Slippery Stairs and Mini Flu

We had an awesome snowfall Sunday night in Toronto and seeing that white stuff everywhere maked me so happy. 36 hours later the roads are perfectly clear but the lawns and boulevards are still covered in snow, so it makes me hopefully that we'll actually get a white Christmas. I've pulled out my ugliest winter boots with the best traction so Cooper and I can continue our evening walks safely.

Speaking of walking safe, I have to admit that I only pulled out the boots after slipping down all of my front porch stairs. I have road rash in two perfect lines across my upper and lower back, and a huge, purple bruise covering almost half of my butt. I felt pretty good about going to the gym yesterday night but midway through leg day my left glute was throbbing and tight so I stretched it out and switched to some low-impact cycling. I definitely could tell the difference between general discomfort and what felt completely wrong.

Last week I was so proud of myself for all of the work I had done in the gym but then on Friday night my plans to bake eight different cookie recipes were cut short when I started feeling so exhausted that I had to lie down. I ended up slowly finishing my baking over the course of the weekend, but I also took a lot of naps. It didn't feel like a full-blown flu but I'm not someone who naps easily so something was definitely off.

With less than two weeks until Christmas I have a lot of loose ends to tie up so thankfully the gym is keeping me sane and coffee is keeping me awake. Don't get me wrong - I absolutely love the holiday season - but man, it's draining!

Are you ready for Christmas?
Are you a fan of holiday baking? I went a little overboard and had to force my co-workers to eat some cookies.

December Woes + Pre-Holiday Indulgence

Christmas is three weeks away as of today. How crazy does this feel? Although we got a light dumping of snow last night it barely feels like December, and it's a little disappointing to hear we are expecting rain tonight, which will wash away all of the white stuff we have.

I only have a couple of gifts left to get, but I did stand in line for longer than I would have liked at Bath & Body Works on Saturday. They had their 3-wick candles on for $10.50 (Canadian) so I picked up a few for my sister because literally the only thing she wanted besides cash was candles. Go figure.

Ways it feels like December - I'm getting ready to fight my annual lip-battle. Cold, dry weather coupled with the stress of the holidays means I'm about ready for a nasty cold sore. I woke up this morning with dry, slightly swollen lips so I'm carrying my essentials in my purse hoping I can fight it off.

My favourite person on Snapchat is What's Gaby Cooking. Almost every Friday she posts a "Snapisode" where she shows you how to cook a recipe. Last Friday night I was lying in bed watching her make Snickerdoodle Blondies when I realized I had all of the ingredients I needed. The first batch was gone by Saturday night, and as of this morning we were halfway done the second batch. Definitely a new staple recipe.

Is anyone else already struggling with holiday indulgence? Snickerdoodles, Christmas parties, cold-weather comfort food (I ate grilled cheese two nights in a row last week, followed by a night of Thai food), and more is already making me feel more bloated than usual. I carefully laid out my meal plan for this week, got my water bottles ready, and am making the gym a priority this week.

December Goals

Like everyone else, I'm utterly shocked we've already made it to December. It felt weird to open up my advent calendar this morning (a new tea each day? Yes, please!) and watch my co-worker write, "24 Days Until Christmas" on our whiteboard.

Weirder than it being December, is that it's December and still six degrees. I get to keep wearing my cute fall, jacket and walk around in non-salt stained boots for a little longer.

Anyway, here are my goals for the last month of the year:

1.) Make a kick-ass Christmas dinner.
I've volunteered to make Christmas dinner for 10-12 people this year so my mom can relax. I'm a good cook but it'll be my first time making a turkey and having to time a meal this big. I've already started sketching out my plans so hopefully I'll be prepared on the big day.

2.) Make time for me.
December is going to be hectic. I have at least three Christmas parties and two Christmas dinners I can think of, plus picking up final presents, getting groceries for Christmas dinner, a beer tasting event with Michael, and a play with some girlfriends. I'm not going to feel guilty if I want to snuggle up with some hot chocolate and a holiday movie, or run three kilometers instead of five. I'm going to do what feels right and try to focus on how I feel mentally because this can be a tough time of year for struggling with depression.

My winter aesthetic: old lady - oversize sweaters and tapestry scarves

3.) Write out my training plan.
My next training cycle officially starts on Christmas Day so while I'm going to take December easy, I want to be prepared to run a strong, happy half-marathon in the new year.

4.) Do some Christmas baking.
I'm finalizing my list of Christmas cookies, need to write out an ingredient list, and pick up some cookie boxes so I can bake my face off and then deliver goodies to all of my favourite people.