talalifestyle

[talalifestyle]

Off to the gym and loving our side walks on #castelneau #villeray #geometric #chevron #monquartier #lovely #mycitymyhome

[talalifestyle]

Best salad ever!!! Why? Because Vic made it with love for me this morning! He even made me my latte! #madewithlove #marriedawinner #lazymorning #myhero #thelittlethings

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From dust to glam! Another crazy demolition day! Now for a lobster dinner with dear dad! #strengthofawoman #dusty #cleansupnice #glamshot

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Chanel Saturday, demolition Sunday. #anythingyoucandoicandobetter #likealady #chanelsaturday #demolition #chanel #strengthofawoman

[talalifestyle]

Happiness through Hugo

I can’t believe May 18th marks one year since I became a Mom (it’s an official title that deserves a capital “M”), and Vic and I became Parents (Parents gets a capital “P” too). We lost Hugo 26 hours later, but still consider ourselves lucky and grateful to have had that time with him! 

I found peace by writing and sharing my blog posts, and unexpectedly it also ended up connecting me to others who have grieved similarly (got to love social media!). 

Victor, generally more reserved (we’re a balanced couple), shared my posts but never posted his own experience. But today, almost one year later, he has shared the most incredible and authentic recap (read here) of those emotional days in the hospital with our son, from his eyes; making me even prouder, than I thought possible, of the man I am lucky to have by my side.   

In Hugo’s memory, we are honouring his first birthday by donating to the Children’s Wish Foundation (Quebec) in his name. Hugo won’t get to blow out his candles and make a wish, but at least, as his parents, we can help other kids get their wish. If you would like to join us in bringing happiness through Hugo, you can donate here. Please share with everyone! 

Talaxo 

[talalifestyle]

Mango strawberry cold pressed juice! Didn't even mean for it look like a rainbow! #coloursoftherainbow #fruitrainbow #breville #fresh #sweet #cleanjuice #juicer #fruits

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All the goodness of my #auxvivresrestovegan Buddha Bowl was made that much better with the amazing company of @laurenlobley. It had been way too long since I ate at this amazing #vegan restaurant with all its #hearty #delicious #organic menu choices! Thanks Lauren for reminding me how amazing this place is :)

[talalifestyle]

My friend asked me if I wear headbands when I work out, so sent her this photo and responded : I think the question should be- do I wear all my headbands when I workout!? The answer is no, but I swear this could become a trend. Do you wear headbands when you workout? Which is your favorite? My fav, in the bunch is my flashy neon yellow. It's light, stays on my head and adds to my speed! #flashy #headbands #lululemon #workoutinstyle #sweatcontrol #accessories #whichisyourfavorite

[talalifestyle]

Happy St.Patricks Day!!! I realized this morning that I have no green clothing! Thank goodness the girls in the office know how to accessorize! #saintpatrick #areyouingreentoday #green #youngatheart #funatwork

[talalifestyle]

Find a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck! And with pennies no longer being made, I'd say finding them makes you even luckier ;) #luckypenny #youngatheart #luck #spring

[talalifestyle]

Unfortunately keeping your head in the snow, or under the covers never stops Monday from happening. #Monday #hidingdoesntsaveyou #enough #why #weekendisover #getacoffee

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Sunday morning breakfast in bed surprise! Such a lucky lady! For the men out there, this is such an easy way to make your wife feel special and loved! #besthusband #justbecause #breakfastinbed #lazysunday #love #lovingrelationship

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It's Friday!!! Woohoo! #frog #cowboy #beatlerodeo #tgif #itstheweekend

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OMG! My intention is try these for Valentines day. Who is with me?! These might actually be easier and cuter than the chocolate bars I was going to make...

It's on the record: I am going to try these, and make a couple of chocolate bars for this weekend. 

Valentine’s Day Chocolate Covered Strawberries! - These tasty vegan, superfood-infused flavors take this classic dessert treat to the next level! Easy to make and delicious to eat…RECIPE

[talalifestyle]

I'll be trying this out this weekend!! Yummy, healthy, and you're eating chips!! It's a no brainer.

Homemade Baked Sweet Potato Chips, healthy, easy to make and only 3 ingredients…RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

1 sweet potato

1 tbsp coconut oil

sea salt 

[talalifestyle]

Sometimes a man just wants to be one with the floor. #dontask #withoutexplanation #playlistjunkie #onewiththefloor #macbook #saturdayafternoon

[talalifestyle]

My 2015 "Ah-Ha Moment"

To think that 2014 is over and 2015 is already 11 days in still blows my mind. The year flew by, and now there are only 354 days left in 2015! This year I really didn’t think much about resolutions or what goals I was setting for myself. Lets face it, how many of us have actually made a resolution and kept it?

It wasn’t until I was in New Jersey spending New Years with one of my oldest girlfriends that I was ‘forced’ to think about it. On the 31st of December we decided to go for a 9am yoga class to send off 2014 on a healthy note, and ring in 2015 with a little muscle soreness (the good kind you get after a great workout). The instructor, before class, told us - write down one thing you want to get rid of (my loved beyond repair Top Shop military booties wasn't what she had in mind), or one goal you have for yourself. Silly as this exercise was for me initially, I was at a loss for what to write down. So I sat there in my own stillness and wrote down the first thing that came to my mind: I was going to get rid of judgment. Lofty, I know, because as good a person as I think I am, I judge. It’s horrible, but it’s human nature. But I realized in that precise moment, that if I was going to be less judgmental I needed to start by being less judgmental of myself. So I also wrote down: Love myself. From there I realized, that a lot of the times our judgment also comes from a lack of understanding and a choice not to listen. My family is notorious for interrupting. We are loud and stubborn and these are exacerbated when we think we are right. The problem is, lately it’s getting out of hand and it’s negatively affecting our familial relationships. The solution is simple: stop talking over people and truly listen. You might learn something. If I listen, I’ll have a greater chance of understanding, which will in effect then make me less judgmental (nothing new, but somehow it resonated so loudly within me I could have burst).

Photo: Thank you Stephen Covey!! roycewhite.com

So there I had it: I had come full circle and now had 3 things on my list: Judge Less, Love Myself, and Listen First. After the class we were told to hang on to the paper if we had written a goal, and ceremoniously burn what we wanted to get rid of (right there in class). So I had to carefully tear my paper in 3- burn judgment, and keep love and listening.

I wrote these down not actually thinking that they were resolutions or goals that I would necessarily keep. In that moment, they were things I became aware of and their interconnectedness was my own personal an ‘ah-ha moment’ (Thank you Oprah for coining this phrase). If you have ever had an ‘ah-ha moment’, it sticks. You can’t undo it, or forget about it, because it has completely changed your perception, it changes you.

Oddly enough, loving myself is one of the toughest, but it’s a daily decision to speak to myself with love, affection and respect. From there, everything else follows.  

Photo: metaphoricalmarathon.com

So in this New Year, I didn’t make a resolution or set a goal. I ended up with an impromptu ‘ah-ha moment’ that was more powerful than any resolution. When your ah-ha moment comes (and we all get them if we are honest with ourselves and still enough to hear it) may it bring you clarity, peace, and a resounding 'AH-HA!'

Happy and Healthy 2015 to you and yours.