Saturday, July 31, 2010

The Market, Canada’s Wonderland and Catching Up

Hi everyone!  It just started pouring out so I figured it was a good time to get down to business and write a post for you.  I haven’t been on the computer much the past few days.  I’ve been spending time outside, with the fam and reading.  It’s been marvellous!  I promise to keep the past few days short and sweet for you..
THURSDAY
I started the day out with some English muffin French toast:IMG_2818 This is 2 English muffins soaked in USAB, egg whites, vanilla, chia flour and cinnamon.  I put some honey pecan butter, agave and fresh bloobs on top for some pizzazz!IMG_2817 The kids hung out with the neighbour for a few hours while my hubby and I went to St. Jacob’s market.  It was a gorgeous day and the market was jam packed.  I got some peaches, nectarines, bell peppers, cherries, eggs, raw honey and granola:IMG_2821
We stopped at Williams Pub on the way home for some lunch.  I went with a grilled veggie and goat cheese panini with a side of Greek salad.IMG_2819
I had a choice between chips, a cookie or an apple with my combo an seeing as I went healthy with an apple at Panera, I got a pecan chocolate chip cookie this time!IMG_2820
I know it looks like I took a bite, but I actually broke a piece off because they served it on the same plate as my lunch and some salad dressing got on it.  Ewww!  Yes, I’m picky that way!  HA
I can’t really remember what I did all afternoon.  Probably reading!  My hubby bought some really nice steaks at the market so for dinner I made a huge salad and topped it off with some sliced steak:IMG_2822
I don’t normally eat beef as I’ve never, ever been a fan but I do appreciate a nice steak every now and again.  And this was a GOOD steak!!  I’m sure I snacked after dinner, but there’s no pictures so I can’t remember what it was!  Hehe!  I do remember that we went to DS’s soccer game.  I can’t believe they only have 3 left.  Time fly’s, my friends!
FRIDAY
This was a FUN day because we went to Canada’s Wonderland!  I love this place and have ever since I was a kid.  Rides, games, shows, water park; this place has it ALL!  I made a filling bowl of oats before we left:IMG_2824
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup Quaker oats
  • cinnamon
  • blueberries
  • apple honey
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Whenever we go to a big “park” where you can’t really bring food in unless you sneak it we time it so that we arrive around lunch so that we can eat a picnic style lunch in the parking lot.  I had a simple mortadella, mozzarella cheese sandwich:IMG_2825 And we were off!IMG_2835 IMG_2828 The “Mountain”.  We watched some dudes dive off this thing!IMG_2830 DD (in)patiently waiting for us to get a move on!  :)  She’s a ride freak, this girl!  We did a few roller coasters:IMG_2839 IMG_2836 IMG_2838 She went on a few spinning things that make me positively nauseous to even watch!IMG_2844 She also went on a contraption called “The Drop Zone”.  Check out how high this baby goes!
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You can just barely see the cars at the top.  She made the funniest face by the time they reached the bottom (which is a free fall).  IMAG0043
It’s kinda tough to see, but she’s on the far left.  We cracked up when we saw her!  She told us she was never going on it again because it scared the crap out of her.  She shook for a good 10 minutes afterwards, but couldn’t stop laughing.  What a nut bar!!  We enjoyed soft serve cones again…IMG_2848 Then the kids enjoyed some time at the water park!IMG_2849 They’ve got some pretty decent water slides and a huge wave pool.  A kids dream come true!!  We finally left about 6pm and some caffeine was desperately needed!  IMG_2850 When I was a teenager we’d spend a good 12hrs at the park hitting every ride and attraction available.  Now, 3 roller coasters, one “wet” ride and the water park are enough to turn me into a zombie!  LOL  Dinner was fast and easy….egg whites scrambled with a LC cheese wedge, a toasted Ezekiel muffin and some fruit:IMG_2851  I’m sure I ate a bowl of homemade pineapple coconut froyo, but I musta forgot a photo.  I blame it on exhaustion!  I spent the evening chatting with my neighbours and watching some Criminal Minds.  Perfectly relaxing!
SATURDAY
I slept until almost 9am!!!  WOW…I must of really been tired!  It’s been overcast all day with heavy air and for the first time since I’ve been on vacay, this asthma business of mine is acting up.  Irritating to say the least, but it kinda forces me to sit back and catch up on everything I’ve let slide the past few days.  Blog reading included!  Damn, you guys have been up to some GREAT stuff! 
Breakfast was a 1/2 cup of granola from the market with blueberries and USAB:IMG_2852
Aside from doing some laundry I pretty much camped out with the computer all morning.   Lunch was light today.  I toasted an English muffin and topped it with mortadella, LC cheese, lettuce and mango mustard.  There were also some sweet cherries on the side:IMG_2857
I also downed half a peach because it was starting to go bad…IMG_2856
We ran some errands in the afternoon for supplies to get us started on our deck tomorrow.  We got home just in time to unload and get the sheets off the clothesline before it started to pour buckets! 
Dinner was also simple and a lot more “healthy” than what we’ve been eating all week.  Turkey sausage, corn on the cob and green beans!IMG_2859
My parents will be here shortly for a visit and them I’m sure more TV will be watched.  I have a feeling that I’ll be good and fresh for deck building activities tomorrow!!  :)
Bye for now!!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Marineland, Lululemon & Panera

Hey, hey, hey!  What’s up?   I’m coming at you from day 3 of vacation.  I’m starting to feel pretty darned relaxed.  Yesterday we had so much fun on our travels.  I started the morning out right with a hefty bowl of oats:IMG_2712
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup Quaker oats
  • cinnamon
  • chia flour
  • craisins, coconut butter, pecans and chocolate sauce
IMG_2711
We were on the road by 10:30 to our destination which was almost 2hrs away:IMG_2804
MARINELAND!!!  My kids have been before but not me.  The attractions at the park are spread out so we did a lot of walking but once you see the photos I took you’ll understand why I felt it was totally worth the aching knees I had by the time we left!  Check it out;IMG_2749 IMG_2722 IMG_2724 IMG_2743 IMG_2745 IMG_2748 IMG_2796 IMG_2764 IMG_2772 IMG_2787 IMG_2792 IMG_2794
I loved, loved all the sea life/animals we saw!!  I enjoyed a vanilla soft serve at one point:IMG_2769
I don’t know if it was because it’s been ages since I’ve had one of these or it was just so perfect on a hot day, but I enjoyed this baby immensely!  The kids had a blast on a bunch of rides. I took before, during and after shots of them on the kid size drop zone…IMG_2799 IMG_2800 IMG_2801
For those of you out there with kidlets, do they like rides?  Mine love them!  We arrived home just after 7pm and heated leftover Chinese for dinner.  I didn’t bother with another photo, though.  Because I was feeling stiff and achy I thought it best to go for a bit of a walk to try and loosen up some.  I took this little bugger with me;
 IMG_2805
I just can’t resist that face!  ;)  As I’m sure you can imagine, I slept like a rock!  I was up and at it by 8am, though, because I had plans to head into the GTA (greater Toronto area) for some shopping and wanted to get there well before lunch.  Breakfast was overnight oats.IMG_2810  
I mixed 1/2 a cup of oats with a 1/2 cup each USAB & Boathouse mocha cappuccino, 2 tbsp of chia seeds and cinnamon.  I added walnuts this morning.  IMG_2809 
I think the key to me liking overnight oats is leaving the flavour simple.  If I try to add too much it usually finds its way into the garbage.
So, my 2 main reasons for venturing 45 minutes out of my way to shop?  Lululemon and Panera!  Between DD, my hubby and I, we did some serious damage to the Visa.  I only took one picture in the change room before I totally forgot about the camera.  IMG_2811
I bought what you see here plus another tank and a pair of capri’s.  I’ll take a picture of those when I wear them.  I love the style of tank in the picture!  This is my second one…the other is pink and grey striped.  We cruised around the mall for a bit but I wasn’t interested in buying anything else.  By 12:30 we were across the street at Panera.  I ordered the strawberry poppy seed salad and Mediterranean veggie sandwich with and apple for my lunch:  IMG_2813 IMG_2812  
While we were enjoying our food an employee came around with cinnamon coffee cake samples.  IMG_2814
It was awesome!  I have my fingers and toes crossed that since I live in a university town, a Panera will soon make it’s way to my stomping ground! 
Not long after arriving home I changed into my workout clothes and busted out levels 1 & 2 of the 30 Day Shred.  Holy, kick ass!  I was so hot my legs were sweating!!  Towards the end of level 2 I was starting to question my sanity.  LOL  But I had my eye on the prize and as soon as I showered (for the second time today!!) I rewarded myself for a job well done with a Starbucks via iced coffee with a wee bit of cream:IMG_2815
I sucked this back so fast I hardly tasted it!  I read the rest of the afternoon away.  Eventually, the fam got hungry.  I did not.  I kept my meal VERY light with some quinoa and baked zucchini with coconut mango sauce.IMG_2816
I also ate the last 3 pieces of my chocolate bar.IMG_2665
Yuma, yuma!  A storm is blowing in and I hope that we don’t lose the satellite signal because SYTYCD is one at 8.  I’d hate to miss it!  So tell me, what exciting things have you been up to so far this week??
Bye for now!!