When is enough finally enough?

I can't seem to stop feeling down on my self. 

I still haven't finished my Harry Potter french book (eventhough I gave today as my deadline), I'm losing fitness motivation (stuck at a plateau), I'm breaking out all over my face, I've given up on trying to look nice or trendy (no makeup, no hair do, no stylish clothes, no nothing), I can't find a pair of friggin glasses that suit me, I got notification today that I'm losing my temp job (back to casual I go), I keep struggling with understanding our benefits coverage, I'm still sick, we're far off from buying a house, we stilllllll have some debt, our budget is waivering, I cried three times today, and amongst a million other various small to large degree stresses (forgotten grocery items to family emergencies), worst of all, I can't seem to explain or justify any of my feelings. 

I have no idea what kind of path I am making and I seem to have abandoned all optimism. The longer this negativity goes on, the more petty I get about anything and everything, as your can see fron my rant above. 

My current plan: abandon all focus and hope that life will gently guide me where I'm supposed to end up, instead of me struggling to figure it out and therefore forcing something that is not so natural. 
-Linds

Feeling Unwell

We've all been feeling pretty under the weather the last few days in this household. We're spending our days lounging on the couch, stuck in our pjs, basically lifeless. But, we're still keeping smiles on our faces because, although we feel crummy, we have excellent company! :)

(Spending sick days with my two favorite boys)

How do you guys survive when you're under the weather? 
-Linds 

Lately

I've been feeling a vast variety of emotions, concerns, wistful, as well as will-less thinking. I've decided it's about time for a rant to help me get out of this rut, because really, what better way to get out of my own head, then putting myself out in the world. 

Here is what is running through my mind lately:

-I'm anticipating getting knocked out of my temporary job within the next month, which means I go back to casual, which means I lose my start date, and I build seniority slower, so really...what was the point of the last two years? Ugh, what to do with myself now...am I really on the right career path? 

-Even though we will potentially get approved for an almost $600,000.00 mortgage, the pursuit of house purchasing reminds me how terrible we were with our money over the years, how far away we are from actually obtaining a home, and how choosing what/where to purchase means a lot of long term decision making. How do we decide what kind of future we want?

-I've hit a bit of a plateau fitness wise. I'm really struggling stepping up the amount of weight I'm lifting (which I desperately need in order to maintain my fitness goals), and I'm slowly starting to lose motivation maintaining my healthier eating habits. I've just been feeling so discouraged lately that it makes me want to give up on all the progress I've made. 

Do I love what I do for work? 
Do I have enough fun on my days off? 
Should we up & leave and build a life somewhere new?
Should I try some drastic dietary adjustment? 
Where do I see myself in 20 to 30 years? 
What should I do with myself?  

What's running through your mind on repeat lately? 
-Linds 

Proper Form Is Priority: Squat

Last month I critiqued my plank. This week I decided to check out my squat form:

(Squat - 40lbs)

What do you think? 

I'm giving myself a 4.5/5! 
I've got all good things going on, chest up, head up, shoulders back, weight in heels, abs tight, shins parallel with chest, knees in line with toes. 

However, I didn't give myself a perfect score because 1) there is always room for improvement, and 2) my fitness trainer sister pointed out that my arm position is a little...well, lets just say undecided! My elbows aren't forward enough to be in "front position", nor are they far enough back for "back position." Now I had no idea there was even different strategic positions for arms during a squat until my sister told me. I used to only do body weight squats with my hands clasped together in front of my chest (apparently that's totally fine), but now that I use weight, it looks like I've got some new technique to work on for arm positioning. 

Wish me luck! 
-Linds

Mount Thom Hike

Mark and I did the Mount Thom Hike in Chilliwack,  B.C. on Saturday, February 13, 2016. We did it as a little adventure to celebrate my birthday last week and Valentines Day on the weekend. I really didn't want to do the typical dinner out for either event so I decided this year to do something active and outdoorsy! We did approx. 6.5km (round trip) in 1hr 35 mins,  with an elevation gain of about 350m. 

Although the photos aren't the best quality, they still speak for themselves, because words definitely won't do the hike at Mount Thom justice!

I'd love to hear about some of your favorite hikes!
-Linds

Sunday Fashion Fun-Day: High Tea

Yesterday I had a girls afternoon at The Little White House in Fort Langley! Some co-workers and I got together for high tea and it was delicious! If you've never been before, I highly recommend it! It was such a treat and made me feel like I was some vintage high class lady! 

I wore my LBD from Victoria Secret and paired it with my knee high brown boots and my blue/grey heavy knit sweater! It was the perfect combo of classic chic with a modern comfort! All the gals looked so great tho - it was fun to see everyone out of their work scrubs and in real people clothes.

(My LBD from Victoria Secret)

(From left to right: Cassondra, Patricia, Jen L., Jenn C., Jody, & me)

We got these cute little trays loaded with an assortment of goodies. We got croissants, sausage pastry, roasted pecans, scones, macaroons, mini cupcake, etc. Although the portions weren't huge, it was still plenty of food and the way they had it layered in the trays made you take the time to appreciate every little item! 

(High Tea at The Little White House in Fort Langley)

What do you think of High Tea?
-Linds

Pinterest Project: Banana Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cakes

Here is my attempt at a "Pinterest Project" :

Ingredients (makes a dozen)
-5 or 6 Bananas
-1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips

Directions:
-cut bananas into small chunks and freeze for a couple hours 

-blend frozen bananas (you might have to give it a stir here n there to get it unstuck from the blade, I added a splash of milk to help mix it up)
-stir in half the dark chocolate chips with wooden spoon
-coat a muffin try so that they mixture won't stick 
-scoop the thick banana/chocolate chip mixture into the muffin tray 
-sprinkle the rest of the chocolate chips on top

-freeze for several hours
-remove from tray and place on parchment paper
-serve immediately or store in freezer 

Pinterest

Mine!

Although mine don't look quite as picture perfect as pinterest (I'm not surprised), these are a great little treat to help satisfy any sweet tooth while still keeping relatively healthy!

What new recipes have you tried lately?
-Linds