As a trainer, one of the most important, and often most overlooked ways to help a client improve their health, fitness performance, and reduce injury, is sleep. Yes, you read that correctly. S-L-E-E-P! Sleep is a key factor for our overall health, especially when it comes to healing, muscle recovery and the production of healthy hormones to keep us motivated and energized throughout our day. But sleeping, like many things, if often times easier said than done. One of the major challenges I see effecting my clients sleep patterns is an increase in stress levels. The a few of the top contribut ..read more

For many of us, the idea of cardio or working out is filled with images of sweat filled rooms, feeling like you’re running out of oxygen, or torturing your body through another round of hell! Although high-intensity training can be beneficial for your fitness journey, it’s not always the best thing or the necessary thing for our bodies. LISS training has become a common word in the fitness industry to describe low-intensity steady-state training, or a method of cardiovascular exercise in which you do aerobic activity at a low-to-moderate intensity for a continued, or often extended period of ..read more

  A couple months back I met with Joy from Raha Roho about creating some pieces for our home that would become staples for us, travel with us, and add comfort to new spaces if life had us transitioning into a new rental property (it’s been 3 in 3 years, just in case you’re counting;). At the time I had no idea that a couple months later we would be moving on to a new home in Port Moody that we would fall in love with…More on that later! I sent her vision boards, colours and styles I felt would would transition well with new homes, and the pieces needed to be able to hold their own against 3 ..read more

It seems crazy that we are already talking spring fashion, but secretly I’m excited. Warmer months and a slight decrease in Vancouver’s rain is something this sun-lover is definitely not sad about. Spring is also one of our favourite seasons to take some time off and head to California for a break from work to re-fresh our little family.  This year, as we plan our flights and accommodation’s for Palm Springs and Southern Cali, I’ve also been planning ahead for some new pieces in my wardrobe and accessories that will not only help to pull things together, but also add a fun touch. I decided t ..read more

When I started working with IRIS 2 years ago, I honestly thought the relationship would go as far as finding glasses that fit my face well and supporting a local company. But when I decided to do this re-cap post I realized this relationship became so much more then just learning about how to buy the right pair of glasses. In the process of finding the right pair of glasses for not only myself but also my whole family, I’ve also learned from the Doctors as our local Iris how I can be fuelling our family better to support our eye health, how to protect our eyes against blue light rays to supp ..read more

Photography by Meghan Bustard I call her “The Wizard”! Just over a year ago I met Christine Leblanc. After creeping her work on Instagram, I fell in love with the way she orchastrates the use of colour and sees every cut as an opportunity to work the magic of her scissors. I started seeing Christine after my hair had been butchered. It had been a natural healthy brown colour, but was turned orange, yellow and then green at its final stage of frying. Those were some humbling hair days! I look at my hair now and I cannot believe how healthy and strong it is! I also have never been happier wit ..read more

As we make the full transition into warm sweaters and heavier jackets protect to our bodies from the cooler temperatures and change of season, it also is the perfect time to think about investing in quality sunglasses and eyewear. In the past, as the days got colder, I would instantly think it was time to start putting my sunglasses away and have them re-emerge once the temperatures started increasing again. But over this past year working with the, I’ve learned the benefits of keeping sunglasses part of my fall/winter styling routine. We have all had the moments of driving in the winter whe ..read more

We started practicing mindfulness with our kids last year when we moved into a 1200sqft condo and no longer had the outdoor space to let them run off steam. We realized after a couple mornings of deep breathing, slow movement and encouraging focus. How much calmer the mornings were. Now we are by no means crushing the mindfulness game as parents! Some weeks we forget, some days we spend calm time doing anything but being calm and other on other days I’m amazed by their connection to their bodies and what they need. Although we have now moved again and have a larger yard to encourage outdoor p ..read more

You might be skeptical that peanut butter and pumpkin could be a good combo. But it truly is! The ratio of peanut butter and pumpkin in these cups is perfect. These small bites of heaven are covered in a hard chocolate shell and filled with a creamy, mouthwatering filling that tastes like pumpkin pie and a hint of peanut butter. Everyone needs a little pumpkin goodness in their lives, you really can’t go wrong. If you happen to have a nut allergy, subbing the peanut butter with a sunflower butter would most likely work here (although I have not tested it). But the sunflower butter would still ..read more

Vegan Carrot Soup  A big bowl of soup is always my go-to meal. It’s such a good way to load up on your veggies and it warms you up just right! Today, I have a delicious Vegan Carrot Soup for you! It’s creamy, loaded with herbs, and it’s flavor packed. Sip your way into the colder weather with this recipe. This would also be a delicious way to start your Thanksgiving Feast! The best thing about soup recipes is that they are so easy to make and this healthy carrot soup is no different.  It takes less than an hour to throw together and most of that time you can just relax. Pour yourself a glass ..read more