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

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!

5 Things Friday - Summer Vacation Edition

Good morning, friends!

I am back with another edition of Five Things Friday. If you have been reading the blog the last two weeks (or so), you will know that I had a week off of work this month. It was probably the BEST week I have had yet, since I was able to complete a lot of stuff around the house and fit in tons of fun stuff in there, too. Additionally, Ryan had the same week off so we spent a lot of quality time together and got to hang with the family as well.

So, let's get started with my 5 Favourites!

Seawheeze weekend: This was an amazing weekend filled with sunshine, yoga, running, and the best sunset festival party. Nothing beats jumping around on your yoga mat after running 21.1km to live music.

Day-trippin' to Tofino: This was such a fun day to just relax on the beach. Watching Nala dig around in the sand and bravely test the waters just made my heart sing. Is that weird? I feel like it's something a crazy dog mom would say. That's probably how people feel about their human children. Nevertheless, watching her have so much fun made ME have fun. I look forward to going back to Tofino very, very soon!

Doing anything and everything with Nala: She comes everywhere with me; the only exception being the bathroom. Aaaand even that is debatable, heh! Nala enjoys car rides (for the most part), so it makes it easy to take her along on our adventures. Plus, she is a great snuggle buddy once she is tired after a full day of playing. This is probably one of the best parts! : )

Spa days with my sister: We spent most of Wednesday afternoon at La Spa Sereine in Victoria. If you are in the area, or even visiting, I highly recommend coming here for a little pampering. They have a beautiful ladies' lounge area (above) with local organic tea, snacks like trail mix and yogurt, and the most comfortable chairs ever. It is fun to put your feet up (literally) and relax before heading back to the real world. During our visit we got a full body massage - much needed after the Seawheeze run - and a pedicure. Hello, heaven!

I am starting to add to my essential oil collection, and this grapefruit essential oil is the newest to my rotation. It is so uplifting and bright. You can't stay in a bad mood after a whiff of this! Similarly, I picked up a new hand lotion that is a blend of jasmine and sandalwood. This combination is such a pretty smell. It is feminine without being sickly sweet, and floral without making you smell like your grandma's powder room. Winning!

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Although my vacation has come to an end, I am looking forward to another getaway September long weekend!

For those essential oil lovers: what is your go-to scent? Any combinations I should try?

Monthly Favourites: July

One more week and I will be in Vancouver to run the Lululemon SeaWheeze Half Marathon!

Holy crapola did the time ever go by fast! I am looking at my training plan now thinking, hmmm. I only have three runs left until it's go time!

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I wanted to kick off this morning by sharing my July favourites. July was a busy, busy month. It's always when I think, "Oh, we have no plans this month!" that by the time I blink, the month is full of things to do. August is going to be busy too, so I will have lots to share next month, too!

Let's get into it!

Still loving this Beauty Blender to apply my foundation. It is great to use with tinted moisturizer as well, and I find it makes my foundation appear better blended and less streaky. I highly recommend getting one of these bad boys if you are falling out of love with your current foundation brush.

I LOVED our day at Neck Point. It was a new adventure for both Ryan and I, and we will definitely be back with Nala to have her adventure at the seaside. 

Yep, you bet I am still loving this combination in my diffuser at night. There is something so relaxing about the scent of eucalyptus, and the "breathe easy" blend has peppermint in it as well. The blend leaves a nice scent lingering in the area, without the chemical residues that you find in candles or commercial fabric sprays. Can't go wrong with essential oils!

I had to. I'm sorry. I know you've seen a dozen pictures already, but I just love this little pumpkin!

OOOOH You thought my Harry Potter spree was over! Fear not. I am still puttering my way through this book, and read a good chunk of it over the long weekend. Saturday was the release day for J.K. Rowling's new screen play book, and I was THISCLOSE to buying it at Costco on Sunday, but something in me told me to hold back. Besides, I still have another three books after this one to get through before I can even venture into the newest one.

One thing I have enjoyed this month is getting back to basics and using my planner. Sure, I'm not using fancy stickers as often as I used to. Honestly, I find that I am spending my time doing other things such as playing with the dog or catching up on housework rather than cutting out stickers. Nevertheless, my plain ol' planner with my blue ink is working out just fine. It is helping me stick accountable to what kind of blog posts I want to work on, as well as organizing my life with time off from work approaching (and various things in between).

Hiking at Holland Creek Trail earlier this month. If you are in the area, be sure to go to the waterfall and check out all of the scenery along the way. It is a good work out!

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What have you guys been loving this month? Let me know in the comments!

June Favourites

Happy Canada Day to all you fellow Canadians out there in the blogosphere.

I wanted to kick off the weekend by sharing my favourites from the month of June. At the end of May I thought to myself, "It'll be a nice break from the business of May!" However, June ended up being full of family, friends, and all kinds of events. Here is what I have loved!

Goddess Run 5km - a beautifully HOT run where I got to cross the finish line with my sister.

Sister dates to Victoria and our day trip to Vancouver where we met up with one of my best friends. As much as I love staying at home, sometimes you just need to get out of the house and GO SOMEWHERE, even if only for a little while.

Adventuring around our beautiful home. There are so many places on the island I want to explore!

Training for the Lululemon SeaWheeze Half Marathon! Yes, it has been hard to fit it in at times, but I like having a plan to follow. Having my training outlined gives me something to stick to, and by talking about this on the blog, it keeps me accountable. I will be doing a review of my training very soon!

My go-to blueberry oats - perfect any day, with any toppings, at any time! ; )

Favourite exercises have been yoga & running, but I'm sure you could guess that already if you have been reading along since I started hot yoga and since I started training for the half in August.

Favourite exercises continued: Running on the trail because gorgeous and fresh air and scenery and quietness and stillness and all that is beautiful in the world. Nature is neat.

So, getting my passport stuff ready isn't exactly a favourite of mine, but VACATION PLANNING has definitely been a favourite! Ryan and I are looking at going somewhere hot. Like, hot hot, and all inclusive, in August. It is going to be a blast!

I don't have any new beauty favourites to share with you guys since I use the same ol' stuff day in and day out. Although I don't talk about make up all that often on here, I am going to be sharing my everyday make up routine on the blog very soon, so stay tuned for that!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend & I'll catch up with you guys on Monday! Let me know what you have been loving this month in the comments below. Anything I should try?