Dinner Time!

Last night I got the urge to cook! I love cooking but I haven't been doing much of it because Gareth has been home and preparing lovely meals for me.
I decided I needed to finally pull out some of the amazing gifts we have been recieving. I decided on the rice cooker/vegetable cooker I got at my shower.


Let me just say, I love this thing!!

I cooked brown rice in it, which takes 50 minutes.

While that was simmering away I chopped up some veggies we had in the fridge-asparagus, zucchini & mushrooms (I chopped up spinach too but forgot to put it in). You can do this with any veggies, these are just the ones we had kicking around.


Here's me chopping!


This was going to be a vegetarian dish, but while the rice was cooking I found some taco beef already made in the freezer. I love taco beef so I'll make up a big batch and section it off and throw some in the freezer (esp since there is only 2 of us).


15 minutes before the rice was to be done, I threw in some veggies in there around the rice container.


Once everything was done, cooked and hot, I threw it all together, mixed in sweet chili sauce and added some cheese on top!


Then I remembered I wanted to put fresh tomoatoes on top.

And that was dinner! It was so, soooo good! Gareth and I really enjoyed it. I finally had to take the bowl away from Gareth so he would have enough for lunch today.

A few notes:

I was going to use salsa but we didn't have enough. But the sweet chili was so good!

You can do this with plain ol pots and it will taste just as yummy!

I think I'll start posting meals every once in a while! It's fun!

So there is one of my intentions, I cooked a good meal! The presentation wasn't the fanciest, but I used our prettiest bowl.

My friend from work and I walked at lunch again, which was so nice! And I had a good night's sleep.

I have been thinking about some things that sprung to mind when I was wacthing Sex and the City last night (love!) which I'm going to write about. Hopefully I'll post it today!

Have a wonderful day!

Shauna

Feelin Good!

So...one of my intentions was to figure out what makes me happy, write a list, and make sure I do something from my list everyday. Or try to. Because being happy is a choice, right?? And we have make choices that leads to said happiness...right??

So here it is. I'm going to post this on the side and, as always, I will forever be updating it.

• Eating healthy food
• Not eating too much (hate feeling over full and bloated!)
• Cooking a beautiful meal, including presentation
• A really good quality glass of wine
• Getting outside for at least half an hour
• Gardening
• Reading a really good book
• Going for a walk
• Having lots of time to get through my day…I love when I don’t have to rush
• A good night’s sleep…this might be the key to it all. It’s hard to do ANYTHING when I’m tired
• Having a clean house! Tidy surroundings allow for a tidy mind
• Visiting with a good friend…they’re so hard to come by. And by visiting I mean in person, none of this internet or phone business!
• Hanging out with my man
• Going somewhere new-this can be in the city too, a new store, a new restaurant, a new adventure!
• Travel travel travel!
• Doing something nice and unexpected for someone

It's going to be a juggling act, because it's tough to have enough time in your day to not have to rush...and get enough sleep....but still visit with friends and hang out with my hubby. But juggle I will, because isn't that's what life is?

So here's to being happy!

Much Love,

Shauna xox

p.s. Yesterday, I went to the gym in the morning. Then I went for a walk at lunch, for 50 minutes. I was careful about what I ate and felt great because of it. Then last night, I hung out with my hubby, at our really good friends place...with a bottle of wine. Sounds like a pretty great day, huh?

p.p.s. I finished The Firm last night!! I'll review tomorrow

New Name, New Game!

Guess what I did last night?!

I changed my name!! Like...not on facebook, not on email, not on my voicemail. I trucked down to the registry office and "assumed" my spouse's name. Did you know that's how it works?! You just go down to the registry, hand over your marriage certificate, driver's liscence and another piece of ID, and they put you into the system as whatever you want your last name to be. Okay, not whatever, but I could have hypenated, or whatever else you do when you get married.

I was all prepared to go through a legal name change! Guess not!

I had to take a new picture for my lisence. Not pretty! They don't let you smile anymore!! Come on, I only look good in pictures when I smile. I probably look like this in it:

So...I am now, officially, a Roughley!

Yay!

Confession Time

I have a confession to make. I have to go to the gym. I tried this whole going every once in a while thing, and it didn't work. I have gained a bit more weight back, and I am not happy. So back to the grind, back to the gym, back to the early mornings.

I have to do it. I feel so much better when I start my day off there. I know the exercise is part of it, but I also think it's because I'm surrounding myself with people that are trying to better themselves. Whether they are 110 pounds or 200 pounds, they are there for their health and to make their lives better. So it only makes sense that when I start my day off there, then I eat better all day, I drink more water, I am more concious of myself, of my body, and how I feel.

So back I go, back into the routine, back into the early mornings.

On a good note, I went for a run this morning! I haven't been for a run in months and months because of a foot/ankle problem. Got the go ahead from my doc, and I was out there this morning, like a bullet!!

Ok...not like a bullet. It hurt, and it was slow. We stopped every 10 minutes so I could stretch it out, as that is what will keep it strong. So stretch I did!

I ran about 4km this morning. I'm hoping to get back up to 6 in a few weeks. It will take some patience, so we shall see.

I just need to get back into a routine and get to bed early enough that I have enough sleep to sustain the early morning workouts. Otherwise I look like this:

I was just writing this blog while cruising some sights and I bumped into this article from Women's Health Magazine. It says that people work out more when they go to a gym. I knew I was onto something! (there is some other cool stuff in the article too!)

My eating the last couple days hasn't been the best either (hormones anyone?!). So I'm aiming to do better today and forever! Already doin better.

My friend from work and I even walked at lunch for 5km. Yay us! (Go Joc!)


As always, here's to health!

Shauna

Wedding Pics!!

Guess what, it's been ONE month since mine and Gareth's wedding!!! How crazy, man time flies, it's like it just happened. So just wanted to share a few pics of the beautiful, amazing, fun day we had. Here you are!

Getting married right on the beach in Alberta was pretty unforgettable. We had a lot of friends put in A LOT of work to make this happen.

For our guests to make sure they were cool and hydrated during the ceremony...so no beer, just water ;)

Daddy and me. I was holding on so tight!

The ceremony was so fun! We giggled and laughed and I hooted and made jokes through the whole thing. Why not right?! It suited us perfectly.

One of our 12 first kisses. I know...what?! It was the marriage commisoner's rule.

Mr and Mrs Roughley!

Mom and dad after Gareth and I sealed things with a kiss.

Check out our tent where we had the reception. Pretty snazzy hey?!

My dad hand carved the podiums for our MCs

The head table...check out the name tag holders...also courtesy of dad!

Our cake. unreal hey?! Our baker was crazy talented.

Our first dance...check out those moves!

I have some extreme hotties for friends...my 4 besties

My bro and me dancing...with a cup in his hand

And ya...I definitely jumped out of my uncle's boat the next day!! Everyone seems so shocked, but trust me, so fun! You only live once, so live it up! I'm pretty sure the water photos will be incredible.

So happy 1 month anniversary to us! Our day was just like us...amazing! LOL

Heres to love..ching ching!

Shauna

Weekend Home

Happy Tuesday, world!

It was a nice long weekend for me and my fam this past weekend, and we had a lot to celebrate.

It was our 20 YEAR anniversary of going up to our lake, Chump Lake. Can you believe it?! 20 years!! We started there when I was 4, and Gareth and I just got married there...well, a month ago today!

It was also Gareth and my one year anniversary in our first home, which we love dearly. So, of course Gareth and I had to pick up some champagne to help with the celebrations.


If anyone ever gives me a hard time about my "look" in photos, just remember this pic...it's the exact same look!! (this is my mom)

Gareth and I with our bubbly...and our smokies we were cookin on the fire. hehe!

We had 2 kinds of champagne, Baby Canadian Champagne, and Barefoot Bubbly. Definately preferred the Baby Canadian Champagne!

The weekend was a lot of fun with lots of visiting with family and friends as it is kind of the wrap up weekend. I will have some photos that Gareth and I took to share soon.

And of course, we tried to cook as much as possible over the fire.

Gareth baking some flat bread over the fire. I'm a lucky girl hey?!

My dad cooking our fajitas over the fire. Again, lucky girl!

I have some really good intentions for this week. I only made it to the gym twice last week, but I walked a lot, so I'm not too heartbroken about that. My eating was also pretty decadent up at the lake this weekend, so it's time for some healthy eats this week!

I've been writing a list of things that make me happy, and I intend to finish it, post it and then make sure I do/have one of these things a day. So stay tuned!

Plus...it's been ONE MONTH since the wedding. Time flies hey?! So I have a seperate post as a tribute to that. Comin up!

Muah!
Shauna xox

Tipping the Scales, Pt II

I left you hangin yesterday when I said I believe I have found a balance.

I believe my balance has come from learning to totally read my body. What it needs, when, when I should listen to my cravings, when I really shouldn't. What I need to eat to be satisfied, to be content, and what makes me feel gross and bloated and uncomfortable. I don't have an automatic "off" button. I don't stop eating when I am full, so I have to be constantly assessing how I'm feeling and if I need to stop.

I know it sounds exhausting, but it's not. It's amazing to know my body this well. It's amazing to finally understand that what I eat will dictate how I feel, and I can work out like crazy but if I'm stuffing my face it won't make a differnce. (Want some proof? Check out this article)

Trust me when I say, this is going to be a struggle for me for the rest of my life. Trust me when I say there are days I eat way too much, I end up feel gross, and I get mad at myself because I know better.

But more days than not now, I feel good. I eat fruit and veggies, I have a good glass of wine, and I go for a walk and enjoy being outside.

Now my balance needs to come into exercise. My goal is to not live in the gym. I want to learn to encorporate exercise into my everyday life, and be active with people so we can visit while we walk, or jog, or take a class together. I want to live my life, and I want to do so in the healthiest way possible.

So I'll keep you updated on how this never ending journey is going.

So here's to change! And life! And health!

Here, here!

Shauna xoxo