Into the Woods

I went on a hike the other day and originally I was not going to bring a camera and just going to use my phone but at the last minute I threw my little Sony in my bag and I'm glad that I did.  It was foggy which made the woods look foggy and beautiful, it actually looked like the forbidden forest.  My poor water damaged phone also got cold and died half way through, I would have had nothing to instagram! 

The best part of the hike was definitely when we had more tree cover so it was foggier just because it made such a cool affect through the trees.

There was also a lot of running water and I loved that sound as we walked through the woods, it was so relaxing and nice to get out of the city and slog of looking for jobs (that has been my life these days).

Valentine's Day as a Single Pringle

I'm someone who has always been single on Valentine's Day.  The closest I have ever gotten to having a Valentine's Day date was when me and my best friend went to see the movie Valentine's Day and realized walking out of it what day it was.  I don't know if it's because I've almost always been competing and/or out of town but being single or 'alone' on the 14th has never really bothered me, I've never really bought into the whole idea that I was in a way obliged to feel sad that I didn't have a boyfriend on Valentine's Day because what's the point?  I have plenty of other people that I love anyways.

I'm going to be spending my day with my roommates and maybe some friends and maybe even part of that by myself and that's ok!  It's just a day after all right?  And if it's a day that gives me an excuse to watch rom-coms or to eat chocolate I don't see anything wrong with that.

Although it's not for me, I know that for some people Valentine's Day can be sad or upsetting but if it's supposed to be a day of love why can't it be one of self love?  Here's a little bit of what my day looks like; happy Sunday and happy Valentine's day!

The Creative Fight - Chris Orwig

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette

The Body Shop Colour Crush lipstick 

The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Body Butter

Origins Original Skin Retexturizing Mask with Rose Clay

Essie Nail Color in Fiji

Or if you're really determined to be sad about 'the one that got away' there's a playlist for that here

I Quit Caffeine for a Week

I've never considered myself myself to be someone who was dependent on caffeine but I do work at Starbucks so there's a lot of coffee in my house so I got in the habit of having at least one cup of coffee every day. A few weeks ago I was having trouble falling asleep so I decided to quit caffeine cold-turkey to see if that would help.

The first day hit me way harder than I thought it would. I had headaches and I fell asleep for over an hour on the couch in the middle of the day. The morning of day two I was already rationalizing with myself that it would be totally fine if I had just one cup of coffee; it was cold out and I was craving it.

I managed to hold off and only caught myself staring longingly at my coffee maker once and I did notice some changes. The first day post-caffeine break I cherished that morning cup of coffee that I'd been counting down the days to but after that first day I've noticed that I no longer feel like I have to have it every day. Some days, in fact, I even forget to turn on the coffee pot! I don't think I could ever be completely caffeine free, I like my coffees and teas too much, but I did not miss the caffeine crash in the afternoon. Now that I've significantly cut down how much caffeine I'm taking in my head feels clearer, I get more sleep, and because I get more sleep it's easier to wake up in the morning. If you've got a coffee habit like I did I strongly suggest taking a caffeine vacation, even for just a few days, you just might feel better afterwards.

Living Away From Home for the First Time

Leaves are falling, there's a chill in the air, the lineup at the bookstore is 45 minutes long which means that school is well on it's way for University students.  For first years the beginning of the school year can also mean living away from home for the first time and that can be both intimidating and scary.  I've been living apart from my parents for four years now and these are some things I've learned along the way.

Budget Your Groceries

I didn't realize until I was in charge of my own food just how expensive groceries can be; that paired with the sudden ability to buy whatever you want can be dangerous.  To avoid getting overwhelmed plan what you're going to eat beforehand so you know what you need to buy before you get to the store.  Check what's on special to save money as well especially when it comes to meat!

Don't Be a Hermit

Living on your own for the first time (or even with roommates) can be scary and it can also be lonely especially if you've moved away from your hometown.  As lonely as it can be I've found that loneliness is only amplified by staying inside all the time.  Even if you don't have a lot of people to hang out with just going for a walk outside or to the mall or something can make it all feel a little bit better.  I can't count the number of times that one small outing (even if I was still alone) turned my day around but sitting alone on the couch has almost never made me feel better.

Clean Up After Yourself

You will never appreciate all the work your mom does to keep the house neat and clean until suddenly you have to do it all yourself.  Hard as it is I've found that I do feel better when things are neater.  At the very least do the dishes, do your laundry, and don't forget to wash your sheets every so often.

Most of all I would say enjoy it; it can be fun to figure everything out on your own and to decorate a new place, it's a new adventure that you get to do on your own for the first time and if you need help your parents are only a phone call away (seriously call you parents, they miss you).

Summer in Pictures

It seems like overnight the weather has turned for the worst, it's cold, I wore a jacket and a hat the other day, and now it's September and I guess summer is officially over.  I took two mini trips this summer; one to the cottage with the famjam and one to visit my parents in BC.

Our family cottage is my happy place, unfortunately during that trip I had a concussion so I couldn't do a lot other than sit on the dock (on the warm days) and read in short bursts.

A month later I travelled to BC to hang out with my parents and luckily I was recovered from the concussion at that point so I was able to go on a fun hike with the mom and the sister; there's nothing like those BC forests.

The Summer ended on a high when me and the roomies roadtripped down to Edmonton to see Taylor Swift in concert!  I won't go into too much detail but it was incredible, I could post a full review if anyone wanted because I have SO MANY THOUGHTS about Taylor Swift.

Vacay: Beaches and Volcanoes

I'm on vacation.  I'm sitting on a big balcony/patio thing, I'm covered in sand, I have a proper tan for the first time in years and I'm a maybe a little bit sunburned but I'm feeling really good.  It's important to note that I have never been on a proper holiday.  I have a cottage, we once drove to a resort for my grandparent's 50th anniversary but I have never flown somewhere for the sole purpose of having a vacation.  I know that I mention this always and it's getting old but this season was hard, it was hard to deal with on a few levels and when we recently started training again I felt like I really wasn't ready to think about training again.  So I'm on vacation.

the view from the balcony

I'm spending a lot of time on the beach which is great but because I'm also one of those super annoying active people I'm doing things like hiking a volcano.  We had to drive up crazy switchbacks up to almost 10,000 feet where we then hiked down and then back up.  There were incredible views and the the coolest thing was that because of the volcanic rock etc. very little (including plant life) could live up there so it was almost eerily quiet.

volcano view

I'm not doing nothing training-wise while I'm away, I'm doing what I can but at this point I don't feel too bad about what I'm missing.  After thinking about skating all day every day for an entire season I don't feel like 2 weeks was enough time off for me to get myself in the right headspace to go back to organized, group training full time.  I'm hoping that this way I can get myself into a place where I can be positive about training instead of dragging myself and my bad attitude to the oval every day.

sunset at the beach

not the most flattering picture but figured there should be at least one with my face in it

Winter Rescue

We've been having some really nice, warmer, weather lately and it seems like we're finally (fingers crossed) getting to the end of winter.  Although it is a little warmer it has still been ridiculously dry and my skin and hair has been suffering for it.  I feel like I've just barely gotten to a point where my hair no longer feels like straw and my hands no longer feel like they're going to crack and start bleeding (ew) so after a lot of trial and error I thought I would share what worked to save me from this horrid dry climate.

The product that has probably made the biggest difference for me lately has been the Ultra Repair Concentrate from First Aid Beauty.  This (very thick) cream can be used anywhere you have dry skin but I've been using it as a night cream for my face.  I simply slather a bunch of it on my face, go to bed, and then I wake up with smoother, healthier looking skin.  It hasn't caused me to break out at all I've actually been breaking out less and it healed up a pretty nasty acne scar almost overnight.  It's a little bit too much for an all-over day cream but you could definitely use it just where you needed it if you had dry skin around your nose or something.

A body moisturizer fave is of course the body butters from The Body Shop.  I do find them a little greasy so I don't reach for it all the time (although I have a bunch) but they are excellent for dry or scaly legs and feet. (Also if you can still manage to get your hands on a cranberry scented one I highly recommend it sooooo good)

Also at The Body Shop I picked up this mango scented Beautifying Oil.  I originally got this with my hair in mind and it does a great job of making my ends look shiny and not dry and broken although I would be careful because if you have fine hair this might weigh it down and look greasy if you use too much.  I've also used the oil on my body when I'm feeling lazy because it is much quicker to put all over than a body butter and because it's a dry oil it's not greasy and dries quite quickly (although not as moisturizing).

The Blistex Lip Medex is pure a simple a great lip balm.  I've tried many other but nothing's as good as this; it works quickly and it works well and that's really all I could ask from it.

I don't know if it's because I wear gloves to skate all the time or if it's because I work in a coffee shop and wash my hands a lot but they are always, always extremely dry.  The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector is not the most glamorous or nice smelling hand cream but it works extremely well.  Instead of having to apply hand cream constantly I can use this once and my hands will be gross and scaly no more!

We're almost there guys, it's almost spring and then it will be summer, just a few more months.  Let me know if you have any products that really work for you because I'll take all the help I can get when it comes to dry skin, I hate that feeling. 

The last and most important competition of the season for me is this week so no matter what happens next weeks post will be the review of that (fingers crossed it's an upbeat post).

Why (I Think) Sports Are Important

I've been involved in sports since I was little.  I started speed skating somewhere around the age of 4, did recreational gymnastics (I was not very good or flexible), I played soccer (both rec and competitive) and I did soccer and cross-country running all through elementary school and high school.  While there are the obvious physical benefits to being involved in sports and in doing physical activity I've come to realize recently how beneficial it has been for me socially.

the last soccer team

I was a shy and somewhat anxious child, I've always been kind of a professional worrier, and even now I'm easily intimidated by other people.  Being involved in a sport or a member of a team where I was around the same group of people a few days a week forced me into social situations and because we were doing an activity there was always a common topic to talk about.

When I went to a different high school than all my friends joining the cross-country team put me a little more at ease and made me feel like I was involved in the school and not just floating invisibly through the hallways.  Although none of my best friends from high school ended up being in cross-country, meeting a lot of different people through the years of skating and playing soccer made me a little more comfortable to talk to people I didn't know because I'd been exposed to situations like that over and over.

Senior girls cross-country team 

More recently when I moved to Calgary for skating it was less terrifying than it could have been because I knew I was going to be around other skaters every day, even though I didn't know most of them, but I could calm myself down with the knowledge that I would be around people who were in the same situation as me so I was bound to get along with someone.  Travelling for skating and moving has even made me more confident going forward because I know that if I were to move somewhere else I would probably be able to find some other people to get along with (the idea of being isolated, friendless, and alone could have been enough to stop me from doing things/going places before).

Skating training camp, look at how many friends!

Based on the way that I react to some social situations still today I wonder if I hadn't always done sports and been on teams whether I would have ever been able to even leave home (also if I would even have any friends because I'm pretty sure I made a lot of my friends because I was good at gym class).

New Years Goals

Don't let the picture fool you, we got dressed up and spent our New Years Eve playing Taboo on the living room floor but I was completely ok with it.  I really don't feel the need to go party somewhere and get trashed (no judgement to people who do though) and NYE has never been a really big deal for my family.

There's something hopeful about the start of a new year, it's full of possibility and a lot of us use the start of a new year to make changes in our lives.  I've never been big on making or keeping resolutions but since goal setting is such a big part of sport I feel more comfortable making some goals for 2015.

This year I want to find things that make me happy and pursue them and discard things or people that do the opposite.  I also want to make a decision.  Not any decision but a specific one that I don't really want to talk about on the blog (you know since I haven't made the decision yet).

What about you? Do you make resolutions?

Christmas with the Morrisons

This is only my second Christmas since my parents moved so things are a little different still from past years and we're still getting into the groove of what our traditions are now that we've moved house and we are no longer near a lot of our family.

Christmas means food and snacks all day

It was really nice to see my parents and to have some time away from training and Calgary and to have some time to relax.  Obviously I still had to train while I was away but I got to take a break from actually skating and it was oh so nice to sleep in and watch TV and read books that weren't for school guilt free.

with my mommy on Christmas day

Christmas day for us is always stockings and then pancakes followed by gifts and then enjoying those gifts whether they be movies, books, etc. This year my sister got How to Train Your Dragon 2 so we watched that (it was great).

And at the end of the day turkey of course!

she pretends to like me on Christmas

How was your Christmas? Any crazy traditions? Let me know!

Needing a Change

I was feeling a little stuck.  I was dealing with minor health issues, I was sick for weeks and I was struggling to keep up with school and then I was starting to struggle with skating.  I feel like a lot of people feel this way;  you get to the middle of the semester, you get stressed and then fight or flight kicks in.  For me the instinct to run kicks in, I want to quit, to change my whole life, to move somewhere else, just do anything to change the situation so I did the cheapest change I could and redecorated my room.

My room was an absolute disaster and I felt like it was a direct representation of how unbalanced and out of control I was feeling so the first step was cleaning up.

the before picture

I bought some new bedding for $12.99 at IKEA, new cushions, and I replaced my magazine clippings and One Direction posters with some more age appropriate decor.  Even though redecorating didn't cure me of being sick or make me caught up on homework it did make me feel better and less anxious and stressed out.

after

it's not perfect but it's more organized at least 

I put up a card my Grandma gave me to remind me what's important and a picture and old good-luck letter from one of my friends to remind me that there's people who are proud of me and who believe in me

no more 1D, I'm such a grownup

Internet Blackout

Inspired by this post (I know I'm talking about her again it's not creepy I swear) last week me and my cousin/roommate Keri went on internet blackout.  At 7:00PM we turned off our phones and closed down our computers and nothing bad happened? If you asked either of my parents they would tell you that I am addicted to my phone/computer and they bug me about it constantly when we're together.  Even when I'm watching TV I'm on my phone or computer for the entire time just repeatedly checking all my social networks for absolutely no reason.

I might have a small problem...

We didn't limit ourselves to no TV because I think we might have actually lost our minds (maybe we'll work up to it?) and about 13 minutes into blackout we honestly questioned how long we were going to make it.  Luckily I had prepared accordingly and had copied down my favourite mug brownie recipe in advance so we microwaved some brownies, popped 24 into the DVD player and sucked it up.  It took about a half hour to adjust but after that it honestly wasn't that bad.  Instead of being constantly stimulated by the phone or the computer I felt like I was able to relax a bit more and even though we were only watching TV we were more engaged in what we were doing and interacted with each other more.  There was a moment after our episode ended where I was lying face down on the floor and Keri was bouncing a tennis ball off my back but hey at least we were interacting with each other instead of on our phones right?

I honestly think that not being on my phone/computer all night up until I went to bed allowed me to fall asleep faster which was nice because I have been struggling with sleep lately.  I've even started trying (though not always succeeding) to limit my phone use even when we're not doing blackout to see what kind of effect that would have on my sleep schedule especially on nights where I work late and need to wind down quickly to try to get enough sleep.  We've done blackout a few more times since that first night and I'm thinking of making it a more regular thing (maybe just on weekdays or nights where we're both home), with that much time off the internet think of how many books I could read!

Canada Day

It's been a while since I've actually done something for Canada Day.  When you're from Ottawa Canada Day is a pretty big deal, there's always something going on and downtown basically shuts down for a big party and fireworks.  I always thought that Canada Day was a big deal everywhere but apparently it's not so my first few Canada Days in Calgary were disappointing; no one wanted to do anything special and just treated it like it was any other day.

This year my cousin/roommate's friend was visiting so we decided to make an effort to do something fun so we went and explored some of the things going on downtown in Calgary.

Me, friend, and the cousin

Our first stop there was a band playing.  I have no idea who they were, they're probably in town for stampede, but they were playing Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) so we stopped until that song was done.

There were a lot of tents set up when we first arrived selling clothes, and bags, and scarves and things and then also a whole bunch of tents selling art.

One of the first things I said after we got off the train was "I should have brought my camera." It was such a nice day (honestly one of the nicest ones I've experienced since moving to Calgary) and it was fun to explore parts of the city that we hadn't spent a lot of time in before and I wish I'd had something other than my iPhone with me to take pictures. 

Olympic Plaza an the Calgary Tower

There were lots of buskers out.  We stopped to watch this guy for a little bit and he was really cute and funny with this little kid while he was waiting for a crowd to form but then once he actually started juggling he dropped some balls on his first trick so we moved along.

We walked all the way along the riverfront and just enjoyed the sunshine occasionally stopping to check out different things that were going on and checked out the Peace Bridge for the first time. 

Peace Bridge - a very fancy pedestrian bridge

Shot of the river from the bridge

We then ended the day with some dinner and drinks on a patio but unfortunately we were home before fireworks because we had to get up for training the next day #athleteprobs.