::*::16 for 2016::*::

I'm curious as to how certain people hold onto their motivation..if you will..if that is something that you can even do. 

Man oh man, was I ever gung-ho on the gym lately - and still am!! But then there are days like today...where I really cannot be bothered to get out of bed. And all it really takes is just one day...ya know? Friday I was sick and couldn't function even remotely normal so passed...yesterday was too busy and today -- too rainy? Lol. 

I guess there is a lot on the go as well - did I mention we're moving?!!! YA!!! 

As much as I am going to miss this place {and the view!} we decided we wanted something bigger {cheaper!} and more home-y. So have signed a new lease on a townhome about 10 minutes from where we live now {and closer to work!}. Not only that, but it's close to everything else {grocery stores and the mall!!} and it is just a fabulous new place to make NEW memories in all over again. :) 

I'll be sure to share a tun of pictures! 

I'm still going to probably drag my ass to do a sesh of cardio - but in the meantime, I am going to share a recipe post as well as my beloved book post - as my email is being bombarded with new things to read and I did promise myself and my GoodReads app that I am going to read 16 books in 2016. I have already read one...so 15 more to go. :) 

Make sure to let me know if you've read any of the ones below or if you have any suggestions for great - new - books! 

HA...I just figured out how to do split screen on my MAC - this is going to make posting this a heck of a lot easier. Lol. 

The 52 Lists Project: A Year of Weekly Journaling Inspiration by Moorea Seal$16.95 CAD

I wanted to pick this book up immediately ~ unfortunately, you cannot find it anywhere! This book in Canada is available in select stores...and the only store closest to me that has it, is Woodbridge {TOO FAR AWAY} and they only have one copy! Regardless...it's definitely at the top of my list despite it's 3-6 week waiting period. Ugh.
Why I love this book and want to get it, is because I want to really get back into writing this year. I always used to be a HUGE writer...journaling constantly, writing short stories and poems and just haven't been able to get back into it for some reason - a workbook like this is ideal for me. To ge the creative juices flowing. It's technically a journal - but to me, it's so much more.

::christmas:is:going:to:the:dogs::

FYI to my regular readers, this is just an older post...but really wanted to post this! :)

What a weekend. It went by crazy fast. 

My poor little Lou'e had to go to the emergency vet on Sunday because of a bad eye infection. No idea how or what brought this on. But my heart breaks for the little guy every time I look into his big chocolatey brown eyes...because he can barely open one! 

I know that a lot of people look at animals and say they're "just dogs" or "just cats"...but my two, Lou'e and Moo, are part of my family and I treat them as such. I will still treat them like dogs, but at the same time, what's wrong with coddling them?? As long as they don't have any behavioral issues, right? They're my little babies and I love to nurture and love 'em up. 

Let me tell you though, they can get expensive! LOL! The vet visit wasn't cheap and oftentimes it can set a lot of people back. That's why I think that sometimes it might be wise to invest in a pet-plan where you pay into some sort of an account monthly - or a health insurance plan.

Since I've got dog on the brain and have for the last few days (non-stop!) AND Christmas (since it snowed this weekend!!) I've decided to do a little post on great gift-ideas for pet parents and their sidekicks! 

PS. This is a dog-lover post, I'm sorry I have nothing for the kitties at this time. Maybe in a future post! :)

Also, please be mindful of the sites - some are Canadian and some are American! You can click on the title of each product, which will take you directly to a link where you can purchase these items. :) And no, I'm not getting paid to endorse these products. I just seen them and thought it would be a great idea to put some ideas together for you guys for spoiling your pooch at Christmas!

Christmas is Going to the Dogs!

Your puppies Christmas Wishlist! (And maybe yours too! :))

Snack Duo for Dogs
$19.99 USD

This is the perfect {and only} 2-in-1 travel 'pupware' that you'll need on road trips or hikes with your pooch! There are two compartments here, one for water and one for food or treats that you can take with you when traveling. The lid also pops off and gets turned into a collapsible dish.
Great for people - and pups! - on the go! :)

::book:gift:ideas::

One day...

WOOHOOOO!!!!!!!!! 

Black Friday is coming up! 

Do you guys actually shop on Black Friday? I never have...and I won't be tomorrow as I'm broke as a joke! Damn...it's 

Murphy's Law, eh? You have a bit of money, you can't find nuttin....you don't have money? You want the entire world! 

I have got a long list for Santa this year {of course, nothing can really top the Vitamix from last year, seriously!} such

as books, boxing gloves, clothes {gym ones too!}, some things for the pups {an awesome HOWLiday gift idea post coming up in the next few days too!} and much, much more. What's on your guys' wishlist for the year? 

I know that I gotta take those pennies and spend on some kidlets for thie Christmas. I would have loved to get Travis' nieces and nephew a BUNNY for Christmas, but not sure if his Sister {my shopping partner-in-crime} Lori would appreciate that. LOL. So the hunt continues! 

::a:2015:wishlist::

The best combo EVER. Bath tub and books?! COME ON!!! *dream*room*

My first wishlist of 2015! 

It's been a while since I got my desperately grasping hands on some new books - or looked on the Amazon site for that matter. The last couple of months have been undoubtedly chaotic. Between Christmas, losing work, starting a new job, trying to get school under control and preparing to study for my driver's test...you would think I'd have absolutely no time to read. But I do. Because I just I love it and cant imagine life without reading or books. It's actually one of the things that calms me at the end of a hectic day, my form of stress relief. 

Or it's the perfect way to spend a Sunday; on the couch, under toasty wool blankets, reading an engrossing book with some delicious tea, or a latte, a treat and the pups and Travis there. Bliss!

Before I go on with my book wish list I wanted to share that Trav and I are currently looking into renting a bigger 'home'. I say home in quotations because we live in an apartment right now. It's a gorgeous apartment but it would be great to have a home to rent with a backyard and garage or a townhome would work as well. We did fall in love with one back in January - but they were all sold out. :( We are still being very picky with what we are going to view these days and of course the price has to be good as well.

I also am coveting a new couch...this will require time to save up money to get, but I am just not feeling the leather couch and would love a nice big comfy material one. Saw a bunch on sale at the Brick - this will be added to my 'vision board' of the perfect living room. Where you live should be incredibly comfortable, serene and feel like HOME. 

Not to mention some good bookshelves are on that home wishlist as well. The ones we currently own are not that great {a tad cheap from Ikea} and the shelves themselves are slowly beginning to bend. 

I would ideally love one that had doors on them, so you couldn't necessarily see all the books, should you have company over and whatnot. 

All these plans. 

Anyways! Back to the point of this post! BOOKS!

As you know I share some of the latest and well-received books out or ones that I just seen through a magazine or online or through a friend and would love to read. 

These prices are from Amazon.Ca - you could get these books anywhere but I feel like Amazon has the best prices. 

::christmas:booklist::

It's the perfect time for the book list! Because who knows...you might find something worth reading or worth getting for someone as a gift this Christmas!
We all know how much extra time I am going to have...well, sorta...after the holiday season...I hope not...but...anyways! So I will be reviewing a lot more books for you all. Especially cookbooks. It's hard to find good cookbook reviews out there in the online world...so might as well start one for you guys, no? 

They are also coming out with a lot of "Books of the Year" lists on Amazon and Indigo...there are quite a few on there that appear intriguing to me...but this list is what my eyes and mind are coveting at the moment. ;) 

Let's start with the cookbooks! 

The Tucci Table: Cooking with Family & Friends by Stanley Tucci - $22.57 CAD

Gotta start off by saying that I think Stanley Tucci is a great actor - love a lot of the movies he is in...especially Hunger Games! I honestly can't wait until I go and see Mockingjay Part 1. :)
ANYWAYS! I saw him on Dr. Oz the other week and had no idea that he had his own cookbook! I have looked through it and it's chockfull of the most mouthwaterly delicious recipes. I can't even...

::obsessed::

How is everyone doing today?
Yesterday was overall pretty good. I am pretty sore from the gym the day before yesterday even though I felt like I didn't really "burn it out" because my mind was elsewhere...lately it's been elsewhere a lot and even though that may be the case I am still pretty determined and motivated to stick with clean eating and the gym and engaging in healthy behaviors! Such as...not forgetting about little ol' me and doing things that will benefit myself. 

Some people may be a bit lost but less than a week ago I got let go from work so I have a lot to do in the next month or so. I have to look for another job, finishing a follow-up final assignment, study for my huge final exam, get ready for Christmas and for my family that is also coming up. So there is so much to do. 

Yesterday I was experiencing major digestive issues....and I am still suffering today. I am not entirely sure what is going on in my belly but it is NOT happy with me. 
I also was going through some major chest pain yesterday morning and then again last night...to the point where I thought I might have to go to the hospital...but eventually after about a half hour it passed. Not sure if it is a) stress or b) gastro-related. 
Probably A. Lol.

Anyways...the weekend is almost here {Thank God!} and I will be spending my Sat running errands and dropping resumes off as well as cleaning. 
OH! I have to share with you some things that I got from Bath & BodyWorks yesterday and Kev got me a couple things too. So must share! 
So let's just do that for now to start off the day. 

::gluttony:&:changes::

I pretty much stuffed my face last night when I got home...after the shiteous week that I had...I just felt like eating my face off was going to help but it only contributed to the more shiteous feeling this morning when I stepped on that scale. I had two large bowls of barley soup and then half my boyfriend's pizza...ugh. What was I thinking? 

Anyways...that doesn't mean that it's a free for all today. I think a lot of the weight put on {like 4lbs} is water weight. So I will be more conscious of what I eat today and tomorrow. 

Tomorrow actually is going to be chilli day!!

Honestly....I am not a fan of cold - at all...I hate being out in it....but...tis the season too, right? I love the fact that Christmas is around the corner...the falling snow on a darkish day while you're snuggled up on the bed with your pups {much like what I am doing right now!} and all the comfort foods that come along with this season.

So that's stews and chilli's and just foods that really warm the belly. So I will be looking into recipes to share with you guys that do just that! 

Tonight...I have no idea what I am going to make but I am going to go through some cookbooks to figure it out. 

Thug Kitchen is one cookbook that I will be doing a review on as well...I LOVE that book. 

::incessant:rambling:&:covetable:items::

I can't believe that Winter is coming upon us...seriously....snow is right around the corner! They are calling for flurries on Friday {of course, every Halloween it's raining or snowing} but we will see what the day brings - because you know the weather network. 

On another note...I finally broke my plateau! Well, I think I did anyway...I was at this point a couple of times the last month or so...but I always fluctuate between 2-4lbs...and I don't seem to know why. Of course I have said in the past that I really need to tweak my diet and it's true. Starting off with portion sizes. Then, I am reading Dr. Joel Fuhrman's book "Eat To Live" and wow...I am blown away by some of the information in that book!! If anyone wants to change the way they eat and lose weight, feel great and all that jazz then pick this book up! 

::bookish:lass::

When you work and go to school full time you don't have a lot of time to do anything else...because on top of work and your studies you gotta also take care of your household, cook, clean, prep, take care of your pups and man and take care of yourself. So oftentimes I was always so exhausted and just irritable...now that I am done school I am not sure what to do with myself...well, except study for the final exam of course. 

The great thing though is that I have a bit of extra time to do whatever it is that I want to do. :) 

This means, reading!! 

I have more time to take that bubble bath at night without feeling guilty and reading a few chapters of a new book or taking time on weekend mornings to peruse through a cookbook. I haven't done this in a long time...and usually I am found reading at the gym while doing cardio if anything...or while waiting for Travis to finish work. But reading is supposed to be relaxing...and is one of the many things I do to unwind after a particularly hectic day. I just love books...and you will never see me reading digital copies (except at the gym...just one particular novel that I have on there)...I am all for the paper and smells. 

So here are a few books that I am coveting right now. 

Revival: A Novel by Stephen King - $17.99 CDN

This book won't be available until November 11th - but this is the kinda author that I just sit and eagerly anticipate new books from. He really doesn't disappoint. One book that I recently read of his that was pretty good was Mr. Mercedes and before that the follow-up to The Shining called Doctor Sleep. You can't really follow up The Shining...I must admit I was a tad disappointed, but it was still good none the less and wonder if they are going to make it into a movie. 

They say that this new book is a masterpiece of King's. Let's see!

::cookbook:crazy::

So my parents have surprised me with a little housewarming gift for our new apartment. 

It is a slower cooker! :))

I have been looking around and prodding people if they use theirs because I just really wanted one!

I got hooked and wanted one ever since I was in California the other year and my Mom cooked up a delicious turkey breast for dinner in the crock-pot  I also like the idea and convenience of throwing everything into it in the morning and coming home to a dinner that is already made. 

I don't know the first thing about slow cookers though, or recipes for that matter ~ of course the world wide web is filled with recipes but you know me, I am a book worm and like my books and so I perused Amazon (so cheap!) and stumbled onto a slow cooker recipe book that has positive reviews and then I spiraled out of control and found more cookbooks that I want to get my greedy hands on. Ha ha. 

Honestly, looking at cookbooks right now is the only thing that is keeping me sane because of how stressful everything else is at the moment. There is something about cookbooks ~ the stories behind the food, fresh ingredients, the author itself ~ for me, it is sort of like reading a novel. I can get totally lost in a cookbook and will read it from cover to cover believe it or not. Some of my favourite cookbooks are by Sophie Dahl or Candice Kumai and not because of the recipes necessarily, but the way they explain food. Their take on it.
Ultimately, once I am done school I would love to write and publish my own cookbook. :) 

Food is my forte. It is a passion. I just love it.
So here are a few cookbooks that are out that have cajoled me and I must get my hands on.

Cooking Light Slow-Cooker Tonight: 140 Delicious Weeknight Recipes That Practically Cook Themselves by Editors of Cooking Light - $14.40 CAD
I really love the Cooking Light cookbooks, they are chock-full of recipes that are relatively simple, delicious and full of flavour. So when I saw that CL had a slow-cooker cookbook I knew I had to throw that badboy in my wish list. The CL cookbooks also have gorgeous full colour photo's beside every recipe, and you know me, I love my full colour food pics. ;) 

::bookworm::

Lou'e started hurting out of nowhere today...crying and won't walk. I am worried about him as I sit at work. 

I hope he gets better by the time I get to him at lunch. 

Love my little Lou'e. 

Here is another post from yesterday.

As I mentioned in a previous post...I am gaga over the newly popular dystopian books that are out there like Hunger Games, The Host & Divergent {Insurgent}. So I went on a search for some more books that were very similar. Here is what I found...not only are there so many but the reviews on most of these are fantastic! I honestly can't wait to get my hands on these books and begin reading. 

By the by, Amazon usually is cheaper when it comes to purchasing books. These books I found on the Amazon {Canada} website and all pricing is in Canadian currency. 

Here are some books that are on my wish list. 

I am a reading fiend lately.

::little:book:club::

I should probably start my own book club...considering the amount of books I have and my extreme obsession with them, from the smell to the size of text or font to the actual stock that is used. I think that is why cookbooks are some of my favourites to go through.