Run Baby Run.

I set a goal when I was eighteen to run a marathon by twenty-two. Unfortunately I ran into health problems that left me unable to exercise at all for over two years. Now that I'm able to exercise again with no worries, I have reset my marathon goal. At this moment I am already twenty-two. It's my goal to run a marathon by twenty-five.

I've started running with my friend Michelle at different locations around our city. So far we're still working on a five kilometre route. It's SO far away from the twenty-six miles that make up a full marathon. 

I got myself some new Nike running shoes- the 2017 edition of the Nike Flex shoe. I absolutely love them and would recommend them to anyone. They're very comfortable and contour to my foot while still providing great support. I also invested in some new running pants, a light weight jacket from The North Face, and some sports bras from Sportcheck. 

Before running I like to fuel up with food and water. I'll drink a bottle of water and eat a meal with complex, slow releasing carbs about an hour to two hours before my run. Usually I have oatmeal. After a run I load up on vegetables, protein and, of course, water. 

The five kilometre route we're trying to master at the moment is a little walk-on-to island in our downtown area. Running around the entire island is just over five kilometres. Our first time around the island took us forty minutes as we had to stop and walk a couple times (and of course take nature pictures). 

We decided that our first race will be a charity run in our city that raises money for our local palliative care centre. We're entering in the five kilometre race! 

I'm loving getting back into running. I love the way it feels when I finish a run and my breath comes back to me and my legs are a little shaky. Endorphins are the best drug.

I'm excited to get back into running and share this journey with you all. Thanks in advance for your support. Any tips for getting back into running would be great!

April Showers.

As I do every exam season, I took I hiatus from blogging (and most social media). I think whilst in the time during exams and final assignments it's important to focus as much of my time and energy as possible to my education. Despite having my nose stuck in a text book for the majority of the month, I got to make some pretty great memories. I've rounded up my favourite phone pics from the month of April and I'm so excited to share them with you.

April was a great month! My break from blogging and social media paid off with a 3.95 GPA (almost that 4.0)! I can't wait to see what May, and the rest of the summer, holds for me. 

I wish you all an exceptional May.

A Big Change.

I am not a risk taker. I much prefer to play it safe and blend in to a crowd. A few weeks back my friends and I got our nails done and it felt like a big deal for me to choose purple instead of pink! 

I only told a couple people I was doing this because I was sure I'd chicken out. But when my friend Micayla reassured me to trust her, I let go and trusted the process. Check out Micayla's Instagram and give her the love she deserves! She's so talented. 

The inspiration was Zoella. I think her hair is stunning. However, I was nervous about going SO blonde. Because Mic knows me, she assured me that it wouldn't be a big change. When I looked in the mirror I was stunned. It's a HUGE change! But I do love it.

After the bleach I was quite concerned. To see only this picture was quite jarring! I was throwing up a lot of prayers at this point.

Once the toner was on I felt a lot more at ease. It was already quite toned down from the brassy mess it was after bleach.

I LOVE IT! I can't get over how different I look still. Every time I catch a glimpse of myself I don't recognize it as me. But I really do like this change.

Be brave ladies & show your true colours.

March Madness.

March has (already) come and gone and it was another great month. I find reflecting at the end of each month to be a very enlightening experience. It's easy to be bogged down by the negative happenings of each day- school, little arguments, bad weather etc.- but I find looking back at the photos I've taken on my phone allows me to realize how truly blessed I am. As always these photos have been primarily taken with Snapchat, so do forgive the poor quality. Without further adieu, here are my favourite photos from the madness that was March.

I found this quote on Pinterest near the beginning of March and it was crucial in my happiness this month. As I already mentioned the daily grind of life can wear on our souls, having this little reminder every day allowed me to remain positive. Tomorrow will always be kinder. 

My friend Michelle and her lovely puppy Sasha invited me for a walk downtown. It was little bit rainy but the grey sky against the melting snow provided a beautiful landscape shot. Sasha was an absolute blast to watch as she ran ahead chasing squirrels. 

I got to spend a few days this month with my cousin and her little guy, Caleb. He's such a blessing to be around. He's always happy, smiling, and babbling away. He's a cuddle bug which is just fine by me! I'm excited to be able to spend more time with him and my cousin as she and her family are moving to our end of town!

As always Oakley and Duke have to make their appearance. Life is nothing without dogs (in my opinion anyways haha). Oakley is my boyfriend's family dog, and Duke is my family's dog. They are both such kind souls and they are always great walk partners and cuddle buddies. 

My mom's birthday was toward the end of the month; on March 28th. Her party was a blast, it's always nice to get all the family together for a celebration.

Josh started a new full-time and forever job at the steel plant here. He spent most of the month working 6pm to 6am, which only left about 3 days for us to have dates. Despite him being so busy and exhausted, he made sure that even if he wasn't up to going out, we still got to see each other as much as we could. Our 3 date nights were all great, but this one was my favourite. Despite how awful I am at it, I love playing pool with him! We went out this night with another couple and had an absolute blast. Let's just take a moment to appreciate how sexy he looks!!

With Josh working so much, I've had a lot more free time on my hands. Although I do miss him, I'm grateful to have more time to spend with my girlfriends. If I put pictures with all of them this would be an exceptionally long post, so I chose these two. The first picture is with Jess who I reconnected with this month. We were quite close in primary school and high school but fell apart when our lives went in different directions. The second photo is with Brianna who is a new friend. She's dating Josh's best friend so naturally we've spent quite a bit of time together. I'm so thankful that she's such a cool girl!

March was a busy, quick, and amazing month. I can't wait to see what April has in store.

What's In my Kate Spade Handbag?

"I think playing dress up begins at age five and never truly ends." -Kate Spade

I bought this Kate Spade bag from Winners about a month ago now. It was an absolute bargain at only $129.00! I couldn't resist. 

Now that I've been using this bag a month, it's gotten to the point where it needs a bit of a clear out. I thought while I did this I may as well share what I keep in my handbag!

As you can see, my handbag was in sure need of a clean out. I tend to shove receipts and papers into my bag and forget about them until they're piled up so much I can't seem to ever find what I'm looking for. The bag is a great size. It holds everything I need it to without being a tight squeeze or having tonnes of extra space.

To start: the trash. I've got a couple receipts and an old shopping list. Along side this I have the wrapping from my new Sears points card, last weeks church bulletin and the ticket stubs from the last three shows I went to (Rogue One, Logan, and Beauty and the Beast).

I would consider these items my necessities. I think every girl carries spare tampons in her handbag, if not for herself but to save a friend in need! My EpiPen is obviously a must with my plethora of food allergies. Lastly I always carry hand lotion as my hands tend to get so dry they crack if I'm not quite liberal with the lotion. I usually also have a pen and chapstick but I'm not sure where they've run off to.

I'd consider these items to be miscellaneous. I mean, you never truly know when you'll be in need of a USB stick so I carry one with me at all times. When I get change back from a cash transaction, I typically throw it in the bottom of my purse... whoops!

These items are not exactly necessary but I don't go anywhere without them. Wrigley's Doublemint is my all time favourite gum! I like to carry the Polaroid camera Josh bought me because I never know when I'm going to want to take a photo with it. I'd rather have it with me and not use it than wish I had brought it along. Finally, my sunglasses are a must. I have quite sun-sensitive eyes and I like to have my sunglasses for driving and spontaneous walks.

Lastly I, of course, carry my keys and wallet. I keep my keychain minimal with just my fob, car keys, and house key. Josh bought me this Matt & Nat wallet for my birthday and I'm obsessed with it! It holds everything I need and is absolutely stunning.

I hope you enjoyed seeing what's in my Kate Spade bag. Are there any other handbag necessities you have that I don't? Please do let me know!