Fit Friday Tip! How to Drink More Water!

If you saw this post a while back, I hope it encouraged you to drink more water! I told you all about how great water is for your body! It's essential!

So now that you know how important it is, how can you remember to drink enough?? Well let me help! :)

So you should be drinking half your body weight in oz each day. So for instance, if you weigh 160 lbs, you should drink 80 oz water/day - that's about 10 glasses. Since your body is made of water, you need to replenish it all, and the more you weigh, the more water you have in your body. Therefore you need more water. Makes sense. 

So, I even struggle with drinking enough water. That's right, I'm not perfect! Haha. But one of my goals for February is to drink enough water each day. So how does on who about doing that, you ask?

One tip I have is to bring a water bottle (or two) with you everywhere! I'm not just talking about when you leave the house -although this water bottle is perfect to throw in your purse and then fill up when you find a water fountain or cooler. Fill it up when you wake up and take a swig. If you start your morning off with a tall glass of water, you rev that metabolism up right away! So last week, on Friday morning, I woke up and had a glass of water before I ate my blueberry protein pancake for breakfast. Once I finished, I filled up my water bottle and took it up to my room, while I decided to write this blog post. That way, you have your water there as a constant reminder. In all honestly, sometimes I think I just get too lazy to grab a glass of water when I'm thirsty. I know I'm dehydrated, but I just keep doing whatever I'm doing and ignore it. Not good!

So now I'm keeping water with me always. Then I have no excuse! 

Let me know if this helps you! I love to help! :) I'm trying it too, and I think it's really gonna help! 

Now have a great day and drink plenty of water! You're body will LOVE you for it! :) Remember:

Love, 

Lo

Favourite Five Happy Edition!

Hi friends!! How are you attractive people doing?! Good. So, I'm in a great mood right now, and I just want to share some things that make me happy, m'kay?! Enjoy!

Favourite Music:

Some of the kids in this video can dance better than me! Props little ones. I swear, I want to have dancing little babies when I'm older. So presh.

Favourite Documentary:

So I first saw this documentary about 4 years ago....I think. I was in Kelowna, BC visiting some family, and they took my sister Sadie, my friend Jenna, and I to see the Happy Movie. I was seriously impressed! SUCH an enlightening movie! Since seeing it, I've become super interested in positive psychology. I can't wait till I can take the 400-level class in school! 

Here's a little clip:

Why live life unhappily?

p.s. I bought a DVD at Lu Lu Lemon about a year after it came out, but I'm not sure if they have it anymore. If you can't find it anywhere else, check it out on their website. 

Favourite Laugh:

I've talked about Remi Gaillard before. He is fearless and hilarious. And apparently making a movie?!? What! I'd go see that fo sho! Just watch. You'll love it....as long as it's not happening to you. 

Favourite New Track:

Performed by the one, the only, REBELLEN!!!

I also just really love the pictures in the background. 

Favourite Family:

My own!! OF COURSE! Haha. And no, this isn't one of those awkward family photos. Although it is comparable. Photographer: "Okay, funny faces!" My brother: (thinks) Imma whip off my shirt! Everyone else: Reactions are as shown above. Click. 

Happy Humpday!! 

Love, 

Lo

How To Cure A Burnt Tongue!

Happy Tuesday!

Hope you are all doing well! Today I have an unlikely item on the agenda. Most times on Try-It-Tuesday, I would do a recipe or potentially a craft, but today I am testing out a home remedy. Sadly this weekend I developed a cold at the same time that I burnt my tongue trying to sooth my throat due to the cold.

Life: 1 Lauren: 0

Rookie mistake. I was just so excited to eat some of that chicken noodle soup that I took a big spoonful and slurped it on up. Then felt the intense burn and spit it right back out. It didn't help that I was FaceTiming at the same time. Sorry Ashley for the lovely picture!

I was hoping that the burn would go away when I woke up the next morning, especially since I sucked on about 3 ice cubes. But sadly, it was still there. Although, less painful at least! So, I went on trusty Google to find some home remedies.

I got things like sugar (although it only temporarily soothes it), honey, anesthetic ointment, gurgling salt water (the thought of which makes me want to gag), cough drops, mouth wash, cloves (not sure if they meant the spice or garlic?), Advil, ice cream, raw potato, coconut, and even the genius idea of "not drinking/eating hot foods while waiting for it to heal". Thanks to captain obvious for the last one.

But maybe I was a little stubborn, and I didn't want to wait for my tongue to just heal on it's own, The tricky thing is that I'm not only trying to cure (not just sooth) my burnt tongue, but also not aggravate my cold. That kind of rules out anything dairy sadly. I was really leaning towards yogurt, because I read that it's medically the best thing for a burnt tongue. So I immediately took an Advil after breakfast and set out to find what actually worked!

I figured Advil would immediately help with the pain, mouthwash would also help with the cold, and cough drops were a two-birds-with-one-stone kind of remedy.

I noticed quickly that the Advil lessened the pain, although did not completely alleviate it. The only thing mouthwash did was give me fresh breath - but I guess I can't complain about that.

While I was looking through my medicine cabinets, I remembered this spray that I used a few years back when I had a wicked sore throat. And I found it!! I figured that if it could numb my throat, it could numb my tongue. And numb my tongue it did! Sweet, sweet relief. I could still feel the burn, but only if I pressed my tongue to the roof of my mouth - and even then, it was very minimal. It took about 5 minuted for the full effect to kick in, but it was glorious soothing. I found that you have to reapply it after a few hours, but that may be just because it had a best before date of 2010....(I swear I didn't have it that long ago!)...anyway, it still works! Just make sure to get an anesthetic oral spray of some sort.

Look! I tried out photoshop for the first time and made this cute handy-dandy guide for you!

And if for some reason, the above don't work well enough (they should if you actually use it before the best-before date), it's a good excuse to eat ice cream for a whole day. ;) No judgement coming from me! 

Happy Tuesday friends, and may you never have to deal with a burnt tongue!

Love,

Lo

How Does an Olympian Train?

Happy Friday friends!!

I hate to say it, but I've been so lame at watching the Olympics! It's been on for two weeks and I've only seen snipits here and there. Although I have to say I am loving the new sport where they snowboard down those pipes and jumps. So fetching cool! Also, I have to give my hockey ladies a round of applause for their amazing performance yesterday!! I'm so proud to be Canadian! Also, Poulin is a champ!

I do have to hand it to Carpenter from the American team. She had a beautiful shot on us...sadly. But we won, so really, it's not that sad.

If you missed the women's final game, you can watch it here. And if you're strapped for time, feel free just to watch the highlights. I won't tell anyone. Here, here, here, and here are some of the best.

In addition, our boys didn't cease to impress me either. Benn nailed it for us, with a beautiful shot in the second period with the only goal of the game!! Watch the recap here! Now go beat Sweden boys! :)

Last week when I was nannying, we watched the Olympic highlights during dinner, and saw this awesome video on how an Olympian trains. I thought it was so cool! 

Olympians have to be RIDICULOUSLY healthy! Their bodies are machines that have to be in peak condition to perform optimally. They workout so much during training, that they have to compensate with a buttload of calories. Think you got what it takes? Just watch below.

Also this:

I can't even do a chin-up....but it's one of my goals!

And then watch this:

And this, last one, I promise!

I love that these people are being active doing what they love! I hope I can somehow manage to have an active job when I get a real one in the future. Most importantly, I want to find something I love. But I digress. 

Hope you've got some more appreciation for these athletes now! I'm super impressed. Can you imagine eating 9000 calories? And doing chin-up's like that? Holy hannah, that's ridiculous. 

Have a happy and health Friday lovely people(...and don't eat 9000 calories please)! 

Xoxo,

Lo

A Little Road Trip and my Favourite Five!

Hello lovely people!!

Hope those of you who have Reading Week right now are living it up! I love not having to worry about school (for the most part....I have 2 take home exams to write, but their really not that bad)! I went to Calgary for the weekend to visit my beautiful aunt and uncle! They are so kind. And hospitable...I love that word for some reason, haha. We all just relaxed together. I got to sleep in, and they made me breakfast (seriously soooo great!), and then we did things like watch movies and sports, go hot tubbing, go to church and hold cute babies, and shopping! It was honestly so relaxing! I'm so grateful. I totally felt lazy though! I'm so not used to it. I always had this nagging feeling that I should be helping to make dinner, and clean up breakfast, and do other things, but for the most part it was already taken care of! That's what happens when there's two momma's in one kitchen! I did try to help out a bit though. Anyway, here's a few photo's from my trip!

As we were driving down, we saw the most beautiful harvest moon! It was big, bright orange and just above the horizon....not that you can tell from this picture. It sort of looked like this, just with a darker background.

On our drive to church, we saw those gorgeous mountains! I seriously love them! And the clear blue sky! Ah, I feel so blessed!

While we were shopping, my Dad and I stopped at La Prep for lunch. Oh my! It was delicious!! I couldn't even finish it all, but I seriously wanted to! Those salads were so fresh, and the panini was so savoury. :) 

I had fun at CrossIron Mills ;)

My Aunt made the tastiest salad when we came home from shopping!! Candied pecans, strawberries, blueberries, romaine lettuce, with a poppyseed dressing. 

We had it with super delicious chicken!

And then, sadly, we said goodbye. :( It was beautiful there though! Those mountains!! Ah, I'm in love with them.

While we were driving out of Calgary, I saw this sign, and it made me smile! I'm glad that people advertise doing good things for others. I know I forget to sometimes when I get so busy!

And before we left, we had to stop at Peter's Drive-In...obvs. It's tradition!

Love it here.

Feel free to watch this riveting round of Head's Up! But seriously though, I LOVE this game! And you gotta give my mom props, she rocked it!

BUT ANYWAY!! Hopefully you didn't get bored of my Calgary photos. It's time for my favourite five!! Woooo!

Favourite Quote:

I don't know the Bible as well as I'd like to, but I do love this scripture. Just trust. :) God has your best interests at heart.

Favourite Truth:

Seriously me sometimes! Haha.

Favourite Treat:

Okay guys, c'mon, how dang good do these sound?! Reese's White Chocolate Brownie Whoopie Pies. Almost as good as these Red Velvet Cheesecake Pancakes! OR these too. :) Find the recipe here. 

Favourite Man Outfit:

This guy looks fantastic! All I have to say is that more men should dress like this. Or at least get a fitted suit. I think I speak for all women when I say, a fitted suit is dannng attractive.

Favourite Kitchen:

Beauty! A girl can dream, right?

Hope you all are doing well!! Thanks for taking the time to stop by! You are all beautiful people! 

Love,

Lo

What "Healthy" Means.

We hear this all the time, "Be healthy!" Or "It's not about being thin anymore, it's about being healthy!" 

So what does it mean to be healthy? This is something I've been pondering for about a year now. It was last year in January when I started on a journey to become healthy. 

Actually, what I wanted was to lose weight. But why did I want to lose weight? It's because I saw people around me and ads and models and all sorts of images and thoughts ingrained in my head, telling me that I wasn't good enough. I think that's really the reason that I felt like I should lose weight. We all are all affected by what's around us, and if it wasn't for that, I think most people would be generally happy with themselves and their bodies. I really wish there wasn't such a thing as "plus-size modelling", I wish it could just be called "modelling". But that's a subject for another day. 

I've grown up in a very supportive home, and for that I am grateful. I grew up with a dad who always told me I was beautiful. Probably every day. I know I am loved. I grew up in a church where I was constantly reminded of my divine origin and potential, and of the unconditional love God and Jesus have for me. I've been extremely lucky to have been told that I am loved, always. 

That love is an amazing backbone. It allowed me to gain confidence, although that love in itself did not give me confidence. That is something everyone needs to gain for themselves. Confidence is something you need to learn for yourself. You can't just be told it, if you want to know it. It's like any talent or skill. It takes time. My own confidence has come over time. And being healthy has been a large part of my confidence. 

So, being healthy helps with confidence. Pass around the sign up sheet!!

Now that that's established, what's involved with being healthy? 

To me being healthy is not about having flat abs, a nice booty, and toned arms. I'm not saying that those things aren't healthy, but being toned isn't what healthy is. Being healthy is also about what you put into your body, having moderation, and being happy. It's also about getting enough sleep. :) That's one of my favourites! 

I believe to be healthy, you should eat when you're hungry, stop when you're full, and on occasion eating a little more. I believe in moderation in all things, even in moderation itself. That's for your mental health. You shouldn't deprive yourself. 

Also, you should make sure that you aren't eating too much sugar. That's something I struggle with a bit. But that's one of my February goals! I'm trying to have sweetness in my meals naturally - from fruit. I'll drizzle maple syrup or agave on my protein pancakes, but I'm trying not to drown then in it. As tasty as that is! 

Being healthy is about exercising to REWARD your body. Steph Hendel came out with a really great image the other day.  

Don't exercise to punish yourself for the way you eat. Do it because your body deserves your love. And you can love it, and make yourself happy, by exercising and releasing endorphins. 

Also, one tip I have is to exercise by finding something you love! That way it's not something you dread. So, if you don't like running (and you've already tried it), try biking! I love going on the bike and watching TV. Go play tennis, plan a hike with your friends, or take a spin class (it works your butt off, and it's fun). Also, I generally like running, but only when I'm in a warmish and beautiful place. I love to be outdoors and see the world. So, I prefer to run outside in the summer on trails when I'm surrounded by nature. But I have a deep dislike for the cold so I choose not to run outside in the winter. So, sometimes I run on treadmills. But if I really don't feel like doing that, I take a dance class (which I just found out I LOVE), go snowboarding, play volleyball, do yoga, or just be active naturally! You could even go roller skating, curling, or tobogganing. 

If you think about people in earlier times, they were fit and healthy. Did they spend hours in a gym on a stair climber? No. Obviously not. I'm sure they would think that that idea would be ridiculous. They did things naturally. If I do things naturally that are healthy, I find it's not so much of a hassle. Like walking for instance - I walk to and from the train to school almost every day. That's about 1/2 a mile each way. I figure if you get in about 2 miles of cardio each day, you're on the right track. And with walking, I'm halfway there.  

Things we can do naturally to be healthy are things like gardening, dancing (because everyone should dance around their house), taking the stairs, going to a park, cleaning, standing more (standing burns more calories than sitting), playing in the snow if it's not too cold (i.e. build a snowman), parking farther away, shovelling snow (bonus if it's for someone else), or generally just don't spend so much time in front of a screen (advice I need to take myself)!

If exercising and using your muscles makes you happy, then being toned will be just a happy bonus! :)

But, let me quickly mention, that sometimes you don't want to exercise, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't! Sometimes working out is hard and makes you sweat, but it is so worth it! Working out and exercising make you feel great after! Sometimes you have to suck it up, BUT if you do something you enjoy, it will be more fun!

So if you want to be healthy, don't base it on your shape or size, and especially not on your weight. Base it on what you put into your body, how you feel (don't eat until you feel gross), and that you're giving your body exercise. 

So to sum up everything I've said, use moderation, limit sugar intake (but only sometimes), find a form of exercise you love, exercise naturally, and you will be (in my definition) healthy. And healthy people are happy people! (Who don't kill their husbands). 

I just want to be happy, and laugh, and enjoy what's around me, and live a long, healthy life. And I'd like to hope I'm on the road to that by being healthy! 

Have a great day friends! :)

Love,

Lo

Love & my Favourite Five

Valentines Day is a'comin! And whether you're single or in a relationship, you should all enjoy this day! If your single, doesn't mean you aren't loved!! So, instead of sitting at home alone and depressed on this day, reach out to someone else who you think might be lonely. Then have a little party together! Try not to feel like our friend, Charlie Brown.

If you are one of the lucky ones in a relationship, enjoy it! Try not to get too caught up in the day that you get all stressed and freaked out! This day is about love and happiness. So, if you show it, it will most likely be reciprocated. You've got to show love if you want it in return. :) (After all, love is a verb).

Now on to the nitty gritty of today - my favourite five!! Woo!

Favourite Date Idea:

Make a homemade pizza together! Seriously, I'm a sucker for this. Bonus points if you make your own crust. Feel free to watch a movie (preferably Disney) and make a blanket fort together. This way you can avoid the rush of going out and the overpriced food.

Favourite Valentines Day Breakfast:

I swear I'm like a guy. They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Maybe so. But I think the more correct phrase is that the way to Lauren's heart is through her stomach. We all know calories don't count on Valentines Day.

Favourite Quote:

Remember that now, okay?

Favourite Setting:

How lovely does this look?! I want to be friends with these people.

Favourite Painting:

Called Dance in the Country by Pierre Auguste Renior. I would love to look more into the detail of this painting, but even at the surface it is beautiful! A simple act of love - dancing - just makes me smile. These two just look precious.

Hope you have a lovely week, if you haven't already been! Love you all. 

xoxo,

Lo