, the nights that we don't feel like cooking we can pop something in the oven or microwave and have an easy, no prep dinner. I had some steak pieces in the fridge so I did some google/pinterest research on some enchilada recipes. I didn't really like any of them - so I created my own! Fairly healthy too! I overstuffed them so they looked more like burritos than enchiladas, but they tasted delicious! See below!

Smothered Steak Burritos

Ingredients

1 package of pre-cut steak bite size steak pieces (or any meat you'd like to use)

1 can of black beans

1 can of corn

Chopped mushrooms

1 cup of cooked whole wheat rice

Salsa 

- (I made my own - chopped up tomatoes, onion, garlic, and cilantro and mixed with a little bit of     lime juice, Epicure's Poco Picante Salsa Mix and salt & pepper to taste)

Shredded cheese

Whole wheat tortillas

Tomato sauce 

- (I used canned organic tomato sauce from Costco and added Epicure's fajita spice and salt & pepper to taste)

Cook the rice in one pot using water & a little bit of butter. In another pot simmer the sauce so the flavors mix together. In one more saucepan cook the steak, mushrooms, corn and black beans and mix in some fajita spice. Once everything is cooked, heat up the tortillas in the microwave for about 45 seconds so they are soft. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread some of the sauce at the bottom of a large glass baking dish. In each tortilla layer rice, the steak mixture, salsa and top with cheese. Fold each like a fajita/burrito and place in the baking dish with the ends down (I fit about six giant ones in my baking dish; four across and two at the top). Cover the top with the remaining tomato sauce and top everything with cheese. Put foil over the baking dish and put in the oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted. 

ENJOY! :)

.Systems

Happy New Year!

I've read a lot of posts in the last few weeks about how resolutions aren't good to make on new years because people always break them. Kind of like how the gym is always busy the first couple weeks of January but then goes back to normal by February 1st because a lot of people have fallen off the bandwagon.

I guess that's kind of true, but I think it depends on your perseverance and how much you want to achieve your goals. I truly believe that you can accomplish any reasonable goal that you put your mind to. Resolutions are no different. It's one thing to say you're going to eat healthy and get fit, but unless you actually do it they are just words.

I've been really pondering possible resolutions in the last few weeks. I want them to be realistic and achievable, but the same time it's so hard to plan sometimes when I know my life is going to change dramatically in the next couple months with the birth of our first child. My beautiful Stella & Dot mentor and leader Stacy posted an very interesting article in one of our Facebook groups the other day called "An Almost Foolproof Way to Achieve Every Goal You Set" which I encourage you to read. One line that really stands out at me is the following:

"When you're working toward a goal, you're essentially saying, "I'm not good enough yet... but I will be when I reach my goal."

Being part of the 2012 Olympics (as a volunteer) is now checked off my bucket list!

What do you think? It's certainly an interesting way of putting it. I know that if I make goals and I don't succeed, I get pretty bummed out about it and sometimes even feel like a bit of a failure which is not a good thing. This article talks about the work leading up to the goal, and if you continue to focus on that work (named "systems" in the article) that you will likely be more successful than focusing on the goal itself. I actually like this approach. The more effort you put in, the more it will show, and the more you will succeed.

I've noticed since I've become pregnant that I haven't been as eating as healthy as I could be. Some of it's due to pure laziness, some of it's to random cravings, and some is because some days (to be brutally honest) I just don't care. This isn't to say that I've been eating junk food and crap most of the time, but I'm definitely eating more than I was. I'd like to change that. I'm still reading labels when I go to the grocery store, but I'm still finding more processed food turn up in my pantry (example, I currently have alphaghettis, hamburger helper and organic Mac n Cheese on hand). Knowing that the closer we get to baby time I'm going to get more tired and less likely to want to cook, my plans to work towards the goal of eating healthier this year are to prepare a ton of pre-made meals from scratch and fill up my freezer! This way when I'm too tired or forget to take meat out in the morning, I can throw a bagged freezer meal in a casserole dish or a pot and make a healthy meal with a small amount of work. Knowing this will hopefully help to eat out less and lose the 30+ pounds I've gained since becoming pregnant.

I also always make the goal to keep active during the year. I love running so much and actually miss it when I can't do it for long periods of time. I did set a goal of running a half marathon this year after the baby, and the race is in October. I know that no matter what my time, I WILL finish that race. I'm not looking for a personal best (although if I can train up to that point it would be a huge bonus) but I want to finish. We purchased a jogging stroller that holds the car seat and I'm looking forward to starting out walking and then eventually jogging when I'm ready and be able to take the baby with me (or for the longer runs, dropping the little guy off at Nonna's who conveniently happens to live in the river valley). This is my motivation and I'm hoping it will help my progress to the end goal of running that half marathon in October. On a side note, the article mentions that some people who run half marathons stop training when they run one. I feel the opposite! Every time I run one I get motivated to run another one and find another city to explore!

Lastly I want to grow my Stella & Dot business. Every year I attend our national sales conference I get more and more motivated to reach for the stars. This year will be the start of year #3 and I'm more motivated than ever to meet new people, grow my team, share the Stella & Dot love and make some extra money for my vacation addiction/problem (hehe) and the new baby! I barely even know what direct sales was when I started but I'm so pumped that I jumped in and tried something new that I knew nothing about. I've learned so much and have replaced the income of a part time job working way less hours!

I'm pretty pumped about 2015. What about you?

xo
-Dianne

.Bug

It's no secret I have the travel bug. I'm practically planning my next vacation the day I get back from one. Don't get me wrong, it has nothing to do with me not liking Edmonton. I LOVE this city and hope to live here all of my life. I just love to explore new cities and do new things! I definitely got that from my Dad. 

Currently I have four vacations (at least) I want to take while I'm on mat leave. Vegas in July (Stella & Dot's national conference), Vancouver in October (Rock & Roll Half Marathon), Australia in November (to see hubby's sister & brother in law) and Florida in February (Princess Half Marathon). The only thing that is booked right now is Vancouver - and by booked all I mean is my entrance into the race. Nothing else will get booked until we make sure the baby is born and healthy and he's doing ok. Of course there's always that fun money issue...

My husband thinks that I think money grows on trees. Funny, because my parents used to say this all the time to me when I was a kid. I'll be the first one to say that I am not the greatest financial planner. I'm definitely better than I used to be, but one would say I'm not the best with money. So to plan four vacations on mat leave pay which I believe is about 55% may be a little crazy. That being said, I am determined!

I've been a little stressed about financials during mat leave but people keep telling me it's not as bad as it seems. I won't be driving to and from work every day so that will save me gas money. I'll be eating at home more often so that will cut down on the food budget for eating out. Our plan is to buy a lot of veggies and groceries a few weeks before the baby is due and start preparing freezer meals, so on those rough days when I'm tired and feeling lazy it will be easy to pop a pre-made meal in the freezer or slo-cooker. During January & February, I'm going to really work my Stella & Dot business and make some extra money to go into mat leave with. I plan to save my pennies as much as possible and see how the year goes!

The beach on our honeymoon in Saint Maarten in February/March 2014

We all have priorities. Although I'm settled down, I still want to see the world! But there has to be a happy balance. After March, we'll be providing for an extra person! And he will take priority over everything. I guess we'll see how it goes, but I'm motivated and excited to make this work! I've been pinning some tips on traveling with babies so I will definitely be educating myself so I'm prepared. 2015 is going to bring some unique challenges but also, hopefully, great joy. Happy early new year everyone!

xo

-Dianne

PS: I am ashamed to admit I never got into the squat challenge from the last post. I haven't even done ONE. Ug. I did go boxing day shopping on December 26th and got a great work out walking around West Edmonton Mall though! My feet have been sore for two days but it was 100% worth it. I snagged some good deals. All the maternity stores were empty - I assume because most people at seven months pregnant have no desire to deal with malls on Boxing Day! :)

PPS: HUGE winter sale going on at www.stelladot.com/DianneCK - you should check it out! Treat yourself to an after Christmas present :)

.Body Image

Most of us at one point or another have been uncomfortable with how we looked. I was very lucky in that I had a fabulous metabolism while I did competitive gymnastics up to my early 20's. I could eat whatever I wanted (which included fast food and way more pop than I should have drank) and not gain a pound or lose my washboard abs. I started to notice around 25 that I couldn't quite do that anymore. Not that I went on a diet, but I started to really read labels and look more into what I was eating. I am now a constant label reader and although I still give into cravings, I have definitely convinced myself to not eat something because of the calorie content, particularly when I was running on a regular basis!

During this pregnancy body image is something I'm struggling with. When you've been around the same size most of your life, it's very odd to go through these types of changes! I'm involved in a couple of baby message boards where some woman who are at the same stage I am are and have only gained 3-5 pounds - yet I'm at around 25 (the last doctor's appointment the nurse didn't even tell me how much I've gained, so I don't really know what that means haha). Most of the weight I've gained so far has been in the belly, and so far I've been able to avoid stretch marks by using a mixture of the Honest Company's Organic Healing Balm and Bio Oil every night before I go to bed. I bought two pairs of maternity pants two months ago and I absolutely hate them: although they seem like they'd be comfortable, my belly isn't big enough so they are constantly falling down. I've been making due with most of my current dress pants/skirts during the week with a belly band - which essentially helps keep your pants up even while they are unzipped! I can tell though that some of the weight is spreading out though because some of my pants are starting to get a bit too tight, so I'm kind of an in between stage. I also fight with my closet almost every morning. This dress is too short now, this shirt doesn't fit right, I don't have anything to match these pants, etc. I'm thankful for weekends when I can live in Lulus, sweatpants and Sweet Legs leggings!

This being said, I am not complaining. I am very grateful to be pregnant and excited to be a mom, no matter what a toll it takes on my body. It's just a bit of an adjustment, and I am very lucky that I have such supportive friends and family (especially my amazing husband) who are so complimentary and make me feel good! I've noticed that people are also very supportive of my eating habits; when I start to debate whether I should eat something I get the "don't worry, you're eating for two, it's ok!" As tempting as it is (I'm seriously hungry ALL the time), I'm trying purposely not to eat for two as I really want to get back working out/running after the baby. Although I know I'm going to gain weight, I want to try my best not to go overboard!

I've decided I'm going to challenge myself to a squat challenge. I'm going to try and do 10 squats a day every day after I get up or just before I go to bed. I've been feeling particularly lazy and although I'm not able to run anymore, there are things I can still do and this is something that won't take up much time but still be a bit of a workout. If 10 gets too easy, I'll add 1-2 each time and see how that goes. Anyone want to join me? :)

My friend Steinunn asked me yesterday if I enjoyed being pregnant. I've heard some women absolutely love being pregnant, and some that hate every minute. I'll be honest, I think I'm somewhere in between. The first couple months were spent being really stressed out & worried that something was going to go wrong. I had symptoms that could have meant things were going wrong but thankfully all the tests proved otherwise. It left me very overwhelmed, unmotivated for life in general and very sad. But once I was able to get past that point and we received positives from the ultrasounds, I'm now starting to finally feel excited. Although I'm not always comfortable with the way I look or the way I'm feeling sometimes (my tough points right now are mid-back pain, sleepiness during the day and insomnia at night) for the most part I feel pretty good. So I am lucky in that sense, and am very grateful that so far everything has gone OK. I continue to think positive thoughts to get me through the remaining 15ish weeks! :)

My point is that we are all human. There's probably very few people that are satisfied with how they look every single day, and that's ok. We're all different and unique and awesome in our own ways and I think it's important to realize that because it's definitely a life lesson I want to teach my future son one day. You just have to do what you can to make yourself feel good, and always try your best to feel comfortable in your own skin. I did that this weekend when I wore the new dress I'd picked out for my Christmas party! It's stretchy so I should be able to wear it after I have the baby, and it will still fit for the hubby's Christmas party in a couple of weeks!

xo
-Dianne

PS: We had an ultrasound yesterday and Baby Peanut looked like he was trying to eat his toes! Looks like we have a flexible little one on our hands...a future gymnast maybe? :)

PPS: Gigantic Black Friday sale starting today at www.stelladot.com/DianneCK! Some sale items up to 40% off! Make sure you check it out! Some items are already sold out!

.Honest

Oh, how things change on a weekly basis! I feel like these last few weeks I've really started to pop, which in a way is a relief because now it's fairly obvious that I'm pregnant and people aren't looking at me funny trying to figure it out one way or another.

For the last five years or so I've been trying hard to buy more things (particularly fruits and veggies) that are organic. I don't like the idea of pesticides all over my food, and you can really notice the difference between organic fruits and veggies and non-organic. I also try to shop locally when I can and support the local economy! A few months ago I noticed that I was getting a lot of ads from the Honest Company on Facebook and noticed that a lot of my Facebook friends liked them as well, so I decided to check it out. This company was founded by Jessica Alba and a gentleman named Christopher Gavigan who were looking for items that were organic, eco-friendly, free of chemicals, and just plain all-around good stuff. I admit, I was intrigued. I don't mind spending a little more on things like this - but the product has to be worth it. The Honest Company has a fabulous introductory offer of trial kits for $5.95 each, so you can see what their products are all about and try them first hand. If you like them, they will continue to send you items (based on the selections you choose) each month, or on a 5 week or 6 week time frame. You can cancel at any time, and you can change the dates as well if you don't need anything for a particular month. I figured I have nothing to lose, so I ordered the baby bundle (which included a trial pack of diapers and wipes) and the essentials bundle (which includes household items) in the trial forms. I was so intrigued by the essentials bundle that I actually ordered the full one right afterward. I tried to order things that we needed replacing for anyways such as dish soap and dishwasher detergent, so I could see if I really noticed a difference between that and store brand that I usually buy. Here is what I received:

So far in the essentials bundle trial package (on the left) I really like the face + body cream, the organic healing balm (perfect combined with bio oil for the growing tummy & trying to prevent stretch marks), and the multi-surface cleaner. I feel better using these products knowing they aren't loaded with the same amount of chemicals as the normal items I would buy in a store. The diapers are incredibly adorable - they all have cute little prints on them! I anticipate I will order one baby bundle closer to when the baby will be born and see how the diapers hold out. In speaking with my friends who are moms, you have to see what works for your baby as every one is different! In the baby bundle you get 320 diapers and 4 packs of 72 wipes for $79.95. For me that seems a little pricy, but I'd like to try them out and see how they are before I make any judgements. I haven't tried anything in the main essentials bundle yet, but I will definitely report back when I do! I ordered the dishwasher packs, dish soap, air freshener, dryer clothes, and the fruit and veggie wash (which I'm very intrigued by, so I'm looking forward to trying it out!) I will definitely report back with reviews as soon as I try everything out!

The essentials bundle is $39.95 and since I've tried some of the products I really think that I'll be keeping this subscription. The products are good quality, organic, and so far in the things I've tried they've been awesome so for me it's worth the price. The fact that I can adjust the date so I don't have to order every month is a huge bonus too, as I'm sure some of these things will take awhile to get through. I have to admit, it's pretty awesome getting this stuff delivered right to the door, especially when you look out the window on a day like today! (Not that I'm slighting winter, it IS my favourite season however when you are sick & in sweatpants going out in the snow is not that appealing). Have any of you tried the Honest Company? What do you think of their products?

Unfortunately I came down with a cold this week. Nothing major but I'm down and out today resting at home with some chicken soup simmering in the slow-cooker. Thankfully my sore throat is starting to subside and the cough is slowly starting to go away, so I think I'm on the mend! This is a good thing as I'm dragging the hubby along with me to West Edmonton Mall tomorrow morning to help me find a Christmas party dress that will make me feel perdy at both his & my Christmas parties coming up in the next month! I'm really hoping I can find something stretchy as the parties are a few weeks apart and my body seems to be changing on a daily basis!

xo
-Dianne

PS. According to the weekly baby emails I get, Baby Peanut is able to hear muffled noises now, so I read him a book today. Felt a little strange...but he kicked me a few times throughout so I assume he was listening! :)

.Antsy

I'm feeling a little stir-crazy at the moment. Part of me wants to get up and be more active but the other part of me is lazy and tired and feels a little restricted. I want to run, but I know I probably couldn't even run for a minute without huffing and puffing at this point (and the baby inside probably wouldn't be too impressed since it's been a few months since I've slapped on the running shoes).

Sometimes I feel like I've forgotten how to balance a busy work life with an active one. I was fairly good at it, but these last two weeks I've wanted nothing more to sit on my couch and watch TV and do nothing. Then yesterday I somehow managed to break my Nike Fuelband. I think the universe is trying to tell me something.

Speaking of the Nike Fuelband, I think I may be in the market for a replacement. This is now my third band in two and a half years. The first one just stopped charging after a year but I was able to get a replacement. Then a year after I got the replacement that one had the same problem. I just got a new one sent to me a few months ago and now it seems like part of the band has broken. I haven't taken a good look at it yet to see if it's fixable (it very well might be), but I'm starting to wonder if I should start shopping around for a new brand. I had a Fitbit before the Fuelband and I wasn't a fan of it - but I know Fitbit's have really evolved in the last couple years. I'm looking for suggestions for a band that counts calories doing every day things (not just running or activity), a sleep tracker, maybe a heart rate monitor (so it counts calories more accurately) and something that's not huge or bulky. If you have any suggestions please feel free to leave it in the comments below! I am pretty brand loyal to Nike but if this one really is ca-put I may need to look elsewhere!

I have narrowed down my wishlist for half marathons to run while I'm on mat leave. I think I'm three... oh my. That's slightly terrifying but also extremely motivating at the same time. The first one will be probably the Edmonton Half in August, mostly because I've deferred the last two years (last year I sprained my ankle a month before and this year I couldn't run due to doctor's orders), so I have free entry. It's in my home town, I know the course, and it's a chance for my friends and family to be able to cheer me on if need be. Not looking for a personal best in this one, but just looking to finish to tell myself that I can still rock these! The second one is going to be the Rock N Roll Half Marathon in Vancouver in October (essentially a year from now). I've run the Rock N Roll Half in Vegas (it was my first EVER half) and it was a lot of fun, so I'm looking forward to what the race will bring to Vancouver! I also have many friends there that I would love to see, and haven't been in so long that I've nearly forgotten what the place looks like. Let me know if you want to join me! I just now have to convince the husband! :) Last but not least, my final goal is to run the Disneyworld Princess Half Marathon in Florida in February 2016. I love Disney, and I love their races. So far I've ran the Tinkerbell Half in California and the Disneyworld Half in Florida and both were just awesome. This one is still a little up in the air as obviously it's going to cost the most and take the most planning. I've wanted to do this one for a few years (was thinking of 2014 but then we got married on the exact same weekend!) and think it would be great to take the future little one to Disney when it doesn't cost anything for him to fly. This one will need to be decision made after the baby is born to decide whether it's feasible and do-able. Usually for races I have no issues going on my own as I just love to travel, but things will change when there is a baby involved!

Just talking about all of this makes me happy and I feel very motivated for the upcoming year. So many changes but also so many experiences and chances to learn. I guess this is what they call growing up!

xo,
Dianne

PS: I've finally figured out how to fix the comments! You can now comment in the boxes below and I should be able to see it! :)

PPS: In the last few weeks I've been able to feel baby Peanut moving around. It is a crazy, exciting, terrifying, weird feeling that I can't explain, but I love it! :)

PPPS: If you want to get some Christmas shopping done in the month of November, consider having a Stella & Dot trunk show! Lots of specials this month & our new collection just launched in October. Invite the girls over for an afternoon to shop and earn yourself some free jewels. Lots of gifting ideas too! Click on the email button on the left of the blog to send me a note if you want to book a date! I anticipate they will be going quick!

.Truth

Sorry blog... I haven't forgotten about you. It's just kind of hard to write about running when you haven't been running in a few months!

My last run was July 13th. It was fairly short and I didn't feel like running but I ran anyways. I was battling a little injury but nothing major.  

On July 5 I completed the Edmonton Spartan Race. On July 6, we found out I was pregnant. This baby is going to be a warrior!

This is FABULOUS news and news my husband and I had been hoping to receive for a few months! I can't even explain how terrified and excited I was (and have been) at the exact same time. I went to the doc the next day and they confirmed the news. I looked at the doctor and said "So...what now? What do I do? What can I do? HELP?"

A few months prior, I had really started to put more effort into my running. I completed five weeks of a 12 week Nike running program where I was running 3-4 days a week and feeling like my running was improving. I was confident that I could shave at least 20 minutes off my personal best at the Edmonton half in August. I had also stopped having that casual beer here and there to try and cleanse my system. I told my doctor about all the sports I was doing this summer and he said I could still run (but no half marathon) and play slo-pitch, but ball hockey had to go. I emailed my doctor afterward as I wanted a second opinion on the half marathon and he agreed and said it probably wasn't a good idea. Not only did he think I'd be exhausted, but he also said he didn't want me to overheat or raise my heart rate too much as that wouldn't be good for the baby. Fair enough. Baby comes first!

I really did want to continue running. I had been following blogs like Through Heather's Looking Glass and NYC Running Mama (which are both FANTASTIC blogs by the way) for some inspiration from moms who continued to run while they were pregnant and tried to gather as many tips as I could so I could prepare myself to run when I got pregnant. Then I learned a very important lesson - everyone's pregnancy is different. I'll be 19 weeks tomorrow and one of the symptoms that hasn't gone away since the first trimester has been exhaustion. My running plan prior had been getting up at 6-6:15AM a few times a week to run so I could keep my evenings free. Once I got pregnant I had a hard time getting up at my regular time in the morning, never mind super early. We also had an absolutely amazing summer in Edmonton, and a lot of July it was +30 outside. I don't like running in that kind of heat normally, and I certainly didn't think it was a good idea to run in it while pregnant either, so unfortunately I fell off the wagon. I give HUGE kudos to both those mama bloggers and any other woman who can keep up a fitness regimen while they are pregnant - you guys are my heroes! I just can't manage to get the energy!

I had a bit of a difficult first trimester, with a couple of urgent trips to the doctor and an emergency ultrasound but thankfully everything so far has been A-OK. I am also happy to report that the last month or so I've been feeling a lot better! I'm still very tired, but overall I'm feeling pretty good and starting to get more excited by the day! We found out on Sunday (in the presence of my family on Thanksgiving) that we were having a baby boy! I'm hoping we have a future NHL star on our hands who will spoil his parents when he makes the big leagues! :) Big thanks to my friends Kelly and Bryan at B and K Custom Cakes for making this amazing cake for us!

I'm going to shift this blog a bit for the next little while onto what I'm doing to keep in shape while I'm pregnant, and then getting back into shape once I have the little one! I'd be lying if I said my motivation level was high right now - as in all honesty it's extremely low, and exercise has been the farthest from my mind. However, I'm trying to do the little things to try and keep as active as possible. For example, I'm going for more walks (my doggie is happy) and trying to go for 1-2 KM and speed walk when I can. Because I haven't run in so long I'm not going to start back up now, but I am going to do my best to try and eat better (which is hard when you crave burgers and McDonald's, but don't worry I only cave 1-2 time a month) and try to continue to live a healthy lifestyle throughout the remainder of my pregnancy. One thing I'm considering is signing up for a half marathon in 2015 to make sure that I get my butt in gear once the little one arrives. I don't want to go far or use too much vacation because we're hoping to visit Australia late next year to visit my husband's sister, so I'm thinking of either the Edmonton Half in August (mostly because it's local and I'm familiar with the course) or maybe the Rock n Roll Half in Vancouver, BC in October (if it's around the same time as this year). The thought terrifies me as I feel like I'll be starting from scratch - but with the Nike Training program and some friends who have promised to help me along the way, I think I'll be able to do it! And I can't think of anything better than my little man waiting for me with a big smile at the finish line - so THAT's my motivation.

Am I crazy? Maybe. But if I'm going to run a marathon before I'm 40, I gotta keep moving. I can do this. 

:)

xo

-Dianne

PS: Anyone know where in the Edmonton area I can get a fancy jogging stroller for under $300? The ones I like are close to $1000 and that's slightly out of my budget! :)

.Detox

Ever come back from vacation feeling like you ate like crap and gained 10 pounds? I tried to justify the fact that I didn't run while I was in Florida on the basis that I walked a LOT when I was outlet mall shopping, at Magic Kingdom, and at Seaworld, however I think that basis is pretty weak. I was so proud of myself for bringing two sets of work out gear (especially since I squished 7 days worth of clothing into one carry on bag and one gigantic personal item), however I didn't go for a run once. For shame!

I've kinda gotten off the beaten path the last 2.5 weeks and quite frankly have become a little lazy. Knowing that I was toning down my training for the rest of the summer made me a little less motivated to do those runs in the wee hours of the morning. I find my running endurance disappears rather quickly if I don't run on a regular basis, so I'm determined to get back running at least 1-2 times a week even if I start off a little sluggish. My eating habits haven't been the best either - I find sometimes that when I eat something bad, I figure that day is a write-off and I don't really care about what I eat for the rest of the day, and that's a big no-no! Today for example, I'm "Detoxing" slightly as I had a fairly healthy sandwich for lunch and have a spinach salad for dinner, as I feel pretty guilty for what I ate yesterday. That being said, everything I ate yesterday was DELICIOUS...but maybe a little too much deep-fried goodness. Yesterday for lunch, some co-workers and I hit up the Taste of Edmonton, which for those of you who don't live here, is an amazing food festival that happens right downtown! You buy tickets and restaurants from all over the city have booths where you can try samples of different types of foods. Everything I tried yesterday was amazing, however I think 3 or 4 of the samples I tried were deep fried (don't get me wrong, that's not all they serve at this festival, those were just the things that caught my eye and they were delicious!). I also had a piece of cheesecake on a stick...because who can resist a piece of white chocolate raspberry cheesecake on a stick?! Then on my way to a concert last night, we had to pass through K-Days, which is another one of Edmonton's summer festivals, and I had half a bag of mini donuts... (mini-donuts are almost as much of a weakness as cheesecake!).

Knowing that this weekend we will be hitting up some festivals, I've decided that I'm going to start of a bit of a detox starting on August 1. I don't believe in fad diets, but what I do believe is eating clean, eating a little bit from all food groups, and of course eating healthy. So this is my plan starting in a little over a week:

- no processed foods

- no sugar

- lots of fruits and vegetables

- lean meats & protein

- healthy snacks

- no soy (my stomach has been bugging me lately so I'm sure my intolerance has something to do with it as I haven't been as careful as I should be!)

Of course, it would be unrealistic (for me at least) to do this 100% of the time, but I'm really going to try and aim for 90%. The key is eating out less, and cooking at home more. I find that when my fridge is stocked with healthy veggies and foods, I will be more likely to cook at home. If the fridge is depleted I'm more likely to go out and get something for lunch or dinner, and sometimes convenience is so much easier than eating healthy. I'm going to try and rid my house of all the bad stuff like chips (although we don't buy a lot, I still manage to find some on occasion) so the temptation isn't there. On top of this, I'm going to aim to run 1-3 times per week depending on the week, but keep my mileage down under 10K so I don't push it. I'm hoping within 2 weeks or so I'll start to feel a difference. Anyone want to join me? I may need a support group!

The important thing to remember is that we are all human, and we are all bound to fall off the wagon once and awhile. As long as we can get ourselves back on track and build that willpower, our goals are definitely attainable!

xo,

-Dianne

PS: Stella & Dot's brand NEW collection got released on Monday! Check it out at www.stelladot.com/DianneCK and let me know if you want to host a trunk show and get some bling for FREE! :)

.Update

Ok, so June got away from me a little bit. What a crazy month! Between school twice a week, slo-pitch starting up, trying out a new five day a week half marathon program, training for 25K in one day, work and life in general, things have been a little nuts! I didn't mean to go this long without writing so it's time to catch up.

On June 14th, I ran two fundraising races! The first one was called "Run For Your Dad" and it started in Louise McKinney Park in Edmonton and weaved around the river valley. It was a 15K and I raised over $1500 for the Heart & Stroke Foundation and even won 3rd place in fundraising! I absolutely killed it. I felt really good throughout the race, and besides the hills I ran most of it. According to my Nike+ app, I ran 9.45 miles in 1:44:16 - and if I kept that pace for a full half I would have beat my half marathon time by a lot! I also ran my fastest 10K ever in this stretch! I was pretty happy with myself - very sore, but happy I completed it. That one was for you, Dad!

Also on the 14th, I ran in the Underwear Affair, which is a 10K to raise money for cancers below the waist. I ran this one in memory of my aunt/god mother Carmela Amelio-McCaw and was able to raise $1000 for this cause. Even after running the 15K in the morning, I still managed to complete the 10K in a decent time (for me anyways): 1:10:56. Another big one was that I could still move the day after! Usually after 1/2 marathons I'm pretty sore for a few days (after my very first one, my hubby had to push me out of the airport in a wheelchair, I was so sore I couldn't move!) but I recovered very well this time - this gives me hope that not only my running but my endurance is improving as well!

I decided that my running was going so well, why not enter one more this summer? So I entered the Canada Day Road Race on July 1st. Getting up and being at the legislature grounds at 7:00AM proved to be a bit of a challenge, but I think this race was my favorite race of the summer! As much as I love the river valley, I am used to running in residential areas and on main sidewalks, so this race was perfect! The route went over Groat Road, through Hawrelak Park, and through the university area of Edmonton and it was awesome! There were a few nasty hills, including one at the very end, but I actually improved my 15K time by running in 1:43:55! I'm thrilled with this time! Made for a tiring rest of the day but completely worth it.

This past Saturday, July 5th, I was able to run the Color Me Rad race in Edmonton, and then also the Spartan Sprint! I was pumped to do Color Me Rad as last year I had to pull out because I sprained my ankle the week before. My friends had a blast so I was eager to try it again. To be honest, I was a little disappointed. I guess I had higher hopes - the race didn't feel like a 5K at all, and the color idea was cool, but some of the stations weren't even stocked. Fun idea, but I think that will be the first and last time I do that race. The Spartan Sprint on the other hand was a lot of fun. Although the parking was disorganized, the race itself was way better organized than last year. And no running up and down rabbit hill four times (that's definitely what killed me last year). I'm still waiting for the final results, but I'm pretty confident that I did better than the year before. There was a nasty storm the night before so the mud was disgusting - but it feels so rewarding to finish!

In between these runs, I was going to school part time taking a philosophy class. Philosophy is not really my thing, but it was an option course that I had to take as I'm working towards my marketing degree! I'm still about 8 classes away, so I decided to take a summer class this summer, which proved to take up a ton of time! I also started up slo-pitch again, and although at the start I couldn't full blown run because of my groin injury, I was still able to play. I really love slo-pitch. Did I mention I was playing ball hockey as well? Our Sunday night ball hockey team won the Rec Plus division in the Edmonton Sport & Social Club! WOOP! That was a lot of fun too. I was running 3-4 times a week in the morning trying my best to following the Nike+ 1/2 marathon coaching program as well, and was blessed with really nice weather thankfully!

I had one more race planned for the summer, and it was the Edmonton 1/2 marathon happening on August 24th. I still have some time to think about it but I think I'm going to cut down on my training for now. As much as I love the coaching program I'm doing, I have some nagging injuries that just don't seem to want to get better. My groin injury completely went away, but then somehow came back, and although it doesn't bother me when I'm running, it tends to bother me when I complete one. I also still have a bit of an ankle injury that I have to go back to physio for. I'm not sure what the problem is, but I can't fully point my toe or stand on my tippy toes, which means I've been avoiding heels for the last couple weeks. This also doesn't bother me while I'm running but seems to bother me afterward so I'm doing more damage than good. I'm going to continue running 5-6 miles a couple times a week to keep it up, and see how I feel in a few weeks and then make a final decision on the Edmonton half. Although I'm disappointed it's been a fabulous racing summer for me and I'm already looking forward to finding some fun races to do next year! :)

I'm also heading to Orlando in 8 more sleeps, and couldn't be more excited to hang out with my Stella & Dot family. Speaking of Stella & Dot - I noticed I've reached over 1000 views! Thank you SO much for reading my blog! I've decided to hold a summer contest, see details below:

1) Share my blog on your Facebook page or twitter
2) Pick a day & book your summer Stella & Dot trunk show with me (you can email me at DianneCK39@gmail.com and reference this blog post)! Our new collection is launching in mid-July and I'd love to earn you some of it for free!
BONUS: Refer someone who books a trunk show before August 31st and you'll get a bonus entry into the draw!

When completed. The winner will receive a FREE engravable name bar! You can engrave it with whatever you like! Your name or initials, children's names, someone special to you, a cool word that means something to you, etc - your choice!

Small print: you must live within a 30 minute radius from the greater Edmonton area to be able to enter this contest.

That's all for now!

xo,
Dianne

.Dad

I'd be lying if I said this time of year doesn't make me a little bit grumpy. Not just grumpy, but angry and sad too. It's unfair that my Dad isn't here to celebrate Father's Day with us. He was a great Dad, and it's hard to believe that he's been gone for 2 1/2 years already.

My Dad passed away on December 23rd, 2011 from a massive heart attack. We knew he had been stressed out and his health wasn't the greatest, but we certainly never expected something like that to happen. Hearing the words "Your Dad has a heart attack, we need to go the hospital right now" just made my heart hit the ground. We were all actually on our way to catch the pre-season game between Canada and Sweden in the World Juniors tournament, and we hadn't even made it 5 minutes from the house before we got the call. Getting to the hospital and being told that your Dad didn't make it, particularly two days before Christmas, is most definitely the worst feeling I've ever had in my life.

Thankfully, earlier that afternoon we had lunch as a family at one of our favorite restaurants, Thanh Thanh (The Oriental Noodle House) on 101 Street. I was working as it was a busy time and I was trying to get everything organized to get my work visa for the London Olympics - but I am so thankful that we were able to carve out some time to go for lunch that day, which had actually been planned almost a week prior. Although dinner was good, my Dad and I had gotten into a stupid argument about the work visa, because he thought he knew the process to get one and I was sure he didn't. At the end of lunch, I rushed out and didn't give either of my parents a hug before I left because I was in a hurry. I still think about that moment often, because it was so selfish of me to just leave. Of course I didn't know that it would be the last time I'd ever see him alive, but I really wish now that I hadn't been in such a hurry because that little moment would have made a difference, at least for me.

I have so many good memories of my Dad. He was a great sports Dad; he came to almost every single one of my baseball games, gymnastics competitions, and pretty much anything my brother and I did as kids. He picked me and all my friends up at the bar and drove us home when I didn't have a car, because he wanted to make sure we didn't drink and drive and that we'd all get home safe. He was so supportive in everything I did, and was so proud when I got my dream job of working for the Oilers. He always thought it was awesome that I always managed to get the coolest jobs, and that I had managed to work for both of the major sports teams in the city. He told silly jokes over and over again and even though we rolled our eyes, he giggled about it every time. He was a fantastic photographer, and took pictures any moment he could. He also loved Paris, and since his passing I've found myself loving it even more. I was so pumped that my Dad was around when I told him I got accepted to volunteer for the 2012 Olympics in London, and he was even thinking of joining me for awhile when I was there. I did head to Paris for one day while on my trip as a tribute to him, and made sure to have a real croissant this time, as when I went when I was in Grade 8, he couldn't believe that I didn't have a fresh croissant at a French cafe! Once at the dinner table, he was trying to get mustard out of the squeeze bottle and it literally exploded all over the table, walls, and even the ceiling - and we all just couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the whole situation. He always called me his #1 Daughter, even though I was his only daughter.

I'll probably be staying away from public places and social media on Sunday just because I know it will make me a little sad. But I feel so blessed that I have such great parents, and that my Dad was around for as long as he was. 

Happy Father's Day Dad. I miss you.

xo
-Dianne

PS: I am running in a 15K race tomorrow morning called "Run For Your Dad" and I'm raising money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation in my Dad's memory. If you would like to donate, please use the following link: https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1079555&supId=406821148