There's Always Tomorrow....

I've learnt a few things since leaving my job. One is that I am not a morning person. At all. Even when I wake up early I find I can't get myself moving and often waste those early morning hours instead of taking advantage of the extra time I have.

The other is the struggle of finding time to get things done. Ironic isn't it? I have more time than ever now that I stay at home and yet I can't seem to get my list of chores completed! I'm opening a shop in a few short weeks on my other website but it's been slow moving. I just can't seem to find the time to do it all.

And somehow now the entire summer is almost behind me and I've been left to wonder where the time has gone? Time is a funny thing, that's for sure! Last week I realized I needed to have a plan. I am the queen of list making around here although my husband says I'm always trying to pack way too many things in to my day.

Enter Playbook and Agenda. First I made a list of every household and pet chore I could think of. These could be as simple as watering the house plants or something extremely tedious like scrubbing the baseboards. Next I decided how often I should be completing that particular task. This is where my Playbook came in. I chose different days to perform each chore so that I wasn't loading up all of my chores on the same day (which would make me less likely to do them). One of the great things about digital planners is that they have the ability to set reminders as well as repeat events. I am one of those people that tends to not notice something becoming a mess until it's a full blown disaster so this has been a handy tool for me! Since we have so many pets I'd like to vacuum the carpets twice a week however, me being me, I tend to vacuum and then forget about it until I see little clumps of hair here and there! So I programmed 'vacuum carpets' in to my planner and then set it to repeat every 3 days. I set it to never end and voila! So easy!

Of course I couldn't remember everything I do when I sat down to create this so as something came up that I knew I hadn't logged in my calendar I would do the task, then sit down and add it while also setting my repeat times. You can choose to have your tasks repeat by days, weeks, months and years so it's really easy to customize and I am finding it so helpful! Best of all its helped me stay on top of my housework and block off time to work on my growing business. It's also helped me create a morning routine so I get myself up and moving and starting my day!

For anyone struggling with time management I highly suggest trying out the planner on your phone, tablet or even computer! It's certainly paved the way towards a more productive me!

It's Black Cat Appreciation Day!

Today is Black Cat Appreciation Day! Black cats are often overlooked because of old superstitions which classify them as 'bad luck'. 

Due to this many shelters and rescues have a large amount of gorgeous black kitties that are desperately in need of forever, loving homes! So if you're looking to adopt, please consider a black cat! 

My childhood cat Harrison is one of the most amazing, loving cats around! Does this look like the face of an animal bringing nothing but bad luck your way?

Happiness

Taking a break at the park during one of our walks.

I am in a wonderful mood today! This morning I got on the scale and am officially down 15lbs from June 7th. That was the first day of my new life!

Murray and Me <3

Since becoming self-employed I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. Stress? Gone. Anger? Gone. Feeling unappreciated? Gone. And along with all of those unhappy emotions, I've lost that need to try and eat those feelings away. I don't crave wine and chips and candy anymore (although once in a while I still need my fix) and have started listening to when my body says it's hungry instead of eating because my mind is telling me to.

They love their morning walks and I enjoy them too!

It also makes it easier not having temptation staring me right in the face. I'm not forced to stare at a vending machine several times a day or walk by a grocery store on my way to and from work. When going grocery shopping, I make my list in advance and stick to it.

Genevieve & Me <3

I find it difficult to do intense workouts because of injuries I sustained a few years ago in a car accident so instead I have taken up walking the dogs around the neighbourhood. I wake up in the morning, feed the dogs, start my coffee and do a 40 minute walk with them. I think it's safe to say all three of us enjoy the fresh air and the exercise!

Toasted Tomato Sandwiches With Hummus & Kale

This sandwich is exactly what the title says - toasted tomato with hummus and kale! We were getting extremely low on groceries in the house the other day but I was determined to make use of the food we had left in the cupboards. I realized I had everything to make a toasted tomato sandwich - my Mom's favourite after a long day of working and coming home to two hungry kids - but I'm not too keen on them. Then I got to thinking - I love hummus and cucumber sandwiches, what about hummus and tomatoes? Even better, I had a bunch of kale in the crisper! And that's how I came up with this delicious sandwich!

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of bread
• 4 slices of tomato
• Hummus
• A leaf of Kale
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

• Toast your bread
• While toast is still warm from the toaster, spread your hummus on both pieces of toast
• Lay your four slices of tomato on one piece of toast with your kale leaf on top
• Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper on top of the kale leaf (optional)

Voila! You have a tasty lunch in just minutes!

Burrito Brothers

Hubby and I ended up in Brantford, Ontario for most of the week due to a family emergency which left us wondering where we were going to eat. We have recently discovered our love for burritos and one particularly hungry afternoon we started looking up mexican restaurants in the area. Up popped Burrito Brothers in downtown Brantford so we plugged the address in to our GPS and were soon at 38 Dalhousie St.

 When we walked in to the restaurant the first thing that jumped out to me were the words 'Vegan' and 'Gluten Free' on their menu board! Next up was how clean and colourful the place was! The staff were incredibly helpful and since it was our first time there they basically created our burritos for us! It was my first time having sweet potato as a filling in my burrito and definitely won't be my last! That plus their vegan guacamole, salsa and an assortment of veggies had me both satisfied and excited to come back again!

We visited Burrito Brothers two more times that week, bringing different family members with us to try their food and each time we left completely stuffed but craving more! Just wish we lived closer!

Barbecue Tofu Burgers!

Now that the warmer weather is here I had to share Hubby's and my new guilty pleasure!  Hubby found this recipe online and it has become his new specialty! Best of all it's quick, easy and delicious! Now I no longer have to feel like I'm missing out on burger night with the fam!

Ingredients:
1 package of extra firm tofu
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups of barbecue sauce
6 hamburger buns

Directions:

• Press the tofu between paper towels until the majority of the water has been squeezed out.
• Slice the tofu into 1/4" thick slices.
• Heat oil in a large skillet and fry the tofu pieces until they're golden brown on both sides.  
• Add the onion and cook for a few more minutes until the onion has turned clear and softened.
• Add the barbecue sauce and cook on low for an additional 10 min. so the tofu has time to absorb the flavour.  Adjust sauce amount as necessary.

A Week In Paradise

Yea Cuba!

Hubby and I just spent a fabulous week soaking up the sun in Varadero, Cuba. We hadn't been on a vacation to the Caribbean since our Honeymoon almost five years ago and I felt it was overdue!  There is just something about that warm air, the smell of the ocean and the sand between your toes that calls to me!

One thing I am not good at is flying.  I HATE to fly!  It terrifies me even though I've been doing it all my life.  This time Hubby had a little surprise for me at the airport.  As I waited for my meds to kick in he brought out his iPod and told me that he'd made me a playlist to help keep me calm while we travelled.  This is why I married this wonderful man - he is just so thoughtful!  He had also brought a headphone jack that allowed two sets of headphones to be plugged in to the same unit, so we could listen together.  I still hate being in the air but it definitely helped to settle my nerves.

View Of Our Resort

We stayed at the Iberostar Laguna Azul which was an absolutely gorgeous 5 star resort with a long stretch of beautiful beach.  Our flight arrived early in the morning and check-in wasn't until mid-afternoon so they had an area we could put our luggage in as well as public washrooms in the lobby we could use to change in to our swimsuits.  We spent a few hours in the pool, grabbed some lunch and a few drinks (might as well start taking advantage of our all-inclusive package) and were just starting to become overwhelmed with sleepiness when we were told our room was ready.

Enjoying the pool!

Our room was on the 4th floor and overlooked the pool with the ocean behind it.  It was clean and beautifully decorated.  I loved spending every evening reading on our balcony before dinner, listening to the breeze and the ocean.  Sometimes storm clouds would come in looking fierce and menacing but we didn't have any rain our entire week there.

The view from our room.

Hubby and I fell in to a pretty lazy routine.  We would wake up early, take a walk around the resort, then head in to the large dining hall for breakfast.  Being vegan we're always worried about the selection of food that's going to be available for us but it always seems to work out.  Yes it was repetitive but I think everyone feels that way when they've been eating resort food for a long time.  We enjoyed our morning coffee, a bowl of fresh fruit and sometimes dried cereal and some grilled potatoes and veggies.  They had a large bowl of oatmeal around the cereal every morning but we couldn't figure out where to get boiling water from.

Next we would head out to the beach to claim a spot under an umbrella.  We would join some other resorters for morning yoga near the ocean, go for a swim to cool off and then laze on our chairs.  I read 3 books while I was there, it was just so relaxing.  And we always made sure our spot was directly in between the ocean and the bar.

Our beautiful strip of beach!

They had a beautiful outside restaurant that was only minutes from our spot on the beach where we ate lunch everyday.  The selection wasn't as great as inside but was enough for us.  They always served lots of rice, mixed vegetables and occasionally kidney beans and chickpeas so we were always full and again we would enjoy fruit for dessert.  Their pineapple is to die for!  They serve it when it's still white which makes it a little more tougher, bitter and delicious!  Now that I'm back I find the pineapples at the grocery store seem too ripe!

Lunch.

My other favourite thing about this restaurant was the iguana that hung out on a rock outside of it!  He was there every day.  I got some great photos of him on our last day there, it was almost like he was posing for the camera!  One of the waitresses said he must live underneath it because he's there everyday.

Hey There!

By late afternoon we would head back to our room to shower and relax a little more before dinner.  We chose a spot on the patio outside where the breeze was just perfect and the waiters were so friendly and pleasant we ended up eating out there every night.  We got addicted to the pasta bar where you could build your own pasta and a chef would cook it up for you fresh while you waited!  They had a great variety of toppings and it was delicious!

Hubby & I on the boardwalk to the beach.

Towards the end of the week we booked an A La Carte meal at the Romantico restaurant thinking this would be the easiest one for them to accomodate our meal restrictions.  The girl who booked our dinner made a note that we were vegan so when we got there they had a special menu just for us!  We ended up having a delicious spicy tomato soup and risotto to die for as our main course! And of course there was wine.

Outside the A La Carte Resaurants

Occasionally we would end up at the theatre with some drinks to watch the entertainment and sometimes at the night club afterwards for some dancing!  And once we even went skinny dipping in the ocean!

Snorkelling on the reef.

In the middle of our week we took a Catamaran excursion to a small island for lunch and swimming, did some snorkelling on the reef and ended up at a place in the ocean where you could swim with the dolphins.  The snorkelling was amazing although much briefer than I had expected.  Our stretch of beach was beautiful at the resort but the winds were too high for us to see much of anything there.  This reef was the perfect spot!  Tons of variety and nice and clear.  I had swam with dolphins when vacationing in Bermuda but it was my first time for Hubby.  He hadn't been very excited about it until we got there and he realized just how amazing and intelligent an animal they are.  On the way back to the marina we were laying out on the nets at the front of the boat when a pod of dolphins started following our boat!  Definitely one of my favourite parts of our trip!

Nina!

We were sad to leave Cuba, it was so beautiful there and the people were so kind and friendly but after a week it felt nice to come home too!

Cuban Sunset