Author: Lila

Categories
Health & Beauty Reflections & Lifestyle

April Goals: “Finish What I Started”

If you are new to my blog; I have been setting three small goals each month. In January I focused on my physical health. In February I focused on my mental health. And then I really tried to have fun and “make the most” of March.  April is going to be a reset for me; I am feeling like I am starting to get a little lax with somethings and I spent a lot of time in March going out, traveling and having fun so it was tough to be as consistent as I would have liked. Getting sick really knocked the wind out of my sails as well; normally I give up, but I am going to persevere and give myself grace. I guess “Finishing What I Started,” is the theme for this month.

  1. I didn’t manage to make it through all the yoga workouts on the NTC; so I have 46 more to go. My goal last month wasn’t very realistic and I recognize that. I know I won’t get through all of the remaining workouts but I am going to keep going.
  2. I have noticed that I am drinking coffee everyday but I am not really enjoying it and I am just drinking it because others are. I am going to make the switch to tea; I really fell in love with the Lady Londonderry tea we had at The Empress.
  3. I need to re-visit my sleep routine; lately I am finding that I am TIRED in the mornings. So I am going to spend time looking into this and trying out different things.
Categories
Writing Prompt Wednesdays

April Journal #1

Write about a time you said no.

Recently actually. My boss was redoing job assignments; he asked if I would be willing to teach something I had never taught before and at a very high level with minimal time to plan and zero training. If I took this assignment I would have to give up a part of my job that I love immensely. A part that really “fills my bucket” at work. It should have been a very easy NO, but I felt like I was being given a chance for career growth and I also felt compelled to say yes so that I would be seen as a “team player.” I stressed on the decision for over 24 hours. Ultimately, I said NO! Because I had to put myself first rather than the team to continue doing what I was living for at work and doing my job to the best of my ability. However, I still have pangs of guilt. And to some extent I feel like he views me differently, or truly doesn’t understand my rationale. I hope my decision is not held against me.

What about you?

From Piccadilly‘s 200 Writing Prompts

Categories
Travel

Victoria: Photo Dump

Day One
-A walk through downtown and ChinaTown (the oldest in Canada)
-Breakfast at Jam Cafe
-Thunderbird Park
-Wandering around the beautiful Fairmont Empress Hotel; then to the Q Bar to enjoy our “Welcome Drinks”
-Swimming
-Food Tour with Off the Eaten Track; where we tasted food & drink from: Artisan Wine, Crust Bakery, L’Apero, La Taquisa, Yalla, Chocolat & Co and Bon Macaron Patisserie
-Perogies at Sult

Day Two
-A walk through James Bay Village to see the old homes
-Holland Park & Ogden Point Breakwater
-Fisherman’s Wharf
-High Tea at the Empress
–Castle Craigdarroche
-Our own food tour to experience the happy hours at Wind Cries Mary, Parks Kitchen and Sizzling Tandoor
-Swimming

Day Three
-Breakfast at The Ruby on Johnson
–Royal BC Museum
–Emily Carr House
–Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
-Back to Fisherman’s Wharf to catch the water taxi
-Sushi at Gozen Izakaya
-Macarons from Bon Macaron
-Swimming
-Late night walk to see the city lit up and to grab come chicken nuggets (which has become our tradition)

Categories
Reflections & Lifestyle

March 2023 Goals: Accountability Post

I can’t believe how fast March flew by!  I have been setting three goals each month since the New Year; I focused on physical health and then mental health. For March, I decided on the theme of “Making the Most of…” To keep myself accountable I’m checking in monthly with you all. As a refresher, my goals were…

1. Do all the yoga workouts on my Nike Training Club app
2. Decluttering
3. Having High Tea at the Empress

How did I do?

In terms of the yoga workouts; I wasn’t able to complete all 109 yoga workouts on NTC. One was a handstand tutorial which I wasn’t comfortable doing considering I’ve had neck issues. I did complete 63 and I’m still working through them. I even do the pregnancy ones. I just modify the movements/positions as needed. I ended up combining shorter workouts/routines. So I will have to continue this goal into April. I have been able to continue on with my January and February goals too!

In terms of decluttering; I managed to do one space. Which is still good! This may sound like an excuse but normally I do a hard core decluttering in the summer… It is easier to pile up donated stuff in the garage or porch when there isn’t a ton of snow on the ground and very cold temps. Doing a declutter in the summer means I have more time to make donation runs or go to the dump with truly worn out things. I think this is a great goal but it was scheduled poorly. Three other factors that interfered were that I also got really into a new book series and I spent a lot of time with friends; birthday parties, going to the theater twice and shopping. And teaching in March is a bit of a nightmare… I definitely needed to set a goal that was more in line with restoration of energy rather than another hard arduous task.

In terms of my third goal; High Tea was amazing! so I successfully accomplished that goal! We also said YES to a lot of other fun activities: food & drink tour of Victoria, forever jewelry and so much more!

Categories
Writing Prompt Wednesdays

March Journal #4

What date do you have circled on your calendar? that is, what upcoming date or event are you looking forward to?

I have a few dates circled on my calendar…

 1. Annual Convention
-This is where a girlfriend and I stay at a swanky hotel in the heart of the city and live our most fancy lives while learning and networking. This year is super exciting because it’s the first time since the pandemic that it’s been in-person.

 2. Victoria trip
– I am finally going on a girls’ trip to the coast with my best friend of 19 years after many delays.

 3. Dinner Theater
– I mean come on who wouldn’t be excited about seeing The Office on stage with two great friends.

 4.My birthday
-My husband is going to be home this year and I didn’t celebrate last year so I really want to let my hair down

 5. The end of the school year
– I mean I’ll miss the kids but I’m just looking forward to summertime. I just want to be outside and be carefree.

6. Unofficial “Summer Convention”
-This is basically the same as the first event but the weather is better!

What about you?

From Piccadilly‘s 200 Writing Prompts

Categories
Current Addictions

Current Addictions: March 2023

Ad·dic·tion
/əˈdikSH(ə)n/
noun

the fact or condition of being dependent or “hooked” to a particular substance, thing or activity.

Book: An Extravagant Death by Charles Finch
Music: Endless Summer by Miley Cyrus
TV Show: Extraordinary (Disney+)
Movie: See How They Run (Disney+)
Cosmetic: JLo Beauty Smooth + Seduce™ Contouring Body Cream with Caffeine
Clothing: Embroidered Cable Knit Cardigan from Talbots
Accessory: Forever Jewelry
Food: Iced Cinnamon Puffs from Weight Watchers

Categories
Food & Drink

Easy Roasted Chicken & Vegetables

Ingredients
3 Tbsp olive oil
8 oz baby potatoes (halved)
8 oz baby carrots
8 oz asparagus (cut in half)
14.5 oz cannellini beans
4 chicken drumsticks
1 tsp paprika
3 Tbsp vinegar
3 Tbsp Italian seasoning

Directions
1. Drizzle 1 Tbsp of olive oil on a sheet tray; add potatoes and carrots; mix to coat them and make sure they are in an even layer
2. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes at 450F
3. Combine the asparagus, beans and 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a large bowl
4. Add the mixed to the sheet tray
5. In the same bowl add the chicken and sprinkle with paprika
6. Lay the chicken on top of the vegetables on the sheet tray
7. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes until chicken is properly cooked
8. In a small bowl combine the remaining 1 Tbsp of olive oil, the vinegar and seasoning to make a dressing
9. Spoon the dressing on the cooked chicken prior to serving

Categories
Writing Prompt Wednesdays

March Journal #3

Write about a moment when you felt proud of yourself. 

I felt proud of myself the most when I got my first teaching job.  This is because I did it all on my own. I knew no one in the field so I couldn’t tap into any connections. The year I graduated, teaching jobs were pretty hard to come by unless you were a French immersion major. You basically had to take whatever was available or sub for a really long time. Subbing wasn’t for me. I think I may have done it once. A lot of the people in my practicum class never ended up teaching, which really sucks because they were amazing. I took a half-time position and it ended up evolving into the job I have now. I am so proud that I never gave up and I put the time in and I grew as an educator. When they offered me the job, I felt truly grown up. I felt truly independent because now I had an income and I could buy a house, I could travel, I could literally do whatever I wanted. It was the start of my life.

What about you?

From Piccadilly‘s 200 Writing Prompts

Categories
Fashion

Outfit of the Week

Considering it was St. Patrick’s Day last Friday; I avoided being pinched by donning this outfit from Talbots

Top: Boyfriend Shirt in garden green

Bottoms: Wide Leg Jeans in moonlit wash

Jewelry: Luck Charm Drop Earrings

Bag: Knot Detail Leather Frame Clutch

Shoes: Blair Soft Nappa Ballet Flats in ivory/black

Categories
Food & Drink

Easy Tomato Vegetable Soup

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1.5 cups frozen mixed vegetable
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup mushrooms (sliced)
14.5 oz diced tomatoes
14.5 oz black beans (drained)
1 cup spinach

Directions
1. Cook the frozen mixed vegetables in cooking spray in a large soup pot until tender
2. Add the spices and continue to cook for 30 seconds
3. Add the chicken broth, mushrooms and tomatoes; bring to a boil then reduce heat and continue cooking for 10 minutes.
4. Add the beans and cook for another 5 minutes
5. Add the spinach and cook until it wilts.