Nautical Gender Reveal Party

Last week I was completely overwhelmed with joy and gratitude as I experienced my very own gender reveal. 

I had seen the idea all over Pinterest but I never attended one nor did I have one when I was having my son. 

When I first learned about it I had seen a video of a friend who cut a cake found out she was having a boy. I was immediately brought to tears as I watched the video and I thought WOW, that must be a really amazing experience. 

I didn't think of doing anything but when I realized that our Florida trip coincided with me finding out the gender of the baby, I was game! My sister in law was thrilled that she was able to host the gender reveal as well as be one of the first people to know the gender :D I asked my OB to write down the results on a card that I sealed up and dropped of by a friend. And that friend told my sister in law. 

It was a very intimate gender reveal small, simple and we were surrounded by my cousins who I have not seen in forever and some of my immediate family. 

The first thing we had to do was pick a theme. Right away I knew that I wanted something nautical. I came across a picture on Pinterest that had a Mermaid and Fisherman theme. I did not like referring to the boy as a Fisherman, so instead I switched it to Sailor. 

I chose pink and teal for the colour scheme. Original the colour scheme I chose was coral and teal but we could not get the exact colour coral we wanted. So we used pink instead. 

I wanted this gender reveal to be all about Seth. I wanted him to do the reveal and let him know that this was for him and help him understand what was happening. The weeks prior to the gender reveal he and I spoke about him because a big brother to a little brother or little sister. 

I showed him the idea of the balloons and I asked him for his input and what he wanted to do for the reveal. He LOVES balloons and wanted to have balloons as a part of the reveal. So I asked him to chose the colours. He said blue and yellow (his favourite colour) for the boy and pink for a girl. So we went with that. 

My sister in law filled a box with balloons and ribbon and decorated it with brown paper. 

They have a beautiful courtyard in their house, with a walk out balcony from the master bedroom that over looks the courtyard. The perfect setting for our reveal. She hung the box from the master bedroom balcony. 

The CAKE

Can you say DELICIOUS! The cake made from a gluten free box cake and topped with a diary free icing.  

It tasted so delicious! 

She baked 3 cakes and stacked them one on top the other. In the middle she cut a hole straight through all three cakes and filled it with chocolate and bubble gum. 

Bracelets

I wanted to make a keepsakes for my guests. I found these beautiful charms on Amazon, a mermaid and a ships wheel. I used 10" hemp cord to make them.

Originally I wanted to do a double a double slip knot but I ran out of time for that so I went for the next best thing. My hubby (the sailor), Adam tied everyone's bracelets for them. He used a reef knot so they stayed secure and it was easy to be removed. It became a significant part of the night :)

Here is the list of decor and where we got them from. 

DECOR: 

Boat: Cracker Barrel

Mermaid: Marshalls 

Anchor: Khols 

Glass sand dollars: Cracker Barrel 

Glass seashells: Joanns Fabrics

Lanterns: Khols

Hemp string: Joanns Fabric 

Mermaid and Ship's wheel charms: Amazon 

Seashell chocolates: Cracker Barrel 

Wooden boxes: Marshalls

Thank you for reading my blog! I hope I have helped you with ideas for your gender reveal or one you may be hosting for someone else. 

A big thank you to my sister in law Doms and to all my cousins who attend. I love you all very much. 

Love you guys 

Kars 

Oven Baked Shrimp

This is one of my absolute favourite things to make, it is super easy and quick!

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of frozen uncooked shrimp (70-100 shrimp)
• Mrs. Dash
• Sea salt
• Black Pepper
• Organic Garlic Powder
• Cayenne Pepper or Chilli Flakes (optional)
• Worchester Sauce
• Organic, unrefined Coconut Oil

Materials:

• 1 large baking tray or 2 small glass dishes (pie dishes)
• Wax Paper
• Foil

Method:

1. Remove the frozen shrimp from the packaging and place into a stainless steel bowl. Let them defrost. 
2. Once they are defrosted remove the tails. 
3. Once all the tails are removed, wash the shrimp thoroughly with some water. Once the shrimp is washed you can start the seasoning process. 
4. Add organic garlic powder, Mrs. Dash, a sprinkle of sea salt, a sprinkle of black pepper and chilli flakes/ cayenne pepper (amount depends on your spicy/pepper tolerance) and a splash of Worcester sauce. Mix well
5. Let sit for about 5/10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
6. Spread some coconut oil in the bottom of the tray or glass dishes. I usually put a blob of coconut oil and then use my hands to spread it around the dish. Remove any excess.
7. Lay the seasoned shrimp on the tray/glass dishes. Lay each shrimp flat on the tray/dish. 
8. Cover the tray or each dish with wax paper and then foil. 
9. Bake for 20 mins. After the 15 mins flip each shrimp.
10. Turn off oven and let the shrimp sit in the oven for 3 minutes. This give it some extra colour. 
11. Remove from oven and enjoy! 

Meal Planning TIPS:

One bag of frozen shrimp will make enough servings for two people for a week (4 meals). What I usually do it is after its cools I portion out the servings so its just grab and go. A favourite of ours to make is shrimp salads. Each portion of shrimp is 1 red container (if you use the portion system) or 3/4 cup.

So we prepare our salads ahead of time as well. I typically do 2 green containers of veggies (if you use the portion fix system) or 2 cups of veggies.

The example below is spring medley and julienne/matchstick carrots.

Simple and Delicious!

WHERE and WHY my Journey Began

It’s been some time since I last shared my story, so I thought I would share it here on my blog. Enjoy reading!

Almost 2 years ago I started my health and fitness journey. I had no idea I would end up where I am today. All I knew was I needed to do something! I was not happy with how I was feeling far less looking.

Before I dive into my story I think I should rewind a bit.

In 2013 my whole life CHANGED! I became a mom! It was and still is the BEST and ABSOLUTELY most amazing thing that has ever happened in my life. I always knew that one of my main purposes in life was to be a mother and I am so grateful to God to have the ability to live out my life’s purpose everyday!

My son, Seth, was born on a beautiful Fall day in October 2013. I fell straight into the role of mom and I loved it! I was flooded with love and happiness for this amazing child. Adam, my husband and I were proud parents of a beautiful baby boy! We had no plans for what was to happen next but we were so excited to embark on this journey together!

My husband and I were first time parents trying to figure everything out as we went along. Oh did I forgot to mention I was also a full time Interior Design student in College! Yup! you read correct. I had just started my third year of school when I had Seth. I took 2 weeks off from  physically going into school but I was working on projects and assignments while I was home.

My goals at the time were to be the very best mom to Seth and to successfully complete my Interior Design degree. I felt like someone hit the fast forward button on my life the moment I had Seth. I only had time for Seth and school work. I barely slept (sleep! What’s that?) and I was working myself into the ground. I had absolutely no time for physical activity. (Mind you I was always active in my previous years, so being inactive was so new to me)

In 2014 when I entered my final year of College, the work load got even more intense. Regardless, I was determined and focused on my goal of successfully earning my degree. I was pulling crazy all nighters and I was not sleeping properly or nearly enough. The only time I took breaks was when I had to breastfed Seth, pump milk for Seth eat or bath. Yes, my schedule was CRAZY! Sometimes, I would fed Seth while working on my designs because I had to finish!

“You never feel like there are enough hours in a day!”

I breastfed Seth for a year and during the time I was breastfeeding I was very mindful of what I ate and drank. I did not risk eating or drinking anything that would upset Seth. That is one thing I made sure I paid particular attention to. However, when I stopped breastfeeding him my nutrition was all over the place. I started craving sugar in every form and I like most students, who work all hours of the night, I was not eating on time. I was eating cakes, cupcakes, chocolate bars you name it I was eating it. Which I found out later on was a sugar imbalanced that I had after breastfeeding.

In winter of 2015, my last semester, I turned to my husband Adam and said I can’t do this anymore, I am going to crash. I need to change something about my lifestyle, I am not taking care of myself properly and I am feeling the effects of it and I do not like it.

“My desire to change was greater than my desire to remain the same.”

Being the amazing husband that he is he was super supportive and 100% on board with me doing something. We are both from very active backgrounds so he knew how hard it was for me to not be physically active.

I found out that the Community Centre nearby had lane swimming during the week for an hour from 9-10pm. So I started going. Three days a week in the middle of a brutal winter, I would get dressed and walk 15mins to and 15mins from to the Community Centre to swim. When I went it was an hour I had to myself to swim my heart out. It became the thing I was excited to do. It was an intense session for me and everyday I went I tried to beat the number of laps I did the day before. I was in competition with myself and I loved it!

When I got back home it was shower time, eat and back to work for the rest of the night.

“I am a true believer that when you are ready and willing to make changes in your life God or the universe will place all the right opportunities in your path”

Shortly after I started swimming I was scrolling through Instagram one night and I came across a post that my now upline coach had shared. She was inviting people to Beachbody coaching. While talking to her I was completely blown away by the health and fitness aspect of the business. I had no idea who or  what Beachbody was, but I was intrigued by the homeworks and I wanted to know more. I wanted to be more active, I wanted to take better care of myself but I was so TIGHT on time. Enter Beachbody home workout programs. My coach and I chatted many times before I finally committed. I was determined to feel better about myself again, gain confidence and get back to being active.

“I knew if i did not take care of myself I could never be the best mom, wife or Kari and I would be doing not only myself but my family and injustice.”

I committed to the Les Mills Body Combat, 60 day program (which is no longer available through Beachbody). I chose this program because I had done the classes, many years before, in the gym with some friends and I loved it. Les Mills Body Combat and Les Mills Pump were the only things I used to like to go to the gym for. I didn’t like gyms for many different reasons but that’s a whole different blog post.

Anyways, I began the program and I committed to it for 60 days. I started from ground zero I looked sloppy, it was hard but I never quit. I pushed play everyday and I was determined to feel better about myself. I did not have weights so I used Gatorade bottles filled with water at first. Then I moved onto 2lbs weights! 2lbs can you imagine but it was my baseline. I did the whole program with 2lbs, 3lbs and 5lbs weights and I was so proud of myself.

I successfully finished the 60 day program, I dropped tonnes of weight, I was feeling great, I learned more about my nutrition and which foods were good and bad for me and I added Shakeology to my meal plan.

I was never a shake person and I was always skeptical about them. But I did my research on Shakeology and I committed to replacing one meal a day for 30 days, with the money back guarantee I had nothing to lose. Within, a week, I KID YOU NOT, I felt and saw the changes in my body and I was sold.

The biggest change I noticed that first week was my decreased sugar cravings. I did not go to the grocery or send Adam out to buy my chocolate, cakes, cupcakes etc. That was a huge change for me. The benefits have been beyond amazing and to this day I still drink it everyday. I stopped eating JUNK FOOD and started focusing on real food, my sugar levels balanced off and I gained energy that I did not know I had. It was amazing!

My husband, son and parents all drink Shakeology. I wanted to ensure that they were being taken care of the same way I was and still am. So no matter what, I know that their bodies are getting the nutrients it needs to keep them going.

From the moment I hit play on my first Beachbody workout my life changed. Even though I had just started my journey things began to change. I started feeling better, I was more focused and I felt like I was more present. I was not only taking care of myself physically but also mentally and emotionally. I knew I was doing something good for me by taking 30-45 mins everyday to push play (workout) and by replacing one meal a day with Shakeology.

“It is completely fine to take the time to take care of YOU!”

For me that’s what I needed, and my recipe for success was, Beachbody home workout programs, Shakeology and support. I needed to take care of me, I needed to grow, to learn and to realize that taking some time for myself everyday is OK! I realized that in order for me to take care of my family I had to take care of ME first! I have completed many other Beachbody programs since then such as 21 Day Fix Extreme, Hammer & Chisel & Insanity to name a few.

I am happy to say I SUCCESSFULLY completed my Interior Design program and graduated in April 2015 with my degree. It was a tough two years of my life but I will not change it for the world. I learnt so much about myself and I grew mentally, spiritually, emotionally and physically. I found and tapped into internal STRENGTH I never knew I had and I am forever changed. I know now more than ever that I CAN and WILL to GREAT things and I have the ability and STRENGTH to do anything, no matter how challenging it may seem!

"We are never given more than we can handle. We already possess the STRENGTH we just have to realize that it already exists and tap into it."

Thank you for reading my story I hope that you connected to some part of my story and that you realize you are not alone. Nor do you have to start and continue on your journey alone. I am here for you. When I started my journey I told myself if I could help at least one other mother feel that way I did then I changed a life and that to me is amazing!

The first Monday of every month I host an accountability group to help moms just like you find themselves again in a world that is so easy to become lost in. It is ok to take a few minutes out of your day to take care of you. It will make you a better mom, a better wife, a better daughter, a better sister, friend and stronger woman. You just have to TRUST and BELIEVE!

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If you would like to join my upcoming accountability group please fill out the form below.

I will be required to commit to a Beachbody workout, a meal plan and replace one meal a day with Shakeology. You will also learn about portion control, meal planning and goal setting as well as become part of a community of strong and supportive women.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=11iBqGiCK76dgexmIFQIuehOZjRlaG2q5SNvpMbSIlk0

I would love to have you come on board!

Talk to you soon <3

Polaroid Christmas Tree

If you own an Instax Polaroid Camera you know how fun they are to use. Here is a great idea I came up with for my brother’s Annual Christmas Party. This way you and your guests can have a blast snapping pictures and clipping them onto the Polaroid Christmas Tree.

Its is simple and fun to make!

Materials:

• Small 3M hooks (clear hooks and clear tape)
• Twine
• Christmas card hooks (I got these at Dollarama)

Process:

1. You need a wall or piece of a wall to use as your workspace. Make sure it is clean and dry.
2. Find the location of the middle of your workspace and that point will be the top of your tree. Place a 3M hook at this point.
3. Then take a piece of twine (length various depending on the size of the tree you want to make) and knot it onto the 3M hook.
4. Extend the twine to the left and the right to find the next two points of the tree. Then place a 3M hook at each point. Make sure to place all the hooks (except the one at the top) at a 45 degree angle. This will ensure that the twine does not fall off the hook.
5. Repeat step 4 each time going a little wider until you reach the base.
6. Finish off my knitting the twine onto the last hook.
7. Place the Christmas hooks randomly along the twine.
8. Use a wall sticker or any kind of Christmas decor for the tree topper.
9. Enjoy!

I got my Instax Camera on Amazon but you can get them (and the film) almost everywhere now: Amazon, Chapters, Michael, Walmart (just to name a few).

I would love to see pictures of your tree. Feel free to share them with me with me!

Personalized Candy Cane Decorations

For the last 2 Christmases I sent little gifts to Seth’s school for his classmates. We are not allowed to send cookies, treats or food items to school; a precaution for children with allergies. Which I am completely fine with.

I usually buy those craft packs from Dollarama but I found the last few times (Easter, Halloween) I bought them, there was one or two pieces that did not work well and we never got them 100% complete and I ended up buying something else. I think it may have been a design flaw.

Anyways, so this time I went onto Pinterest to see what ideas I could find. And I came across this candy cane decoration. I made a few little tweaks to what I originally saw. I loved the idea of having each child’s name on their candy cane. It makes it more personal and it will be something they can have for Christmases to come.

I got all my materials at Michaels Arts & Crafts. I used the materials listed below.

Materials

Red Beads

White Beads

Alphabet Beads

2 packs White Pipe Cleaners

Containers to place the beads. I used old ice cream containers

The only problem I encountered was I did not have enough of the letter A. I had to buy 3 packs of the letter in order to get all the names completed. I found that I got on average 9 letter A's in one pack of letters.

In total I made 30 personalized candy canes.

This is a fun activity you can do with your kids. Here is a quick video of me showing you step by step how I made them. Enjoy watching!

2016 Mattamy Christmas Gala

Adam & I before we left home

If you follow me on Instagram and Facebook you know that I work for a company called Mattamy Homes. On Saturday Adam and I were fortunate enough to attended the Mattamy Christmas Gala. Every year Peter (the owner) throws a grand dinner and dance for all his staff. This was the second year we were invited and it was also the second year we were both able to attend.

Adam arrived in Canada the day before the gala. We had some running around to do on Friday and Saturday in preparation for the gala. But with positive attitudes everything worked out really well.

We went shopping for a shirt for Adam on Friday and literally in 10 mins and hopping around between 5 stores we found one. We realized on Friday night that his zipper for his pants was broken and we needed to get it fixed or go buy a new suit. Eekk! So on Saturday morning we called Stitch It, they were so helpful, they said they would have it fixed and ready by 4pm. Perfect!

For me, I was worried about buying a dress that someone else might have. Last year I wore a dress that I had bought in Trinidad so I knew no one would have it. I looked around but did not find anything that caught my eye. Then one day last week I looked in my closet and found a really cute dress that my brother had bought for me for Christmas 2012 (before Seth was born). A dress that I had never worn! Perfect!

Saturday my mom and I enjoyed a pedicure at Tonyc Salon & Spa. We had a great time and enjoyed the quality time getting pampered. ( I will blog about that experience as well :) )

I could not get an appointment with my hairdresser for Saturday so I decided to do my own hair :)  wish I was very proud of.

Our outfits - check | Nails - check | Hair - check | Everything worked out really well.

The gala was decorated beautifully, the food and desserts was amazing (a 5 course meal) and I had the opportunity to introduce Adam to some of my new coworkers. I was also happy that I got to see people I used to work with in the Design Centre whom I have not seen since I made the move to downtown Toronto.

This night was so special as I reflected on how fortunate I am to have a job with an amazing company. A company where I have made some great friends that I treasure and a company where I have learnt so much and continue to learn more every day.

I am also grateful that Adam and I were able to attend the Mattamy Gala 2 years in a row! How amazing is that. With Adam’s job we are never guaranteed him being home at any point in time but with a positive mind and faith in God everything works out the way it should!

Spa date with mi mama

I had an incredible experience at the Tonyc Salon & Spa in Square One on Friday and Saturday. Of course I wanted to share this experience with you.

My mom and I booked appointments for a pedicures on Saturday and I booked a mani as well. Mom and I don’t get a chance to do any pampering together. So when Adam came and before she left we made sure to schedule a pedi date.

It only dawned on me on Friday evening that I should have done my nails on Friday so my mom would not have to wait for me while I did my mani. So I called the spa and they were able to take me Friday evening. No problem! I was very impressed.

It was my first time doing shellac, normally if I get a mani I like to do gels. But I wanted to try something new. The lady I got was Dianne. Super friendly and chatty lady. Her attention to detail was great and she was very helpful in helping me choose a colour to match my dress. After a bit of talking I figured out the colour which ended up being Teal lol … I love my Teal!

I was very happy with the experience and the service.

On Saturday my mom and I went to get our pedicure. The salon has accommodations for 2 people. A very cozy space with comfy chairs and mom and I were able to interact with one another while getting our pedicure. The girls we got on Saturday were Amanda (my mom always requests her) and Kristina. Both of them were super friendly. Kristina did a fantastic job on my feet and her attention to detail was amazing!

Things I loved about the spa:

I loved that they used all new materials on me. A new buffer, nail file, two separators and slippers. Everything is right in front of you to see. After the pedicure I was given the tools used on me. Great right!

I also loved how clean the spa was and how spotless it looked. This is something I do not make joke with. I am never impressed if I walk into a place and it looks grimy or I am not know if the materials and tools are clean. Cleanliness in a spa is super important.

I loved the girls we got they were super friendly and had a genuine interested in us. Their attention to detail was great.

I loved that mom and I had a nice little area where the focus was on us during the pedicures.

I loved that they offer you coffee or tea before they begin.

Enjoying my cup of tea

I definitely recommend Tonyc Salon & Spa for a great experience. If you go ask for Kristina, Amanda or Dianne.