MEGA Favourites Round Up: Blogtober

Today is the last day of Blogtober, and I must say I am feeling a little sad! It has been so much fun brainstorming content for this little bloggy of mine, so I am thinking I am going to keep it rolling and continue blogging as much as possible. That being said, I wanted to do a round up of some of my favourites from this month. It's a mixture of food, fashion, skincare, blog posts - a BIG range of goodies comin' your way!

Let's get started : )

Blog posts I loved writing this month:

My running journey

Still in love with these under eye masks to make your eyes feel refreshed and more awake!

Why being positive is a much better way to spend your energy.

Fall sunsets and sunrises

A little fall shopping haul ; )

Lots of snuggle time with the pup and a good book.

Healthy morning habits to start now. Easy to add into your current morning routine!

Running the Victoria Half Marathon

My food philosophy

Trail dates with Nala bear : )

Why I am LOVING high intensity interval training

Getting my hair refreshed for fall!

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I hope you guys enjoyed Blogtober. I want to thank everyone who read even one post this month. I truly do love bringing you guys fun content, so please let me know what YOU would like to see next on the blog : ) Chat with you all soon!

Five Things Friday: Fall Changes Edition

Good morning!

It is Friiiiiday, which means it is almost the weekend. I've got one more day of work and then the weekend is here! As usual, I am sharing five things that I have been loving this weekend. Let me know in the comments what YOU have been loving this week - try anything new? Eat something delicious? Buy some cute shoes? I wanna know! : )

First things first, this is an exciting change for my hair! I am not the type to get my hair done often, so when I do I like to make it special. Seriously. The last time I got my hair trimmed was over six months ago, and the last time it was coloured was when I did the whole ombre scenario over a year ago. Not only was my hair in need of freshening up, but I figured now was the best time to make a colour change, too! I am so happy with how it turned out. Funny how a new hair do can make you feel like a new person! : )

Ooh, yes. The coveted Blundstone boots I have been wanting for the last year. Ryan and I celebrated our anniversary on Tuesday, and this was a thoughtful gift that he knew I would love. Now it's time to break them in!

Mmm, Monday night's dinner was cauliflower crust pizza! Have you guys tried this before? It is amazing. The only downside is the cheese, BUT that is my own fault for adding more on top. Ha, ha. I used veggie pepperoni on mine, whereas Ryan cooked up some chicken breast for his pizza. This picture was taken pre-oven, so picture this all hot and melty. Ooh, yah!

So Nala still kills me. Seriously. She is so cute. Look at those puppy dog eyes! It made my at home yoga practice on Monday night difficult with her trying to get in there too. It's safe to say she is the real master of downward facing dog, no matter how hard I try.

So it's not exactly a Christmas mug, but it's close enough. For now. This has been my go to mug lately for any hot beverages, accompanied of course by my candy cane pajama pants and red, green, and white striped socks. I know. Too soon, Holly. Too soon. I can't help myself!

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Hope you guys enjoyed! Catch ya tomorrow : )

September FAVOURITES!

Good morning, friends!

I hope you are all having a great morning so far. It is officially FALL now - anyone else rejoicing? - and it is time for another favourites round up. I will be recapping some of my favourite things, moments, recipes, etc for the month of September, and I would love to hear what YOU guys are loving in the comments below!

So, without any further chatter, let's get into the favourites : )

The Kelowna Wine Country half marathon that took place September long weekend in beautiful Kelowna, BC. It was the first time in so long (I'm talking like ten years) since I had been to Kelowna, so the trip was much over due and it was great to run the race with my aunt and enjoy race weekend with Ryan and the pup.

Yup, still obsessed with this Mexican black bean salad. It is packed with veggies and the flavours are so fresh. No fancy sauces or spices needed. Plus it lasts well in the fridge (in an airtight container of course), so makes great lunches throughout the week.

The SPCA Paws for Cause walk was a great event we attended with my family and the pups. I look forward to bringing Nala again next year!

Fresh salads and veggies all day, every day. I have been experimenting with more fall-inspired recipes, and this salad with maple tahini dressing did not disappoint. Tahini is such a versatile ingredient, especially in salad dressings as it adds a bit of thickness, so I look forward to bringing more of those recipes to the blog. You can't go wrong with a big salad!

And because this is so relevant to me right now. I am the type of person who complains about how hot it is in the summer and immediately looks forward to fall. There is something about the crisp air and changing of the seasons that I just love. On that note, I am also that person who is bundled up in 101 layers come fall/winter because I am so freezing. Yep, there is no in between for me!

During the middle of this month we started a training program with Nala. It is all postive-reinforcement and clicker training based. She is super smart (proud parent over here), and it is fun to see her catch onto things so quickly and respond to the clicker. Soon enough we will be phasing out the clicker as training progresses, so fingers crossed it is an easy transition! So far, so good though.

Last but not least, this shirt. It is my go-to for strength training work outs, looks cute, but does not make you feel restricted. Lululemon, back at it again with the best workout tops!

Pumpkin spice oats topped with a swirl of unsweetened applesauce and a spoonful of almond butter. If this doesn't scream fall, I don't know what does. Maybe if I ate it out of a real pumpkin.

Yep, I bet you saw this coming considering I have been making my way through all the Harry Potter books again these last few months. I am determined to finish by Christmas!

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What are YOU loving this month!?

Five Things Friday: MORE Skincare + Fitness

Good morning!

Friday is here, it's a great morning, I've got my coffee, and I'm ready to conquer the day.

Before that, though, let's get into my 5 favourite things from the week! As always, let me know what you have been loving this week.

I mentioned in Monday's post that I have been trying out a Fit Bit the last few days. It is a great way to keep me mindful of how much I move during the day. It has been interesting to see during the work day how much I move, as that changes quite a bit more as opposed to the weekend. During my days off I am almost always doing a long run, which can accumulate steps quickly, or at least moving around the yard a lot more and running errands. It is so easy to just hunker down at my desk at work and not move, so checking the app helps me move more.

On Monday morning I also made some homemade chicken soup leftover from our roasted chicken dinner. I remember my mom making homemade turkey soup every Thanksgiving, and since we had some chicken left over, I wanted to try my hand at a homemade chicken soup. Yep, it passes the test! There is something so comforting about chicken soup during the fall, and it makes a perfect dinner on a chilly night. Can you tell I am obsessed with fall?

So this is technically two favourites but in one picture. I have picked up my usual protein powder again after being on a hiatus for quite a long time. It is just nice to have after a work out when I am feeling particularly hangry, and it is yummy mixed into oatmeal. That being said, I have found a new coffee sweetener that I am loving. Yes, it is probably not the healthiest, but it is so good. 

Oh yes, the sheet mask love continues. This time, I find some that go under the eyes. I tried a few from Sephora - which don't get me wrong, are great - but I'd rather pay $6 for a pack of five treatments rather than $6 for a single use. They are a great way to reduce dark circles (which for some reason have just popped on up on my face which is ANNOYING), wrinkles, and add some extra vitamins and minerals to your skin. So, yeah. Throw on your under eye masks, have some peppermint tea and hang out. Your eyes will thank you.

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What have YOU guys been loving this week!?

Weekend Recap + On My Reading List

Good afternoon!

I am checking in late on the blog this afternoon, but better late than never, right?

We have had a productive day over on this end! I hope Monday is being kind to you and you had lots of coffee to power through the day : )

This weekend we had some quality time with family, plus some relaxation and activity thrown in the mix too. Ryan's dad was over visiting for the weekend, so we went out for dinner Saturday night and then I fell asleep on the couch.

In typical Holly fashion, of course.

Sunday late-morning our house guest went home, and I spent a solid THREE HOURS - yup, you read that right, THREE HOURS - working on this blog for you guys. I have something fun coming up in October, so I needed to put the work in now in order to make it WERK. I am not giving any more hints, but look forward to a little somethin' somethin' more than three times per week. That's it. Lips are sealed.

After I was finished being a hermit on the computer (bless Ryan for keeping himself occupied), I went for my long run. Initially my thought was to do this earlier in the morning, but then life happens and suddenly it's 1:30pm and you're like. WHOA wait a minute. I wanted to go for a run! So, I put my gear on and headed down to the treadmill and got my run in. Sunday's run was 10km, followed by not enough stretching. I seriously need to stretch more. Must. Stretch. More.

Then we took the dog for a walk, made some dinner (zucchini noodles for life), and watched the season finale of Ballers. Yeah, I gotta say I was underwhelmed, but I will still watch next season because The Rock, ya feel me? ; )

And of course a cute little picture of Miss Nala who had her last set of puppy shots today! Naturally she celebrated with a nap on the floor, because why lay in your actual bed when the floor is just as good.

Before the vet I had a RMT appointment, which I will be posting about on Wednesday! I wanted to recap this separately in case anyone was interested in trying out registered massage therapy. This was much needed, especially since I had gone to the gym early this morning and ran 6km when I woke up. Yep, that massage was golden.

Anywayyyyy...

A creepy screenshot of a SnapChat I sent earlier today. I was talking to our vet about how Nala is getting more and more energy the more she grows, and she said that it was perfectly fine for Nala to be running with me for shorter runs. Nothing crazy like 10k since her body is still developing, but she gives the thumbs up for shorter runs!

At this point in the afternoon it was about 2:30pm and I was ready for something to eat. My breakfast was a piece of avocado toast with two over easy eggs and sauteed spinach, so for lunch I wanted something a bit more comforting. SO! I got a little crafty and make some pumpkin spice oats. Yes, the pumpkin spice is REAL over here and I am not ashamed!

What's next for the evening? Some dinner and Harry Potter. I am determined to read the Harry Potter series by Christmas. Yep, so I got a little bit of work to do considering I finished the last book about a month ago. Oops. Then the Harry Potter movie marathon can begin!

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Well, I think we are all caught up now. This may have been a little all over the place, but I just wanted to blurt everything out and let it flow, ya know? : ) Catch you in the next post!

Five Things Friday

Hey, hey, hey!

I am back this morning with our regularly scheduled Five Things Friday, where I share five things from the last week (or so) that I have been loving.

Let's get into it!

The BC SPCA Paws for a Cause walk. Click the link to read my recap on the event. It was our first time ever going, but it was full of family and puppy love! Gotta like that : )

So technically this is from last week, but I really enjoyed this seriously easy Mexican black bean salad. I am already thinking of other one bowl salads to make and share with you guys, so stay tuned for more.

I have been LOVING this top from Lululemon. I purchased it when we were in Vancouver for the Seawheeze, and it has been a go-to for work outs from strength training to running. I wore it for the Wine Country half in Kelowna and was happy with the fit and cut while I was on the run. Sometimes shirts bunch up, or it feels as if they twist around your body. This tank skims the body without clinging, and the fabric is lightweight and breezy. Win!

Okay, so. I love me these face masks. I am wearing one as I type this, to be honest. Ryan gets a kick out of them when he comes in the room and I have this sheet of gooey tissue on my face, but it certainly works wonders for adding some extra nourishment to the skin.

I have always wanted to make my own almond milk - just to try, not to continuously do as it is expensive - and so earlier this week I bought a pack of almonds and used some to get a little crafty in the kitchen. I will have the recipe up in the next few weeks, so stay tuned for that! ; ) Sorry, no spoilers here, but it has been a favourite of mine this week! Does anyone else like doing these fun little recipes? It's a nice way to try something new and switch it up. Plus, the left over almond meal (almost like the pulp left behind) is pretty tasty in oatmeal!

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What are YOU loving this week!? 

BC SPCA Paws for a Cause Walk + The Best Sandwich

Doggies, doggies, everywhere!

Sunday morning was going to be a fun day for Nala and Marley (my parents' dog). We signed up for the BC SPCA Paws for a Cause walk earlier in the week, which didn't leave us much time to fundraise, but we all donated and participated to play our part in the event. I had never been to this event before - didn't even know it was in our area to be honest - but it is something that is fun for the family to do and gets you out there for a great cause.

There were local companies and vendors with booths set up, too. You could find everything from a pancake breakfast (all donations to the BC SPCA) and microchipping to raffle prizes and the local canine school with activities for dogs. It was nice perusing the different booths, and of course Nala and Marley loved the treats.

The walk had two distance choices to select from; a 1km and 3km distance. We chose the 3km distance as our dogs wouldn't even be tired after a single kilometre! As Nala grows we find that she has more and more energy, so it is critical for us to give her exercise so she does not develop any bad behaviours from having no outlet for her energy. She isn't quite old enough for full on running yet, though we have fun doing little bursts of running during our walks, longer walks in hilly areas, hitting up local trails, or just running around the back yard until she goes upstairs on the deck. That is her signal that she is done!

And yes, she is wearing a bandana, because it is so CUTE and I couldn't say no.

Mama and Marley after the walk.

Nala's first race bib! My mom laughed when I said this. I don't know of many actual running races that allow dogs, but maybe she'll get another in the future.

Family portrait!

Okay, Nala the dog model. The pups all got a goodie bag at the event, too. Inside there were two packages of food samples, a bag of treats, some puppy balm/moisturizer for dry paws (how bougie), and a toy. Nala's toy was a pink, purple, and orange rope toy with a rubber ball on the end. I'm pretty happy with the colour choices there, though I'm sure Nala could care less ; ) As long as she can chew it, she's a happy girl.

Now, fast forward to our Sunday lunch date!

I have to say, this was one of the best sandwiches I have had in a long time. Usually I am not a sandwich person, as too much bread and my digestive system don't tend to get along well, but once in a blue moon you just crave a sandwich, ya feel me? We went to a local spot called The Old Fork (in the Ramada hotel), my lunch was sooo good. Like SOOO GOOD. If you are ever there, I highly recommend ordering the shaved turkey sandwich (I ordered mine on whole grain bread). I swapped out the bacon for avocado for some healthy fats and extra creaminess, and it was seriously delicious. Pair that with a fresh salad and I am happy as a clam.

The rest of the day was pretty relaxed and it was the usual scene around our house for a Sunday afternoon. Laundry, some yard work, a dump run (okay we don't do this every Sunday!), plus planning a FULL MONTH of blog fun in my little section of the internet! Yep, stay tuned for a jam-packed October. I'm thinking the rest of today will be equally fun!

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Have you ever done a Paws for a Cause event, or something similar?

What's your favourite Sunday activity?

Let me know in the comments!