My new passion: cross-country skiing!

Have you guys ever tried cross county skiing? It’s so fun and SUCH a great workout! I haven’t done it since I was a kid and I’ve been having such a fun time with it. I usually go a couple times a week with friends and I always feel great after getting some fresh mountain air. It’s an incredible way to blow off steam after a long week and recharge for the next. There are some hills in Vancouver that are pretty advanced though so I must admit I was pretty intimated the first couple times. It was like down hill skiing the hills were so steep! I thought it was going to be mostly flat with some rolling hills…oops! My of my friends hated it and had to take off her skis and walk down one of the steepest hills. I did the same the first time and I am working my way up to skiing down it by practicing more on smaller hills first. Taking a steep hills your first time is not recommended haha!

What are some of your favorite winter activities? I would live to find more new fun outdoor activities to explore this winter season!

Best Hiking Trail Mix

As many of you know, I am an avid hiker. When in the mountains it’s so important to have lightweight and nutritious snacks on hand to keep you fueled during a long strenuous hike. I am a big fan of homemade trail mix – it’s so much better to make it yourself, taste of $ wise. I don’t’ like raisins and almost every store bought trail mix has raisins, so making it myself also allows me to customize it to my liking. 🙂

I found this recipe through Google and can attest that it’s SO good. 🙂

the best bulk bin trail mix

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of raw mixed nuts (I used 1 cup of almonds, 1/2 cup of pistachios, and 1/2 cup of cashews)
  • 1 cup of dried fruit (I used 1/2 cup of unsweetened dried blueberries, and 1/2 cup of sour cherries)
  • 1/2 cup of seeds (I used raw sunflower seeds)
  • 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

  • i find it easiest to add the  nuts, fruit, seeds, and chocolate chips into a large bowl, add the cinnamon and then toss well before I spoon it into an airtight jar, but there really isn’t a right or wrong way to do trail mix

Sincerely,

Jenni

Spa Water Recipes

My newest obsession is called spa water and it’s so good! Essentially fruit infused water and what could be better for summer? It’s so healthy to drink lots of water but sometimes when it’s really hot we want a little more flavour. Without reaching for sodas or juices which are FULL of sugar, I wanted to create my own healthy water at home that would be hydrating and thirst quenching. Enter SPA WATER!

Some of my favorite fruits, vegetables and herbs to add to water include:

  • lemon
  • lime
  • orange
  • raspberry
  • strawberry
  • cucumber
  • basil
  • mint

Here are some ways to combine the above into the perfect summer refreshing drink!

Spa Fruit Infused Detox Water

Ultimate Detoxifier:
Cucumber + Lemon + Mint Leaves

Sweet Watermelon:
Watermelon + Mint Leaves + Basil

Strawberry Basil:
Strawberry + Orange + Basil

Pineapple Mint:
Pineapple + Mint Leaves

Blueberry Peach:
Blueberries + Peaches

Raspberry Lime:
Raspberries + Lime + Basil

Cantaloupe Cucumber:
Cantaloupe + Cucumber

Fruit Virgin Sangria:
Peaches + Blueberries + Strawberries + Mint + Lemon + Lime + Watermelon + Pineapple + Oranges

Combine any of the above into a large water pitcher and allow to sit in the fridge to infuse for at least 30 minutes. Easy!

Sincerely,

Jenni

Getting in the Holiday Spirit

Can you believe the holidays are only weeks away?! Here in Vancouver Christmas never really feels like Christmas to me. The month of December is typically cool, wet and dark. We sometimes get snow but it’s never cold enough to last long before the rain washes it away. I also find the city isn’t that big into decorations and aside from a few festive attempts like a big Christmas tree – not much else gets decorated.

When I was a university student I studied in cities far from home, so once final exams were done I was on the first plane home to celebrate with family. This meant I never decorated my university home with Christmas decorations because I wouldn’t actually be there over the holidays. Now this mentality and tradition has carried onto my adult life. I often don’t spend the holidays at my home, so I never decorate. But it’s cyclical and as a result it never feels like Christmas! I don’t have a ton of space in my small condo or much storage space so adding decorations that are only used for a couple weeks a year feels indulgent and unnecessary. But I’m starting to question if I need to start some traditions to get me in the holiday spirit. I used to help my mom with a lot of Christmas baking, but when you live by yourself, it’s not really necessary to bake a bunch of goodies, even if you give them away to friends. I know I’ll just be tempted to eat way too many sweets!

Do you guys have any holidays traditions you can share? I would love to hear how others have created their own traditions to make the holidays special as I explore what to do!

Sincerely,

Jenni

Hiking in the Desert!

I just got back from an awesome hiking trip in the Grand Canyon!

So, I know you’ve all seen photos of the Grand Canyon. The thing is, there is something about the Grand Canyon that just can’t be appreciated unless you’re there, in person, witnesses it in the flesh! It’s like the canyon jumps out at you in four dimensions when you’re there. It’s pretty surreal.

Anyway, months ago my good friend, Lorea, suggested that we go on a hiking trip in May, before it gets too hot. We found a bunch of cool articles on the web about hiking the Grand Canyon and planned out own trip!

We spent day one hiking into the canyon and then camping along the Colorado River. It was amazing! Along the way there are a ton of people riding donkeys or mules down or up the canyon. As hikers, we felt a big smug about navigating the canyon on our own two feet 🙂

The Colorado River is a powerful river that offers plenty of great swimming spots, especially after a hard day of hiking in hot temperatures! Lorea and I found some great swimming spots, threw on our bathing suits, and let the cool water wash away our aches and pains.

That night, some park rangers held an interpretive walk through the park with ultra violet lights. What could that be for, you ask? Well, as it turns out, the Grand Canyon is filled with SCORPIONS that come out at night!

Turns out that the scorpions have something in their shells which makes them glow under ultra violet light. So, the park rangers took us through the park and shined these lights on the ground – revealing hundreds and hundreds of scurrying scorpions all around us! It was freaky but cool at the same time. Definitely made us very careful not to let any sneaky scorpions into our tent when it came time to hit the hay!

We spent the next day hanging out around the bottom of the Grand Canyon and enjoying some day hikes. There is also a great lodge at the bottom where they serve up plenty of great food. We didn’t bring much in the way of food (mostly lots of pasta and lightweight food), so it was great to enjoy some more fulsome meals!

We then spent day three hiking up out of the Grand Canyon. This was definitely the most challenging part of the hike! As difficult as it was, we were sad to leave. The Grand Canyon is such a magical place and we would have loved to stay longer. Oh well, there’s always next May! 🙂

Have any of you ever spent some time in the Grand Canyon? Let me know in the comments below! 🙂

Sincerely,

Jenni