Alaska Trip 2015!

Happy July! Got back yesterday from a cruise to Alaska! It was an awesome week! Here's a little preview from our trip.

 Last Saturday Eric and I flew up to Seattle before the trip started. We spent the afternoon in downtown Seattle which included a stop to the public market place to see the original Starbucks :) and the fish market. It was really cool! The flowers were beautiful here! There were some awesome art items too! We got to see what happens when a fish is purchased at  the fish market, video included! It was great!

Sunday morning we had a little bit of time before we boarded the cruise ship. Eric found the Black Bear Diner so we had to go for breakfast :). My morning started early, I was up at 5:30 bursting with energy and excitement for the trip so I got in a workout at the hotel gym. After that we headed towards Black bear Diner.

There ended up being a total wine and more store next to the restaurant so after we ate breakfast we headed to shop for a bottle of wine to bring on the ship. We had fun wandering the store looking at all the different labels on the wine bottles. With some help we ended up picking the Kinneybrook Zinfandel it was very good!


 Soon after we headed towards the cruise ship. We bought rain ponchos on the way but didn't end up needing them. On all of the excursions we did they ended up providing them when needed. Once we boarded the ship we went to the top of the cruise ship, deck 16 and explored each floor figuring out where everything was at. It was a huge ship and held about 3600 people. After that we of course headed to the buffet line for our first meal.

 Our first full day at sea was Monday. We did some wine tasting, enjoyed yummy food and watched the evening concert. They also started a singing competition similar to the Voice, so Monday night was heat 1 for guests to try out. It was pretty entertaining.

Tuesday morning we were up bright and early for salmon fishing in Ketchikan. We met our  boat captain Al and jumped  on his boat with another family of 3 people. I'm excited to report that I caught the first fish of the trip! We ended up getting a total of 8 salmon between me and Eric. They were mostly pink salmon and I caught one king salmon. We got lucky with awesome weather & gorgeous views! After that we boarded the ship and enjoyed the view on the deck as we moved to the next stop.


Wednesday morning we woke up in Tracy Arm with some great views! The water was turquoise, there were waterfalls and it was stunning. The nickname for this area is called "Little Yosemite." We sat on the deck with coffee in hand and got tons of pictures.


That afternoon we arrived in Juneau where we hoped in a van for our next excursion. We hiked to the Mendenhall glacier. We had a great tour guide and even met people from Canada, Spain and Socal on our hike. There was a chance of rain that afternoon but we got lucky and dodged it. It was nice to get outside and get some exercise after all that cruise food. I clocked almost 10 miles that day on my fitbit! Steps were not a problem on this cruise. The ship was so big I got at least my 10,000 steps in each day so that was great to off set all of the eating and wine a little. :)

 

 

Thursday morning we arrived in Skagway our original excursion had been cancelled so we signed up for the wild river tour. The weather had changed quite a bit on Thursday. We boarded the ferry over to Haines, Alaska and then boarded a bus. There we got a tour of Haines and got to see Parker Schnabel's parents house from the Alaskan Gold rush tv show! We then geared up for the rain in ponchos, blankets and jackets and boarded small boats to tour the river. Not going to lie it was freezing! I was glad I brought my scarf that day, it protected some of my face from the rain blasting it. We did get to see a moose and eagles so that was cool. When we got back they served everyone chili and homemade brownies in a heated tent. It was nice to get out of the rain.

Soon after we rode back to Skagway and toured the downtown in the rain lol. I found a really cool turtle night light and we got some hot chocolate. The hot shower was much need after we got back on the ship.

Friday was a much needed day at sea to recoup a little from all of the fun. We celebrated our anniversary (a little early) this day! The cruise put balloons on our room door and a sign to say happy anniversary! We got dressed up and went to a formal dinner that night. We even had professional pictures taken which was fun. It was a great night!











                                     













 Saturday we spent the morning on the ship, I enjoyed a much needed workout. In the afternoon we went to a show on the ship by Steve Moris. It was a comedy/concert, he was awesome! We arrived in Victoria, B.C. in the evening for our last stop before home. It was beautiful here! We toured the Craigdarroch castle & the city. This is definitely a city we would like to spend more time in. They have a coffee chain called Tim Horton's that is said to be really good. I would like to try it some day.

After we got back on the ship on Saturday night we grabbed some goodies from the buffet area and headed to the top of the ship to see if we could see any fireworks. We were so close to the border for the U.S. that it was said that you could still see the fireworks. We didn't have any luck but the views were incredible.



 The cruise ended on Sunday morning, feeling so blessed to be able to take this trip and unplug from reality. So many great memories made. Can't wait for the next trip! Hope you enjoyed hearing about our trip! Below are some more pictures from the trip.

Getting Extreme with the 21 Day Fix!

Hello again! How was your week? Hope you enjoyed the last blog! After completing 3 rounds of the 21 day fix program I was ready for another challenge! Around this time the 21 day fix extreme program came out and I decided I was up for the challenge!! Back in October before starting this journey if someone had asked me to do the extreme challenge I would probably have some excuse for it and not end up doing it.

Things were different this time though, I had the determination and the support. I was starting another 21 accountability/challenge group so I knew if I started I would have the accountability and support from everyone in the group. I would have to check in daily on my meals and activity so that would help me stay on track.

As a health/wellness coach I run monthly 21 day challenge groups to help others on their journey to health. These groups provide an awesome support system to help others stay accountable and motivated on their journeys. These challenge groups have helped me SO much. They help me stay on track with consistent healthy eating & fitness. It's also super inspiring to help others on their journey.


So I ordered the program and got started. This program was no cheese, wine, chocolate or white bread for 3 weeks. There were no cheat meals allowed and the workouts were even harder. If you know me you know not eating chocolate or drinking wine is a tough one. Chocolate was a daily staple for me. Also not being able to have a cheat meal once a week was going to be hard. Weekends are usually my hardest time with all of the temptation and easy unhealthy food options.

Needless to say I started, the first week went really good I was super determined to get through this. I wanted to be a motivation for the girls in my challenge group so I pushed through. I surprisingly didn't have any issues until a few days before the challenge was over. I was pretty proud of myself. It taught me to really focus on healthy carbs and that I didn't need to eat chocolate all the time. It also gave me a new perspective on weekends.

Not drinking wine was good, I felt more energized on the weekends and didn't end up having a glass until about a month after starting this challenge. Cutting out cheese was really good because I shouldn't be eating it with my cholesterol anyway. Sharing my journey with it on social media helped also keep me accountable. When I went out with friends and family they would be super encouraging and expect me to stay on track.

I'm excited to say I finished the challenge! This was a big confidence booster that I could show myself that I was capable of this. I also created some healthier habits which was awesome. When I first finished it my thoughts were that I wouldn't do it again but now looking back I know I could do it again and if I really want to dial things on it would be a good option.

Going on a 7 day cruise at the end of the month, this program might be a good program for me after the cruise to get back on track. :)

This program is more designed for prepping for a competition or getting ready for an event in a short period of time. Starting out on programs I really like just the regular 21 day fix since it allows for some wine, chocolate and other items. That program to me allows for some balance which seems realistic in an everyday life.

Here are my pictures of the before and after. I ended up losing a total of 3 inches!!

Let me know if you have any questions. Feel free to send me an email if you'd like to join the next challenge group. Thanks for stopping by! <3

hmorois@gmail.com

Adventures with 21 Day Fix!

Happy June! This year is definitely flying by! Things have been going well! Very busy lately but it's a good thing! I'm having fun and getting results every day with my at home fitness programs and that's when I realized I should be sharing this information with others!! :) Down about 16 pounds since starting my journey!! Woo hoo!!

Wanted to do a quick review on the 21 day fix program. Have you heard of it? It's the BEST!!!! This program comes with some simple awesome tools that help dial in nutrition and keep exercises to 30 minutes which get results. Before starting this program I didn't know vegetables like peas and edamame should actually be tracked as a carbohydrate.

The program came with these color coded portion control containers which at first I was really nervous with. They looked so small and I thought I was going to be starving. Much to my surprise I wasn't. The program still allows some chocolate & wine so I was a happy camper. With adding in my daily superfood I haven't felt restricted at all which is amazing!! That's what has stopped my progress in the past.

The program also recommends eating peanut butter every day! I was stoked lol! This program really helps you keep track of what your eating. I'm more focused on getting my veggies in this way too. This has definitely been the healthiest I've felt ever! I love fueling my body now. When I first saw the containers another thought was that I would have to be in a resturaunt measuring my food out. That wasn't the case though. After a few days I got the idea of portions and was able to have a better guage without the containers. Every so often I use them though just to make sure I'm not over doing it.

I've honestly learned so much about nutrition through this program. Before I never knew if I was eating too many or too little carbs and this gives you a daily amount so it takes the guess work out of it. The works are also great! I just pop them in the dvd player and before I know it the workout is done. Autumn the instructor of the program does an awesome job! There are a variety of workouts so for the three weeks the program doesn't get boring.

Here are my results from when I started the program. In the 21 day period I lost a total of 5.5 inches throughout my body!! Woo Hoo! I submitted my results online and got a free shirt! I was excited!! My journey has progressed much more than the below picture. Today I continue to follow the same nutrition plan to get closer to a healthier me. I'm so grateful for finding this program. It has taught my how to fuel my body and eat healthy and enjoy the process. This program was what inspired me to begin as a health/wellness coach and help others on their journey to health. If you need a little help or motivation on your journey I would love to help. :)

Hope you enjoyed this review! Would love to hear from you! Let me know if you have any questions <3
 hmorois@gmail.com

Starbucks Lover

Hey! Long time no talk, staying busy here. Some days I wish there was more time in
the day for things like blogging! :)
If  you know me, you know I love Starbucks! :) I travel often for work so I'm on the road quite a bit, Starbucks wherever I'm at in the state is always pretty consistent. I know I can get a delicious drink, wifi and a clean bathroom lol. They have some healthy snack options which is great too!

Fun fact about me when I was in college I worked at Starbucks my last 2 years in school. I really enjoyed it. At first I didn't pick up a good habit though. In college I would pretty much drink a peppermint mocha daily, pastries went along with it too. I would get a huge sugar/caffeine rush from the drink loaded with sugar and espresso shots.

After college I began traveling for work so every morning I was at Starbucks getting a cinnamon dulce latte and in the afternoon I was back for more coffee and a rice krispy treat or something sugary to keep me going. I have a major sweet tooth. When trying to get healthier I switched to sugar free cinnamon dulce lattes with non fat milk. Hearing all the things now about sugar free syrups that probably wasn't too much better.
 
 

Fast forward to late last fall when I began drinking my awesome chocolate super food every morning. I no longer felt like I had to go to Starbucks in the morning to feel awake. I still had a cup of coffee at home mixed with my chocolate superfood but that seemed to do the trick now in a much healthier way. I was now fueling my body with the nutrients it needed to run at its best rather than pumping myself with sugar.  Don't get me wrong we all have those days where we need an extra boost. On those days now I enjoy an Americano from Starbucks usually half decaf with a splash of coconut milk. Most days I don't feel like I have to have it anymore though.

In the afternoon now I turn to Starbucks unsweetened teas when I'm on the road, a girl still gets thirsty :) The passion tea iced tea is delicious. My afternoon snack used to be a rice krispie treat or some type of sugary pastry. Now I'm satisfied with fruit and iced tea. Thanks to my superfood my cravings for sweets have honestly gone away and my energy levels are higher. It's been a win win situation.

When I used to try and diet I would make it to 3pm and then throw all my success away for the day with the need for something sugary. I can now say that I'm 6 months in to a healthier me and that's not the case anymore.

Hope you enjoyed this, feel free to comment below :)

Weekend Trip to San Jose/Monterey

Last weekend I had a weekend work trip to Monterey J Eric was able to join and we were able to squeeze in some fun! Eric and I flew into San Jose on Friday made our way to Monterey and stopped for lunch at a place called Turn 12 Bar & Grill. The restaurant décor was pretty cool! It included car racing pictures and more. Friday night we got cleaned up and headed to the work reception event. 

 

 

  The fun began Saturday morning after we fueled up with Starbucks of course and headed to The Winchester Mystery Mansion in San Jose. This was both of our first times there. What a crazy house! The tour was really cool! Next time I think we’ll sign up for the garden and basement tour too! It was crazy how many fire places there were in the house. The stairs were really trippy too.  When we were in one of the rooms the group in front on us said one of the doors opened on its own. Everyone was on high alert after that lol. There weren’t pictures allowed on the tour but I did get to take some pictures in the gift shop. Lots of cool items! I found some almond Rocca chocolate wine that sounded good and this cool mermaid book shelf!

 

 

 

After we finished the tour Eric and I headed back to Monterey to check out Point Lobos Reserve Park after hearing great things about it. We stopped for burritos when we headed south. We didn’t quite make it to point lobos due to a gas line that broke it backed up traffic pretty bad. We decided to make the most of it so we turned in another direction and found another beach close to our hotel to walk on and explore. We ended up hiking up a little hill and the view was great! We got lots of steps in so that was great for my fitbit challenge J

 

 
 

Sunday morning we had a few more stops before we left to go home we stopped at First awakenings for breakfast in Pacific Grove. I got a fruit crepe with yogurt on top of it and Eric enjoyed some French toast. He ordered some sausage too but it never came the waitress felt so bad that she took $20 bucks off of our bill. I was really surprised. After that we headed over to Asilomar state beach to enjoy the view one last time before we left. This was Eric’s first time to this beach, he loved it. It was so peaceful and relaxing. There were dogs running wild and enjoying it as well. Were now wrapping up our weekend headed home. It was a nice little getaway!

 Hope you had a good weekend! <3