Escaping to the Wakefield Mill

Happy Friday my friends.

We’re all busy. Busy, busy, busy. About a month ago, I was sitting on the couch at home, sipping on a glass of wine and thankful. I was thankful that the week was over. The week had been busy, the kids had been fighting and whining and I had “had it”! I needed a night away. Away from “the busy”. So, I immediately texted my girlfriend and told her I needed a night away. In a heartbeat, she was in. I knew she would be, she needed it as much as me. We all need our me-time, our space to breathe, escape the demands that life brings and just be. When the Wakefield Mill invited me to spend the night, I knew that a Girlfriends Getaway was born.

The Wakefield Mill is only about 30 minutes from Ottawa in the beautiful town of Wakefield. Tucked into the Gatineau hills, it’s a beauty.

 First stop. The spa. Lisa and I both had a massage and pedicure.  I’ve had a lot of massages and this was by.far.the.best relaxation massage I had ever had.

There was something ritualistic about it and it was amazing. I felt like butter under those magic hands.

We finished off our pampering with a pedicure, looking out through the beautiful glass windows and the pouring rain. Having the rain stream down the windows and the sound of the rushing waterfall outside was exactly what Lisa and I needed. Away from the busy, away from the demands of life. Just the girls. Girl talk. Girl time.

Our dinner reservations weren’t until later in the evening so we spent the rest of the afternoon lounging in our robes, drinking vino and we watched a girly movie in our room J Can you guess what we were watching? So good!

The Wakefield Mill has a number of different rooms to choose from: Heritage, River Grand & Park room. We stayed in the Heritage Room with a queen bed and futon. While our room was fine, I would recommend choosing one of the others. We felt a little tight in our room and didn't love the idea of a futon for a third guest if there was one.

Muse is their fine dining restaurant. Delicious. Delicious. The staff were wonderful and the food was incredible.

Morning was lovely. Quiet, relaxing...bliss. Breakfast was delicious. Filling, rich...yum. We both treated ourselves to the eggs benny. The food truly is amazing here.

 We finished off our getaway by poking in and around the little shops of Wakefield.

I even found my hardware for the basement :) More on that later.

Overall, we were only gone for 24 hours but we came back to our families feeling rested, refreshed and happy. The Wakefield Mill is a wonderful gem for the next time you need to escape "the busy".

 Keep it Beautiful.

Have You Heard of Scleroderma?

Hi guys,

I wanted to tell you about someone that I don’t think I’ve mentioned before on the blog. Her name was Matina “Tina” and she was Mr. Fix-It’s mom. I met Tina a long time ago at one of the most special places in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It's called The Waegwoltic Club. It’s a swimming, tennis and sailing club for families. It’s amazing! It’s the kind of place where you would see your parents at the beginning of the day, and then at the end when you’re filled with sand, water-logged and sun-kissed. It’s a safe, friendly, beautiful place and my family would spend our summers there. It's there I met Mr. Fix-It and his family when I was 12 years old. Although Mr. Fix-It and I didn’t date from when we were 12 (obviously!), we always hung around. Every summer. We swam on the same swim team, travelled in the same pack, had summer teenage “love drama” and then I would go back to Ontario at the end of the summer and we would re-unite again the following summer.

Over the years, I got to know his mum and dad very well. A fantastic couple that loved their family very much. Tina had a disease called Scleroderma. Heard of it? Probably not. Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease with no known cause and no cure. It’s very rare and affects only 1 in 906 people, mostly women. The body’s own system attacks the tissue. Tina had it for a long time and in 1998, Tina died at the age of 50. Mr. Fix-It was 19, his brother 24 and his dad was now a widow. As any story, when someone dies too young, it was heartbreak.

I really love this photo. Tina gave it to Nick's dad when they were dating. Love how she signed it.

I was 18, the last time I saw Tina and she said to me, “Ali, I know you will marry my son”. I’ll never forget those words and she was right, seven years later I did.

There are many diseases out there like Scleroderma that are rare, vicious and most people don’t know anything about them. It’s incredible how the research has advanced since Tina was diagnosed, however because so few people are aware of the disease, researchers don’t always get the resources they need.

However, I was so happy to hear that June is Scleroderma Awareness Month. Neither Mr. Fix-It nor I had any idea until now. Tina’s birthday was also in June (just this past weekend) so it seems fitting.

If you are interested in learning more about Scleroderma, you can read about it here and I encourage you to take the pledge to tell one person about it. It has no cure and we need to find one.

We talk about Tina to our kids as they sometimes ask why Daddy doesn’t have a mom. It’s a hard thing to explain to little ones and Mr. Fix-It’s heart swells with sadness when he has to tell them why. However, her gentleness lives on in her son and she would be so proud of everything that he is.

Keep it Beautiful.

“Disclosure: I am part of the Scleroderma Awareness

Campaign with Influence Central and I received

special perks as part of my affiliation with this group.

This is a disease that is near to my

heart and I want you to know about it.

The opinions on this blog are my own.”

Who Doesn't Have the Sickies These Days?

Hey everyone,

Has your house been blasted by this crazy flu virus or versions of it? Over Christmas our middle guy had double ear infections and last week it was our baby girl. As of yesterday, its me. The mother ship is going down! Ugh. I think mine is strep throat. Gross. It's aparently a really bad year for the flu. Gross again.

I'll be up and running again soon. Wanted to talk about winter decor this week, a little recipe deliciousness and more. Fingers crossed! For now, I'm going to the doc and then my bed!

Keep it Beautiful.

Holiday Gift Guide- NORDIK SPA-NATURE WINNER!

Hi guys! Remember me? I'm sorry I've been MIA. I've been trying to stay afloat, like all of you, making my list and checking it twice! Phew! I've been on maternity leave so much in the last few years that I forgot how to manage my holiday schedule and work a full time office job. I'm sorry to have abandoned you all. I had so many holiday plans, crafts and décor to share with you but this year, I just couldn't produce fast enough with the amount of hours in a day. Being better organized is definitely one of my 2015 goals. I digress.

However, I know you have all been waiting to hear the winner of the fab Holiday Gift Guide Nordik Spa Giveaway

This is a fab prize. $200 gift card to Nordik Spa-Nature. If you've never been, you can hear about my experience here and it's a must if you live in the Ottawa area or are here for a visit. So fantastic for the soul.

This has been the most popular giveaway on Keep It Beautiful. Thank you all for entering. Keep entering into the contests when you see them.

THE WINNER IS....

BRENDA MCNALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Woot! Woot! Congratulations Brenda. I hope that you will find some time during the holiday season or the New Year to visit Nordik Spa-Nature and enjoy all the relaxation it has to offer.

 

Well my friends, again I apologize for missing two weeks of what feels like one of the most important times in a home design & lifestyle bloggers year...the holidays! I remember when I worked in the magazine industry for a short period of time, we started our holiday edition in August. I'm thinking next summer, my brain is going to have to start going there. Yikies.

 

I won't leave you completely hanging. I have a little bit of a Christmas house tour to share with you sometime later this morning :)

 

 

Keep it Beautiful.

Holiday Gift Guide - Nordik Spa-Nature GIVEAWAY!!!

Hey everyone,

As promised, it's the first day of Keep It Beautiful Designs' Holiday Gift Guide.

Do you love the spa? Silly question. How about, would you love to be gifted a day at the spa? Or an evening at the spa under the stars? Surrounded by snow covered trees? Ummm, yes please!

I had the opportunity to be a guest at Nordik Spa-Nature and I thought I would share my love about it. Nestled in the entrance of Gatineau Park, Quebec (10 mins from Ottawa) is North America's largest spa. Cool eh? It has 7 outdoor baths, 8 saunas, infinity pool, restaurants and lounges. My friends, if you haven't been, it's gorg.

Nordik Spa-Nature kindly let me bring a guest too. Meet my mom. It was her birthday :) Do we look totally relaxed and sleepy?

If you have a spa lover on your list, here is the awesomeness you need to know:

We arrived at the spa around 10am (entrance to the spa is first come-first serve) and they give you your towel, robe (you can rent them for $11, or bring your own) and locker bracelet. All you need to bring is your bathing suit and acceptance of total relaxation.

We were surrounded by the gorgeous fall colours, but when it snowed today, I thought about the lucky folks sitting in the hot infinity pool, overlooking the Gatineau hills in the winter white.

I'm not sure who that guy is, but the view is pretty spectacular.

The concept is the "thermal cycle". Hot, cold, rest, repeat. The hot makes you sweat, eliminating toxins. It is recommended you stay in the hot for 7-15 minutes (depends on which "hot" you are in). The transition from hot to cold produces a thermal shock that closes the skin's pores and releases adrenalin in your body. After thermal shock, rest helps eliminate the adrenalin in favour of endorphins, which makes you oh-so-happy and relaxed. You can rest in the Adirondack chairs surrounded by a warm fire, hot stone beds, relaxation rooms, outdoor hammocks and lounge beds. Yes, I said lounge beds. Amazing.

Click here to learn about their 8 saunas. As well, they have this very cool ritual, called Aufguss in the Finlandian Sauna. Very cool.

At lunch time, we were pampered in the restaurant (FYI...you eat in your robes, all warm and cozy. Heaven) with a delicious lunch and wine. We never felt rushed, the food is magnificent and our glass was never empty. I've been to Le Nordik Spa-Nature with Mr. Fix-It before in the summer time and we sat out on the patio in our bathing suits sipping on sangria and enjoying a cheese plate in the sunshine. Every season has it's perks at the spa.

A treatment that we also experienced was unlike anything I have done before. It is called the Källa treatment.

Källa is a large salt water pool dug 5 meters deep into the rock. Filled with water saturated to 12% of Epsom salt, Källa invites you to the extraordinary experience of weightlessness in the quiet.
If you’ve ever experienced the Dead Sea, you’ll appreciate floating in Källa even more. Here, only the most carefully selected and balanced magnesium salts are used. There are two in the world, this is one of them.

Mum and I both felt that this was one of the coolest experiences we have ever had. Essentially, you feel like you are in zero gravity. At first, it was a little daunting. You go  under ground into the dark pool with changing blue, green and red lights. There are 20 floaters max at one time. This is what you see when you go down.

Yup, it's different, seeing random people floating in a dark concrete pool, in total silence. However, the experience is incredible. Marianne, our host, told Mum and I that if we didn't feel totally relaxed about letting our whole surrender to the mindless float, to go back up to the baths and try again. Honestly, it was the best advice. The first time we went down we were aware of our surroundings, the second time - zero gravity, no thoughts, no boundaries...pure timelessness. Incredible. Mum and I spent most of our time floating around in this space. I can't wait for Mr. Fix-It to try it and I really want you all to experience this zen.

Nordik Spa-Nature has some great events. Tuesdays is girls getaway, Foodie Wednesdays, Lounge Thursdays and New Year's Eve (I love a good NYE party but this is right up our alley).

Like I said, Mum and I arrived at 10am and left at 5pm. If you have someone on your list that loves a spa experience, needs some down time or looking for a romantic day/night. You should think about adding Nordik Spa-Nature to your gift giving list. Since when have you ever been able to go to a spa for the entire day for the price of Nordik Spa-Nature? Never. I've been with girlfriends, Mr. Fix-It and my mum. We've always had a wonderful time and craved for the next opportunity to go.

Here's the BEST PART!! Nordik Spa-Nature, graciously gave me a $200 gift certificate for you to win. AMAZING! Enter here:
Le Nordik Spa-Nature Holiday Contest! Win a $200 gift certificate!!

Keep coming back, I've got more great Gift Guide suggestions and GIVEAWAYS for all the holiday love.

Keep it Beautiful.

Prince Edward County is Good for the Soul! A Girls' Getaway!

Hi friends!

Hope you had a great weekend! Last weekend's weather was so gorgeous in Ottawa that it's hard to believe it's October 1st today! I feel like it's practically Thanksgiving tomorrow and Christmas...dare I say, is around the corner! Gulp.

Although the temperature felt like summer, I spent last weekend touring around Prince Edward County's gorgeous fall leaves. Two of my girlfriends and I set out for a care-free, no plans, no kids weekend. All we knew is that we wanted to experience the food, the wine and the hospitality that Prince Edward County prides itself on.

If you're looking for a great place to getaway for the weekend, you should head into the rolling roads and wineries. We shopped in the cutest shops in Bloomfields....

 

 I loved these antique clocks and how cool are those giant numbers painted on those doors?

We visited about ten wineries. Doesn't that sound so great? They're all very different and each one with it's own charm. You can sample all their wines and learn about the winemaking process. We tried them all, I mean our fair share ;) and had delicious food throughout the weekend.

 If you're into antiques, this is another great reason to visit this area.

 

It really was a magical weekend for us. If you love food, wine, cute shops, winding roads of beauty and no schedule then you need to head to Prince Edward County...fresh.fabulous.sophisticated.

It's amazing what this little fruit can do for three friends :)

Keep it Beautiful.

**Prince Edward County has no connection to this post. All the words are mine, I just wanted to share the love with you for such a gorgeous and fun place**





I'm a Mom...And a Runner

Hey everyone,

I'm sorry I've been a little MIA that last few weeks. This weekend we celebrated my girlfriend Robyn's life and I will miss her dearly. Thank you for being so understanding and all of your kind words of support and prayers.

In honour of Mother's Day yesterday, I have something fun to share with you.  Most of you know that I have a passion for running and in two weeks will be running my 4th marathon. 

The Running Room Magazine was so kind to post this article about me and why I feel running makes me a better Mommy.  Feel free to take a peak.  Just click here.

What fuels your soul? What is one of your favourite things to do that clears your mind and keep you strong?

Keep it Beautiful.

A Beautiful Soul

Good morning everyone,

I wanted to tell you about my beautiful friend that we lost last night. Her name was Robyn and she was a beautiful soul in every way.

Robyn and I met in 1998 on residence "move-in" day at Queen's University. With her gorgeous welcoming smile and friendly attitude, I know the girl from Ottawa and I were going to hit it off.  Four years of living together at Queen's was just the beginning of our journey together. University were some of the best days of our lives. Robyn, Julie, Andree and I travelled as a pack. We lived out of each other's pockets, studied together (Robyn always at the 11th hour before the exam ;) partied together....oh my the parties! cried together, laughed till our sides wanted to bust, ate poutine at 3am together and are the best of friends. We were know as the "334 University Ave" girls.  I didn't have a biological sister but Robyn and the girls are my sisters. Since 1998, we've all been married, had babies, bought houses and grown our careers.  One thing that never changed was our love for each other. We truly are bonded in a powerful way.

Robyn was a fighter in so many ways. She not only fought her disease with guns ablazing but loved sports and had a strong competitive streak in her. However, as soon as the game was over, the competition was over and she was lovely Robyn.  Robyn was the epitome of beautiful and most of all selfless.  She would give you the shirt off her back and never thought twice about it. Her acts of kindness were just that. Kind and always wanted everyone to be happy. Even in Robyn's last days, she was thanking the nurses and everyone around her for their help. She was pure love.

Robyn was 35 years old, a mom, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a hero. I'm honoured to have been her friend and with her in her last days on this earth. Now her soul has been released into the universe. Robyn touched so many people and forever we will carry her with us. Soar with the angels my sweet friend.

My dear friend Robyn, you kept everything beautiful.

So long my friend,

What's Your Heart's Age?

Hey everyone,

I don’t have home design or recipe love to give you today. But, I do have something important to tell you. We all know that February is the month of…

But in order to use our heart to love, we need to take care of it!

I have something interesting to share with you. Do you know your heart’s age? You might think it’s the same age as you. Nope, maybe not.  Your heart may be aging faster than you.  Scary, but true.  Did you know that heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in Canada? Ugh.

This is my Uncle Tommy. He died of a heart attack three years ago at the age of 53. Way too young!  It was such a sudden and tragic loss to our family.

We all know someone that has died from heart disease and many times knowledge is power.  There is an amazing online tool called the Heart Age Calculator. It’s a super easy and fast questionnaire that helps you calculate your cardiovascular age and assess risk of heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular disease within the next 10 years.   It’s the only scientifically validated online tool available that provides a personalized heart age and cardiovascular risk profile as recommended by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society Guidelines.

I encourage you to do it! It might be a huge eye opener! Visit this link at Shoppers Drug Mart to do the test! 

So, I did the test and according to the Heart Age Calculator, my heart is 30 years old and I have a 1.2% risk of cardiovascular disease.  Not too shabby. My actual age is 34 so I was happy to see that my heart isn’t aging faster than me.   However, I would like to see that heart age lower.  Is it possible for it to be a teenager?!

There are lots of ways we can be more heart healthy by stopping smoking, monitoring our blood pressure, being active, regulating our cholesterol and taking control of our bodies.

As a woman, I know that heart disease is one of the leading killers amongst women. So, one way that I try to keep my ticker healthy is run.

On May 25^th I will be running the Ottawa Marathon. Yup, it’s far. Nope you don’t have to run a marathon to be heart healthy but I encourage you to find something that will get your heart beating faster than it is reading this blog post. Whether it’s taking the dog for a brisk walk after dinner, walking/running up and down the stairs in your building at lunch or sitting on a stationary bike while you watch tv. Get out and get that heart going!

I would love to know if you are surprised at your heart’s age.  What have you decided to do to get your heart’s age lower? I know I’m going to check it again in a couple of months and hope that it gets younger!

Keep it Beautiful.

 

 

Disclosure - Although this post has been sponsored by Shoppers Drug Mart Inc., the opinions and language are all my own, and in no way do they reflect the views, opinions or positions of Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. or its affiliates or licensees. Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. makes no representation as to accuracy, completeness, suitability or validity of any information within this blog post and will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information or for any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.

Wednesday Yummies: No Bake Energy Balls

Hi guys,

Having a good week? It's SO cold here in Ottawa this week! Holy freezing! However, this is Canada so let's bundle, keep calm and carry on...right?!

I had my first marathon training run last night in this crazy weather. It always seems like the first night of training is one of the coldest. Maybe it's a good start in playing with my psyche for that big race? Ugh. All I know is that the distances are going to get longer and I'm going to be looking for some serious energy at the end of the day. Enter in a new recipe...energy balls!

Energy bars and balls are all over Pinterest right now. They're kind of like mini granola bars, only you make them, put whatever you want in them and they are way healthier than what's on the grocery store shelves.

I really don't have a recipe for it.  You can put anything in them and fill them with all the yumminess you want. I don't know about you, but around 3pm I'm always looking for something sweet and these little balls (okay I'm having a hard time keeping a straight face ;) will give you the energy you need and keep you away from reaching for that chocolate bar!

What You Need:
*I really made this up as I went along so feel free to play with the measurements*

- 1 cup large flake oats
- 1/4 cup flax
- 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/4 cup crushed almonds
- 1/4 cup of honey
- 1 tsp vanilla
- handful of mini chocolate chips (I did this for the kids but you could definitely eliminate them)

**You could also add other things ie: shredded coconut, chia seeds, raisins or any dried fruit, pumpkin seeds, protein powder etc.

What You Do:

1. Stir all the ingredients in a bowl until mixed well. Cover bowl with saran wrap and let it chill in the fridge. At least half an hour.

2. Roll into whatever size ball you would like (again I'm chuckling...bad girl!) I suggest about 1". Store in a container in the fridge. VOILA!

**Peanut butter might not be so good in your house so you can always replace it with almond butter or whatever else you usually use to replace PB.

These little bites are easy, healthy, really yummy, guilt-free and hit the spot when you need a little boost.

I would say they are definitely fresh.fabulous.sophisticated.

Keep it Beautiful.