Working on our new adventure

May 2, 2014
Well here we are into May already, we have sold our home and are looking for a park model home to live in during the Canadian summers, we are planning on doing similar in Australia later this year. So I need to get busy preparing things to be sold and some stuff sent back to Australia. The next few months are going to be very busy for us and I want to make the most of the time I have left at the gym as my membership will be ending in a few weeks, so it was off to the gym this morning and I did cardio as well as weights, I didn't get there yesterday as I was very sore and frozen from dental work that lasted most of the day. It seem to knock me about a bit and I think I am still a bit jet lagged after the week to San Francisco.

Hubby and I Under the bridge

Today's Quote:

Volunteer Wednesday

April 30, 2014
It is back to volunteering today at the Glebe, I have promised some pictures from our trip so I must get them ready and on my tablet for the oldies to see today.
I did manage to do some extra exercising yesterday and some weights as well, then it was off to my ART class, which I so enjoy, I am working on a sea scape with a lovely cottage in it, hope to do some work on it tomorrow as I have an early dentist appointment and will be froze most of the morning. 
I made some lovely muffins yesterday, low carb, no sugar and high protein, these are for my husband as I need to find him snacks he will eat that do not include sugar, its time to get his belly under control and before we retire completely. I am also going to encourage him to get out for a bike ride a few times a week.
Here is the recipe I used:

Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup Oats

1/2 cup Flax Meal

3 scoops Vanilla Protein Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

2 eggs

1/4 water

2 tps Cinnamon

2 tbsp Applesauce, unsweetened

1/2 tsp Vanilla

1/4 cup walnuts (optional)

1 cup Frozen Blueberries chopped in the bullet.

Mix together and put in muffin pan, bake 20 minutes at 325 degrees or until done makes 12 muffins at around 70 calories each.

Today's Quote:

I feel very determined right now:

 

April is drawing to a close

April 29, 2014
Well we are back from a great vacation, spent 8 days in San Francisco, caught up with some friends and saw so many great sights. It's always nice to have a tour guide where you are going and ours were wonderful, they put us up for 4 nights, showed us all the out of the way places that you probably wouldn't get to see. We saw the Golden Gate Bridge from every angle there was. So beautiful. 

 Golden Gate Bridge

They claim its always foggy in San Fran, but we had only one day of it and it was our last day there, so no complaints from us.

The Bay Bridge

I went back to the gym this morning at 6 am and did 45 minutes of cardio on the elliptical machine, I felt pretty good, I guess it was all that up hill walking I did while away.

I will do some weights later this morning and sit ups.

Glad to be home and back into the swing of things. 

We sold our house on Sunday to a neighbor, so retirement is coming closer for us, looking forward to spending some quality time with friends and family.

Wow where is this month going

April 15, 2014
Can't believe it's been 2 weeks since I wrote. The last couple of weeks were very busy. I was in Napanee for a week helping with my granddaughters, I tried to spend a few hours each day with my Mom and also catch up with some friends. When it was time to come home I did so with a tummy bug and managed to try out every gas station between Napanee and Ottawa and had it for a few days, I still felt yukky on the weekend.I tried to make time to go walking while out of town and did pretty good sticking to the eating plan, the girls like it when I come as I cook everything home made, for them its a treat to have a sit down meal and not be on the run, their favorite is spaghetti and roast beef with Yorkshire pudding. They each have 3 or 4. lol
Things are moving along with our house sale I think I have it sold privately and not through real estate, yippy.
Now to find a new place for our summer's here.
I was back to the gym yesterday and did 30 minutes on the elliptical machine and then did my weight routine.
I didn't over due it and I felt great when I left, I plan to head there a bit later on this morning.
I have Art class this afternoon and I have a new painting on the go. Its a busy week ahead with our trip to San Francisco coming up on Friday. Looking forward to the break. 
I did try a nice red wine last week while at a friends house it was Cupcake from California, I must try it while I am down there.
A shout out to my beautiful daughter it's her birthday today, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY STACEY!!!
Today's Quote:

 

Another week has begun

March 31, 2014
Well here we are at the end of March finally and today is a pretty nice day, the sun is shining and it feels warmer out. I am hoping that this is the start of things to come.
My arthritis has been so bad the last few weeks, I have been managing with 30 minute work outs for weeks now and doing some light weights at home after the gym.
So far so good I am coping, I get moving by having hot Epsom salts baths, they seem to get me mobile in the mornings, I can't do the 6 am gym times right now, as of Wednesday I will have a week off I am going to look after my Grand daughters, that should be enough exercise in itself.
I will do some visiting with my Mom and take some time to visit some Aunts and Uncles as well as my gimpy brother's. Two are down and out with hamstring tares and broken legs.
Looking forward to the week ahead.
Today's Quote:

TGIF

March 28, 2014
I am glad to see the end of this week and hope for some warmer weather for next week, the arthritis in my spine has been terrible this week and at times I have been unable to stand straight. A trip to the chiro and lots of ice and heat have helped, I just keep telling myself 5 more years of Tamoxifen, then hopefully the arthritis it causes will dissipate. I can only hope.
I did go to the gym yesterday it was late in the morning and did some cardio, and when I came home I did some light weights. I have been trying to find some exercises that I can do for my arms with out doing push ups as my shoulder won't take the pressure. I found a great you tube video from Livestrong.com and thought I would share it here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY1E28bcR6U these are exercise that anyone can do.

4 Best Home Exercises for those Flabby Arms

Staying fit and active during this age of computers and machines is extremely important. Especially since the generation is all about the easy way out.  With washing machines taking over hand washing, dishwashers replacing human hands and vacuum cleaners aiding manual work, one would wonder if we became lazier by the day. Will this laziness not lead to weight and health issues?  Our body will end up having flab all over giving us a feeling of sagging bulging loose flesh…  Are you repulsed by this flab over flow on your body?
Of course, yes!!! And witness to this is the increased number of fitness centres that help us keep fit and trim. But there is one part of our anatomy that is so stubborn that even the best of the fitness centers cannot help reduce it drastically! And those are our arms. It is very difficult to get rid of accumulated fat on our arms, owing to the lack of flexible space for our arms to workout.  But we all know nothing is ever impossible. So here come four of the best exercises to get rid of that unsightly flab. This will also make way for perfect toned arms!!!. And what better way than to do it at home without any need of sophisticated gym equipment.

1.The Windmill:Raise your arms in front of you at shoulder level, parallel to the ground. Now raise your arms upwards and rotate it backwards and down and front again in a 360 degree motion, like the blades of a windmill. Repeat this motion for twenty times forward and twenty times backwards.Benefits:  By the rotation, the upper arms and the shoulders get a thorough workout building strength in the upper arms, shoulders and neck muscles. The biceps and triceps get a toning session here.
2. The Wave Goodbye:
Raise your arms at shoulder level at your sides. Start waving your palms as if you are waving goodbye to someone. Keep your arms still, only move your palms. Speed up the process such that you wave about 100 times in a minute. Do three sets of 100 waves each. Benefits: The waving motion, keeping the arms still, creates a twisting motion in your arms, right from the wrists to the shoulders.  This way, you are stretching all your arm muscles, thus toning your entire arm at once. 
3. The Prayer Pose:Join your hands in a praying pose above your head. Bring your joined palms down to the front of your chest. Raise your joined hands again.  Repeat this up down motion for at least 30 repetitions. Benefits: When you join your hands together, your triceps are engaged. When you move your hands up and down, your biceps are engaged. This way, you are working out your triceps and biceps together therefore toning your upper arms with each repetition.
 4. Arm Stretches:
Raise both your hands above your head. Catch your right wrist with your left hand and your left wrist with your right hand, thereby interlocking your hands. Now with your right hand, pull your left hand towards your right such that your left elbow falls behind your head.
Release the pull and take arms back to center without releasing the interlocking. Now with your left hand pull your right hand towards the left such that your right elbow falls behind your head. Again release the pull and take hands to center. Repeat this for at least two sets of 20 repetitions each.
Benefits: When you interlock your hands, your triceps are engaged. Pulling the hands to the opposite sides creates a further stretch in the triceps thereby toning them. This exercise for flabby arms is great for those who have loose hanging fat on their triceps.
These four exercises are all you need to tone up those great arms of yours, and get in shape for a perfect sleeveless dress.The best part is all you need for these flabby arm exercises are your hands and nothing else. You can do these tiny workouts anytime and anywhere. Have a little spare time? Get to work on those arms.
Hope these help everyone.
Today's Quote: 

 

 

Hump Day

March 26, 2014
Wow another month almost done, where does the time go,, I figure we will go from winter right into summer.
I was at the gym on Monday and did the elliptical machine for 45 minutes and had to run as I had an allergy treatment. We had worked on getting rid of the chemo toxins from my body and I think it worked, I feel less nauseated, we also worked on the air quality of my bedroom, I always seem to wake up stuffy, so we thought that may be the culprit. I will know more in a few days.
Today I will go to the Glebe and spend some time with the ladies I have grown to love and appreciate, their stories are always so inspiring.
I haven't been able to go to the gym the last 2 days, I have been having a terrible arthritis flare up in my spine after painting to long. I did manage to almost finish the painting. Here it is below, have to put the shadows on the chairs yet and then its finished.

I was hoping for summer I think.

Today's Quote: