BECOME A SPARTAN! (for a day)

Running is one of my favourite ways to sweat. When I want to shake up a race routine or do something a little different, I look no further than the obstacle race. While many mud events have tried to take over the mud racing genre, Spartan Race has done it best. 2014 boasted 130 events in 17 countries and 2015 is on track to be even bigger. Get in on the action and locate an event near you here.

The Spartan Race Series claims to be the world's toughest obstacle course race. Not just another race with one distance, Spartan Race offers three race distances: 5+ km/15+ Obstacle Sprint, 13+ km/20+ Obstacle Super and 20+ km/ 25+ Obstacle Beast. The best from these races come together for the Spartan World Championships each year. There is something for everyone, so if  you've tried other races, now would be the time for a Spartan Race.

These are no regular mud races though. Prepare to train and train hard to get through the race. Think you are ready? Enter below!

Sweepstakes is for 1 (one) entry to a Spartan Race in Eastern Canada. Winner can choose which race to participate in. Subject to space at that particular race. Sweepstakes will run until May 18th. Winner will be contacted via email or Facebook with race code. Limit one entry per day.

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Can't wait for the contest to end or not located in Eastern Canada? Here's a code for 15% off any Spartan Race: AROO15.  I'll see you at the finish line!

PANTS REVIEW TUESDAY ~ Fabletics Review!

I was so excited when Fabletics finally launched in Canada a couple of months ago, I've been dying to get my hands on some of their items. It originally launched in the US a year ago, so I've been watching outfits pass me by. Fabletics is owned by JustFab, who I have never shopped with before but have been suckered into doing their online "style" test to see what choices I would get. The Fabletics spokeswoman is Kate Hudson, who I am a big fan of so naturally I was interested but disappointed when I found out they only shipped to the US. I was thrilled when they finally expanded and are now shipping to Germany, UK, France, Netherlands and Spain (each country has their own site).


This is an interesting way to buy new workout clothes but it's a market that has emerged in the past couple years, along with the monthly surprise boxes offered by many companies now. Similar to JustFab, members complete a survey to determine their taste and style. There are two different types of memberships offered by Fabletics- the Retail membership and the VIP membership. The Retail option works the same as any other shopping website- pick out what you like, purchase and done. There is no obligation for more and when you're ready to purchase again, sign in and pick out your clothing. The VIP membership is what most people like and go for, since there is often a discount on the clothing. Your first outfit is usually 50% off (starting at $25) and includes at least both a top and a bottom. There are many combinations of shirts, jackets, bras, shorts, capris and more that Fabletics puts together on the website. VIP memberships also always get discounts on all clothing options (Retail option does not). Even if you don't select an outfit that month you can choose to "skip this month" to not get charged but if you forget to skip, your credit card on file will be charged $49.99 for the month. The $49.99 credit will stay on your account until you decide to use it. I've heard and read many complaints about this feature but in most cases it seems people didn't read the fine print. It is one of those things you need to stay on top of but could benefit you if you need new clothing or go through a ton of it like I do!

I signed up using the 50% off first outfit deal and ended up paying $38.82 for a shirt, a pair of leggings and a headband. All of the outfits have specific names- mine was called "Kalahari" and included the Hawthorne Tank, Salar leggings and The Headband [sic]. I received the items fairly quickly (since they were only coming from Mississauga and heading to Ottawa- it wasn't a far trip). But oh my- the amount of packaging for these three items was out of control! Each item was individually wrapped in plastic, then they were all wrapped in plastic again, then finally placed in the plastic envelope. Wow. Unnecessary, but everything got to me perfectly.



The pros:
- Quick shipping
- Cheap price: everything was reasonably priced, even at full price. I could see some other discount work out clothing companies being at comparable price points, but for the quality I would go with Fabletics
- Cute patterns
- Quality: the quality of the pants are outstanding. They remind me of older Lululemon pants for the thickness and almost-compression feel of them.
- New outfits the 1st of every month


The cons:
- NOT made in North America If you're a stickler for things being made here at home- this is not the brand for you
- Availability of outfits- because people know when things are coming out- they can go quick!
- If you sign up for the VIP membership and forget to "skip this month", you will get charged.
-You must CALL to cancel your account, you cannot do this online unfortunately
- Pants and shirts made from different materials
- Missed out on some funky print the US has gotten, not sure if Canada will always get the same prints and designs as the US

I've worn the pants three or four times now. The material made me feel like I was tucked in and not showing anything, but still felt pretty cute and stylish too. I used them for a variety of workouts including running, yoga and some weightlifting and it held up through every activity! I found the pants might be a touch too thick for something like hot yoga but truth be told, I like my leggings to be a bit thick since I feel like I'm getting a better quality product. I've washed everything several times, according to the directions and no piling yet! I like that the pants also include a hidden pocket in the waistband where I can stick a key or a small music player if I'm running.

My biggest disappointment was with the shirt. It was a completely different fabric from the leggings and the colours were a close enough match but up close, you could tell they were different material. The shirt was made out of a much more light weight material than the pants but it also felt cheaper. It still held up great during my workouts and I wouldn't want to return any of it, just disappointing. I wasn't thrilled with the headband either because it's a touch too big for my head but I did appreciate that it is designed to have the Fabletics logo off to one side vs having it stuck on the middle of your forehead. The pricing can also be deceiving, not all outfits are $49.99 and many that have sweaters (instead of just a tank or shirt) can be upwards of $79.99 for the outfit. These are still usually better deals than what you might find in store but can be irritating if you only want the pants or shirt. All items can also be bought separately with price points anywhere from $20-35 for tops and $30-40 for pants.

Living in Canada, the biggest issue can often be shipping (which many times has ended up being almost as much as the product!) but Fabletics offers a flat shipping rate in Canada for $4.95. I'll take it.

Since I signed up using my work email (oops) and it's not possible to change just the email, I called to cancel my account. I had also read many complaints saying they had a difficult time cancelling the account, but I found it to not be a big deal. The gentleman I spoke with was polite and asked why I wanted to cancel, if I wanted to just switch from being VIP to Retail instead of cancelling the account. I stuck to my guns and asked for it to be cancelled and he was polite and cancelled it right away (he finished the call by telling me to "stay fab" which kind of made my day). Almost immediately, I noticed  my online account read "cancelled" so I'm hoping for no mystery charge from Fabletics next month.

Overall, I give this company a thumbs up. If you're looking to build up your fitness clothing closet, this would be a great way to do it, without breaking the bank. I'll probably purchase again in the near future- lots of cute things just came out for November.

P.S. I realize this says "Tuesday" but due to technical difficulties I couldn't post until today. Cheers!

- xo N.

Hello again!

WOW! It's been awhile since I've posted on here, but I'm finally finished my degree (hopefully? I'm still waiting on final marks- eek!) but I've decided I need to get writing. I miss it. So here goes, my first post back, won't be about food but about books. More specifically about a book I recently finished. I read a LOT (as anyone who has helped me move will tell you...) so I thought I would kick start this blog again by writing about "The Supernatural Enhancements by Edgar Cantero. WOW. What a page turner. I couldn't put this book down, even reading through my lunches and every chance I got after work.

It's the story of a young European man finding out he's inherited the fortune of a distant wealthy American relative who hails from a small, suspicious town in Virginia. He moves into the house with his female companion and try to figure out the mysteries of the house since the last TWO owners committed suicide on the property. It's told through a series of letters, "video camera surveillance tapes" and journal entries. My mind was spinning the entire time trying to figure the story out- but wow. The ending was NOT what I expected. It's definitely one of those books I would only be able to read once - twice tops to see if the writer gave any early clues to the ending. It's quite a gruesome read, but I found even though I can't sit through anything scary I was able to get through this no problem. Definitely not for young audiences.

Overall, I give it a read- GO GET IT!!

xo- N

P.S. I'm hoping to start posting recipes here soon! Stay tuned!

Back to school! Back to school! To prove to Dad I'm not a fool!

 Time to get my learn on in BC!

Hatley Castle

My friend the lovely Miss C was kind enough to pick me up from my cousin’s and let me hitch a ride on the ferry with her. Our school, Royal Roads University is situated on Vancouver Island, about a 2 hour ferry ride from the mainland. While the school’s address is “in Victoria” it is technically situated on the border of Victoria and Colwood. (It’s about a $40 cab ride from downtown Victoria- and yes that’s important information!!) 

Hatley Castle, part of Royal Roads University, is what makes the iconic castle that stands on the school's property. To read about the history see below or skip down to where my story continues..

From the Hatley Castle website: 

 " The Castle was completed in 1908. From 1941 until 1943 when Grant Block was completed, the Castle served as dormitory and mess hall for cadets and staff officers at Royal Roads Military College. It is now the administrative centre of Royal Roads University. It houses the President, Vice-President, the Managers of Finance and Facilities, and the administrative support staff for Royal Roads University.

 

James Dunsmuir commissioned Samuel Maclure, a Victorian architect, to design the “Castle”, and Messrs. Brett and Hall, landscape artists of Boston, Massachusetts, to plan the gardens and surroundings. Local stone, trimmed by Valdez and Saturna Island sandstone was used in the building’s construction. Its impressive exterior is matched only by the lavishness of the interior appointments; oak and rosewood panelled rooms, baronial fireplace, teak floors, and specially made lighting fixtures. James is quoted as saying: “Money doesn’t matter, just build what I want.”

The building is 200 feet long and 86 feet wide; the turret is 82 feet high. The wall surrounding the estate, also built of local stone, cost over $75,000; the Conservatory, costing a like amount, was at one time filled with white orchids imported from India; a large banana tree grew in the centre under the dome. The rooms of the house were filled with flowers from the Conservatory throughout the year. Ten kilometres of road interlaced the estate, and a hundred men were employed in the gardens. There were a number of other buildings on the estate to provide for the needs of the large household, but many of these have now been demolished: the vast refrigeration plant; the cow stables; the slaughter house and smoke house; the three silos, each of 100 ton capacity; the reserve water tank to the south of Belmont Drive; the old stable near the bridge to the east of the present fields; to say nothing of the Chinatown to accommodate 80 to 120 gardeners. There remain, however, the model dairy and the stables, which were of solid brick and concrete construction. The “Castle” was completed in 1908, and the Dunsmuir family took up residence in that year.

Early in 1910, James sold his collieries, his coal rights in the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway belt, and all his business connections therewith to Messrs. MacKenzie and Mann, railway promoters for $11,000,000. He thus separated himself from all former business with which the name of Dunsmuir had been associated. He then retired to enjoy his beautiful home, his yacht “Dolaura”, his shooting, fishing, golf, etc. He died in May 1920, at the age of 69. His wife, formerly Laura Surles of North Carolina, lived on at Hatley Park with her daughter Eleanor until she died in August, 1937. Eleanor died six months later.

For the next three years, the estate was left in the hands of a caretaker. In November 1940, it was purchased by the Dominion Government for $75,000 to begin its career as a Naval Training Establishment. No time was lost. On 13 December 1940 HMCS Royal Roads was commissioned as an Officer Training Establishment for short-term probationary RCNVR sub-lieutenants and operated as such until October 1942.

During this time, some 600 volunteer reserve officers underwent training. Then, on 21 October 1942, the training of regular force naval cadets was re-established in Canada, and the spirit of the old Royal Naval College of Canada was reborn with the establishment of the Royal Canadian Naval College at Royal Roads.

After a brief history of five years, the Royal Canadian Naval College became, in 1947, the RCN-RCAF Joint Services College. The following year, with the admission of army cadets, Royal Roads became the tri-service College known as the Canadian Services College Royal Roads. In 1968, the name of the College was changed to Royal Roads Military College.

The College continued as a two year feeder College for the Royal Military College and College Militaire Royal de Saint Jean until 1975. On 25 June 1975 the Royal Roads Military College Degree Act was passed allowing the granting of degrees. The first class graduated from Royal Roads in May of 1977. The first class of postgraduate students graduated in the fall of 1989.

On 22 February 1994, it was announced that Royal Roads Military College would close in the following year. Due to public support, the Province of British Columbia entered negotiations with the federal government of Canada to lease the property and facilities in order to continue its use as a university. Royal Roads University was created on 21 June 1995 by an act of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia. On 31 August 1995 Royal Roads Military College ceased to exist and the facilities were turned over to Royal Roads University on 1 September 1995."

Although none of our actual classes take place IN the castle itself, there are offices in the upper levels and students are always welcome to take tours. Each year when we do our residency for school, there is a mixer on the first night of class in the castle (drinks not included) with apps. It’s a nice way to chat with the teachers and other students in a less formal atmosphere (although a great excuse to dress up!). 

Tired but finished 21.1k!

School was a bit of a whirlwind. Lots of work, late nights spent in the lab (you can see the final product of collaboration between myself and teammates here). The great and awful thing about these residencies is that it’s only three weeks long, but it’s probably the most intense three weeks of school you’ve ever experienced.

One (of many) I love about BC is that there is always some sort of yummy vegetarian dish on the menu. Being pseudo-vegetarian (pescetarian if you want to get technical) AND lactose intolerant, it can prove to be difficult to find a dish at dinner that is a) vegetarian based b) cheese-free c) still delicious. Somehow the campus cafeteria has managed to do this. Anything I’ve ever ordered from the hot-food line up has been fantastic. One of my favourite dishes to get at school is the salmon burger with a side salad. It is a delight to go to a school that doesn't serve junky food!

My other favourite dish to get at school is the super food salad. Packed with all sort of delicious things, it’s filling AND nutritious! Since the dorms at school are VERY basic and students only have a fridge and microwave to cook with, some people tend to get creative or eat those yucky TV dinners the entire three weeks. This salad was a staple for me while I was at school so I didn’t get the carb-overload blues.

With only two weekends of play while at school, you really have to make the best of them. The first Friday at school, I headed back to the mainland with two classmates so I could run the Lululemon Seawheeze half marathon! 

Doesn't everyone bring coffee to hike mountains?

What a well-organized event. From a smooth package pickup and shopping experience (they had limited edition, Seawheeze-only merchandise for sale. Obviously I had to stock up) the event was like a well-oiled machine from before the race start. Lots of food and water stations lined the route, which went all through Stanley Park in Vancouver (and the seawall!)

Post-race was another great experience. I loved that they issued plastic wrist bands instead of the numbers you have to pin to your shirt. The wrist-band allowed you to get into the food tents for some delicious breakfast treats, which was catered by Bear something from Whistler. Blueberry Belgian waffles, homemade granola bars, fruit skewers and tons of water filled my belly after I ran across that finish line. A quick change and check out of the hotel and I was off to the beach for a relaxing day of swimming and lounging followed by a night out on the town.

The following weekend was spent at Cultis  Lake, around the corner from my school and a visit from my old friend Mr C. (He was nice enough to play chauffer to Miss C & I while we went shopping downtown and I discovered that my new favourite store is Sitka Surfboards). 

Another week of school and I skipped town to be a hippie in the mountains….

The journey continues- in Whistler! 

Epic Adventure Begins

Well hello all! It’s been a while since I’ve written anything so I figured I should catch up on some writing while I am sitting on a plane on my way to Bali!

My last day in Sarnia at the beginning of August was spent sailing, lounging at the beach and visiting friends. It was a hot, humid day (32/95 with 100% humidity) and even with three applications of sunscreen I managed to get a sunburn. After a wonderfully relaxing day, I headed to Paddy’s, my favourite bar and pub in Sarnia to have a goodbye dinner with family and friends. I was so happy to have so many different groups of friends come and join me (also nice to see everyone mingle/ chat!) It continues to remind me how lucky I am to have such wonderful people around me. 

The next morning it was time to go. It felt weird to be thinking that I wouldn’t be home again until two months later and that I would be embarking on the trip of a lifetime- literally! One month in British Columbia, followed by South Korea, Singapore, Bali, Australia, Malaysia, LA and Vegas before finally coming home.

Packing up the car and heading to the local airport (Chris Hadfield Airport) felt surreal. Not one to make a scene, I was surprised to find myself welling with tears when I said goodbye to my mom. Gosh darn- I wouldn’t see the woman for two whole months! We said goodbye and I headed to my first of many flights.

After a two hour delay in Toronto, I finally made it to Vancouver. My cousin was nice enough to pick me up at the airport and even stop by a beer store before heading to a backyard party where his wife and kids were awaiting our arrival. 

Now, as someone who doesn’t spend a lot of time with children, this party was PACKED with kids. For those thinking they want children- attending things like this is really great birth control. I’m not sure if someone had given them all sugar before we got there or if that’s just the way kids are but it sure was hectic! And also a great reminder that kids are hilarious and say the darndest things.

I’ll never forget swimming with the kiddies and little Miss O sat on my legs in the hot tub and said to me “Oh, Natasha- are your legs ever hairy.”  I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard at a kids honesty.

After a one night and one day visit with the family- I was off to school! Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters that is. 

The journey to school continues… 

Willow Cakes and Pastries cheesecake

In the beginning

Nom nom nom. I love food. Who doesn't? And while you're eating, it might as well taste good. But what happens when you can't eat something? Due to allergies, personal choice, religious beliefs or just straight up because you can't get past the thought of putting whats on your plate in your mouth. For me, I'm lactose intolerant, I don't eat meat ( but seafood is fine!) and chocolate is a big no-no! But at the same time, I love trying new restaurants, traveling and seeking out interesting recipes. I generally have to modify most recipes I try out (although - I don't mind!)

I originally became a vegetarian about 4 years ago while I was working with a friend who was in school to become a nutritionist. She gave me a couple books to read about going vegetarian (Skinny Bitch being one of them). Since I found myself sick almost everyday, ending each day laying on the couch feeling sick- I slowly began the process of giving up different meats and changing my diet. The more meat products I gave up- the better I felt! I won't say it's always easy ( man - sometimes that bacon frying up smells so good) I know the end result isn't worth the 10 minute tasty meal. And while there are many ways to become vegetarian, slowly changing your diet is the best way to go! (Also consult your doctor before changing your diet as you may have special dietary needs).  Eating the proper foods - like fruits and veggies- fuels you to take on the day, so why fill your body with cheap food that makes you feel sluggish?

And so here begins my journey of eating adventures..... because I'm hungry... but I can't eat that. 

Later days!

P.S. My go-to websites for recipes: 

 Post Punk Kitchen 

How it All Vegan  

Pinterest

Check back for more food adventures and recipes!