Friday Favourites – My Favourite Things to do on a Snowy Day

So it’s been snowing here non-stop for over 30 hours, and apparently it’s going to continue for about 8 more! Despite it being a snow day, I still had to go into school 😦 There were no students there, which made for a bit of a long day! I managed to do some planning and some photocopying, so I’m all set for next week, but the highlight of my day had to be my 10km run through the upper halls – yep, I ran laps…40 of them…

Although it was a little boring, I think it was better than running on the treadmill! And since it probably would have taken me about 3 hours to drive to the gym, run and drive back to work, I think it was a pretty good alternative.

So, now that I’ve shared that with you, it’s time to get on with this weeks Friday Favourites. Since its snowmagedden out there, I figured I’d share with you my favourite things to do on a snowy day…

1. Toboggan – After work I picked up the kids, bundled them in their snow gear, and we headed out for a little fun in the snow!

2. Drink Hot Chocolate – Check out this delicious and clean hot chocolate recipe…I’ve posted the link before, but it’s perfect for a day like today. Thanks Meg!

3. Bake Cookies – Occupying the kids can get tricky at times, but baking is a great way to have little fun, and, something good always comes of it! Today we made these cookies posted by The Eat Clean Diet on Facebook. You can find the recipe here.

We substituted chocolate chips for raisins and I think next time I will use sucanat or another sugar substitute rather than stevia, but overall, the cookies are really good!

What’s your favourite thing to do on a snowy day?

Friday Favourites – My Favourite Workout Wear

Happy Friday! I hope you have had a wonderful week and are as excited about the weekend as I am!

This week I am going to share with you my favourite line of workout wear.

As a high school Health and Physical Education teacher, I am lucky enough to wear sweatshirts, track-style pants, shorts and t-shirts everyday. Yes, for some this could mean blah, grubby, and frumpy, but for me it means stylish, comfy and practical!

For me it means Lululemon!

What do I look for in workout wear? And why do I love Lululemon?

1. The Wicking Factor – Most days I sweat my butt of working out. Whether I’m running, teaching BodyAttack, or lifting weights, chances are I’m going to get my sweat on! So, for me, it’s important that my base layer is pulling the moisture away from my skin – keeping me cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Why I love lulu:

All of lulu’s run swiftly line is made with Luxtreme®, a moisture wicking material which is woven right into the fabric. That means it will continue to wick away sweat for as long as you own the top!

2. The Stink Factor – Because I wear workout clothes all the time – to work as well as to workout in, it’s important to me that they have some sort of anti-bacterial treatment to help fight odour build-up. There’s nothing worse than pulling a clean shirt out of the laundry that still smells like your last workout! Yuck!

Why I love lulu:

Lululemon has taken care if this too! They have added a silver fibre to their tops to create their very own Silverescent® fabric which inhibits the growth of odour causing bacteria!

3. The Comfort Factor – For me, the type of fabric and fit is important. I like fabrics that are soft and have flat seams to avoid chaffing. I also want a comfortable fit without being skintight. I want to be be able to move in the clothing, while at the same time, not worrying that I’m going to lose my tights half way through Track 4 of the latest BodyAttack release!

Why I love lulu:

Most Lululemon clothing is made of luon® , which is moisture wicking, offers 4-way stretch and is preshrunk. The high percentage of LYCRA® in the fabric means it will not stretch or bag out, while the nylon used in luon® is made to feel cottony soft.

4. The Longevity Factor – Because I work out a least once a day, and often twice- it is important to me that my workout wear lasts! I need it to wash well and not stretch and/or lose its shape.

Why I love lulu:

Lulu designs the majority of their products to last 5 years, and as long as you take care of it, it does! Luckily taking care of most lulu stuff means washing in warm water and tossing in the dryer 🙂

Not sure how to care for you latest purchase? Click here.

5. The Style Factor – Looking good means feeling good, and this goes for at the gym too! Lululemon has a variety of styles and fits for tops, bottoms, shorts, sweats, jackets, sock and undies. If you need it to workout in…they make it! I’m not sure how they do it, but lululemon pants have something magic in them that makes everyone’s butt look amazing!

Why I love lulu:

Lululemon clothing comes in awesome colours and styles to fit all body types! They have pieces that can be worn casually as well as functionally, and although formally known as a yoga clothing company, their clothes can be worn for weight lifting, aerobics, cycling, indoors, outdoors, warm, cold…really, for anything!

6. The Value Factor – Yes, lulu can be considered quite pricey, but for the amount I wear it and how long it lasts, I find it to be of good value.

Why I love lulu:

Lulu has a variety of ‘workout basics’ that never go out of style. When you are staring to build your workout wardrobe, chose a few timeless pieces – like a pair of wonder under crops and maybe a run swiftly tank or T – and add a piece here or there. Be sure to consider the type of activities you do most and make sure the pieces you buy are appropriate for those activities. Choose versatile pieces that will get you through both the hottest and coldest months.

So, that is why I love Lululemon clothing to wear to work and workout in.

Here are some of my favourite pieces to wear to work:

Here are some of my favourite pieces to workout in:

What is you favourite line of workout wear? Why do you love it?

Friday Favourites #3 and My First Giveaway!

Happy Friday everyone! Are you ready for the weekend? I sure am!

Before we kick back and relax, its time for this weeks Friday Favourites post – my favourite cookbook(s).

As you may have gathered from the recipes I post that I am all about Clean Eating and The Eat Clean Diet. I have been eating clean for a while, but really got into it about a year ago, just after I had my son Tanner, and actually did a 40 Day Clean Eating Challenge last May and June. During that time I discovered a number of super awesome recipes, many of which have become regulars in our house.

You might be wondering ….What is Clean Eating?

Well, I figured I’d go right to the source one – Clean Eating Magazine

Curious about the Health Benefits of Clean Eating? (Source)

• Fat loss
• Weight loss
• Increased energy
• Clearer skin
• Shinier hair
• Better sleep
• Increased mental well-being

And a decreased risk of (Source)

• Cardiovascular disease
• Obesity
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Type II diabetes
• Osteoporosis
• Some cancers – colon, prostate, lung, breast

Why do I love Clean Eating Magazine and The Best of Clean Eating Cookbooks?

• the recipes are easy to follow
• the recipes are delicious!
• most recipes come with pictures
• there are always leftovers
• there are recipes for every meal
• they have cleaned up many of your unhealthy favourites – like brownies, pizza and even fettuccine Alfredo!
• there are tips and tricks and clean recipes to help you survive big holiday meals/gatherings as well as social events – like the upcoming Super Bowl
• Clean Eating Magazine is available digitally which means I don’t have a ton of magazines piling up around the house or lose pages spread everywhere

And….Because I love The Best of Clean Eating cookbook series so much, I am offering YOU, one of my lucky readers, you the opportunity to win a copy of The Best of Clean Eating 3 – the latest cookbook filled with over 200 favourite recipes from the editors of Clean Eating Magazine.

** This is NOT a sponsored post. I purchased this cookbook to giveaway on the blog. All opinions are my own.

Giveaway begins Friday January 25, 2013 and ends Saturday February 2 at 12:00pm and is open to Canadian and US residents only.

Here’s how to enter:

You will receive ONE entry PER activity you do. Be sure to let me know what you did in the COMMENTS section below. Please leave one comment for each thing you do. 

1. Follow @healthyfitme10 on twitter. Let me know you followed and leave me your twitter handle in the comments section below.

If y0u don’t have a twitter account – subscribe to Happier, Healthier, More Fit Me for your entry. Let me know you subscribed in the comments section below.

2. Tweet about the giveaway: “I just entered to win The Best of Clean Eating 3 from @healthyfitme 10. You should too! #giveaway http://wp.me/p2gpm2-18Q” You can do this once each day for an additional entry. Be sure to let me know each time you tweet in the comments section below.

3. Follow Happier, Healthier, More Fit Me on Pinterest. Click the link below and be sure to leave your Pinterest name in the comments section below.

4. Like Happier, Healthier More Fit Me on Facebook. Just click the link below and leave me your Facebook name in the comments section below.

I will be choosing a winner on Saturday February 2nd at 12:00pm. Please be honest with your entries as I will be checking 🙂

Thanks and Good Luck!

Friday Favourites #2

Happy Friday! Hope you have had a great week! I am sooo looking forward to the weekend! It’s going to be another busy one, but i’m hoping for at least a little down time!

For this weeks Friday Favourites I wanted to share with you three of my favourite workout websites. If you are anything like me and love variety and trying new workouts, check out these sites!

My sister recently introduced me to FITNESS BLENDER – a free website that has a ton of workouts to choose from.

• They have a variety of full length workout videos for all fitness levels – including (but not limited to) pilates, strength training, tabata and cardio – its like having your own personal trainer to keep you moving and motivated!
• They also have a ton of printable workouts for those who are already familiar with the exercises, but might not be so sure how to put them together into a great workout.
• Most of these workouts are quick but really get your heart pumping and your muscles burning!
• Workouts can be done at home or the gym.

A few of my favourites Fitness Blender workouts are:

The 1000 Rep Workout

Another favourite of mine is TONE IT UP – another free website with plenty of workouts, nutrition tips and recipes.

• Karena and Katrina provide you with a monthly workout plan with access to all scheduled workouts, which is awesome if you like to follow a schedule and/or you are not of sure how to properly plan your workouts.
• Most of the workouts are available as a video (so you can follow along) or in printable form if you are familiar with the exercises and/or you’d rather go a your own pace.
• There are muscle specific and full body workout options

A few of my favourite Tone it Up workouts are:

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And another great place to find workout ideas is PINTEREST, an online pinboard where users share their favourite things – including workouts! All you have to do is type in your search and bam, hundreds of workouts at your fingertips! To follow me on Pinterest click here.

What are your favourite websites to get workout ideas?

Friday Favourites!

Happy Friday everyone!

Welcome to the second best day of the week, or maybe the third, depending on how you feel about Sunday’s – do you love them cause it’s a whole day to spend with family, or do you hate em’ cause all you think about is having to go back to work the next day…either way, Friday’s are pretty awesome! And what better way to kick off the weekend then sharing with you some of my favourite things…

Welcome to the first edition of Friday Favourites, a weekly blog about some of my favourite things.

This week I will share with you one of my favourite Running Apps – Runkeeper.

Runkeeper is an app available for use on your iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad and is designed to track your runs, walks, and bike rides using the GPS in your phone. It can also track workouts on a elliptical and treadmill, skiing, snowboarding, swimming, skating.

I LOVE this app!

• It gives you a ton of info up-to-date including your pace, distance, and time.

• It generates live maps of your workouts

• It plays music from your playlists

• It shows you a detailed history of your activities and compares your progress from week to week

• It notifies you of your personal best and milestones

• It allows you to set goals and measures your progress as you work to reach them

• It comes with a ton of training programs including 5k, 10k, Half and Full Marathon programs – with options according to goal time.

• It allows you to take pictures as you run to share with others and save

• You can posts your activities to Facebook, twitter and friends on Runkeeper

I also just found out that it will recognize my Garmin 410 heart rate monitor – I will definitely be giving that a try in the near future.

Overall, I think Runkeeper is a pretty awesome app! It provides you with every piece of information you could possibly want to know about your workout. It’s super easy to use and the best part is…it’s FREE!

Do you use Runkeeper?

What’s your favourite running app?