Khatsahlano Street Party + My Workouts of the Week

Oh my god, guys. Yesterday was such a full day. The Khatsahlano Street Party, a street fest up on 4th Ave, dominated my neighborhood alllllll day long. And it was a perfect day for it!

Since it was going on in our neighborhood, we had the liberty to come and go as we pleased all day. So after waking up with some morning coffee at our apartment, Dave and I headed up to 4th Ave to check out the vendors, food trucks, and performances that were happening on the eastern stretch of the street party.

The party was just getting started, but there were plenty of people out there. We wandered around for awhile and I popped into the Salvation Army to exchange a dress that I bought last week (an amazing dress, by the way, just didn't fit right). After spending about an hour on 4th, we headed back down the hill, swung through Paradiso Italian Gelato to pick up some Vietnamese sandwiches, and took our sammies down to Kitsilano Beach for more sunshine.

.  as seen on instagram!  .

At the beach, we threw our football, swam a little, and lied out in the sun until we were too hot to stand it anymore. Then it was back home for a little teatime and rejuvenation in the shade for a couple of hours (with a random afternoon viewing of The Other Guys to kill some time). When we headed back out into the sun again around dinnertime, it was back up to 4th Ave to enjoy the rest of Khatsahlano. This time we decided to walk the whole length of the block party - from Burrard to MacDonald and back again...

We stopped at a food truck and got hot dogs for dinner on our walk west, followed by BeaverTails for dessert on our return walk east. If you've never had a BeaverTail, GIRRRRRRRL. You need one. They're like fried dough on sugar steroids - stretched, fried pastry topped with amazing things like chocolate hazelnut spread or Reeses Pieces or banana. I got the Oreo BeaverTail, which is topped with vanilla frosting, crumbled Oreos, and finished with a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Dave got the boring cinnamon and sugar option, but I'm sure it was still outstanding. The only problem with BeaverTails is that they're only available around Vancouver from a mobile food truck. So you need to find them to enjoy them!

After our BeaverTails, we continued walking to Burrard, where there was a main stage set up for the evening's final musical act. The band was sort of... old and boring. So we had our fill of them within about 12 minutes, I'd say. It was a good time to call it a night anyway because my feet were killlllling me from walking all day. But before we walked back home, we stopped at a final food truck for a 10" margherita pizza to enjoy on the curbside.

I ate so much crap yesterday that I should probably pencil in the gym today. It's just so nice outside again today that it might be hard for me to convince myself to head inside to sweat. I wish taking long walks was enough to keep me in great shape, because I am the queen of that shit.

Anyway, here are my workouts from this past week:

7/7 (lower body)

3:10 jumping jacks

2x:  15 sumo squats, holding 25 lbs

1:00 jumping jacks

2x:  60 alternating forward lunges

1:00 jumping jacks

2x:  40 calf raises, 20 lbs each hand

1:00 jumping jacks

2x:  60 bridges

1:00 jumping jacks

2x:  15 deadlifts, 20 lbs each hand

1:00 jumping jacks

2x:  40 side lunges + plyometric push-off each side

1:00 jumping jacks

7/8 (core)

30 crunches on exercise ball, holding 15 lbs

30 Brazilian crunches

30 Russian get ups, holding 8 lbs

30 plank knee to elbow

30 alternating weighted side bends, 15 lbs each hand

30 leg raise + reverse crunch

30 lying overhead raise + double crunch, holding 8 lbs

30 cobras

15 lat pulldowns, 30 lbs

15 lat pulldowns, 40 lbs

15 lat pulldowns, 50 lbs

10 mins biking

7/10 (full body)

1 hour paddleboarding

7/11 (upper body)

10 mins elliptical, 113 calories (.95 miles)

3x:  12 overhead press, 10 lbs each hand

3x:  15 bent over rows, 10 lbs

3x:  15 deltoid raises, 5 lbs each hand

3x:  15 tricep kickbacks, 5 lbs

3x:  12 chest press on exercise ball, 10 lbs each hand

3x:  15 deltoid flys, 5 lbs each hand

12 lat pulldowns, 40 lbs

12 lat pulldowns, 50 lbs

12 lat pulldowns, 60 lbs

Ok, now enough computer time for right now. I've got to get out into that sunshine!

Who else was at Khatsahlano yesterday?
Any street/block parties going on in your neighborhood or city this summer?

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A Day in the Vancouver Sun: Farmers Market & Beach!

Yesterday was insanely gorgeous here in Vancouver. Sunshine, ever so slight breeze, warmth, people out and enjoying the weather - it felt like summer! And I definitely made the most of it!

As luck would have it, the Kitsilano Farmers Market kicked off yesterday. On such a gorgeous day, I had no excuse not to go for a walk to check it out. First I went back to Viva Fine Foods & Bakery for a breakfast sandwich (that place is becoming my new favorite spot for breakfast pastries!), which I took down to Kits Beach to eat beside the water.

After nomming at the beach, I took a gorgeous stroll through Kitsilano on Larch St., which is an area that I've not walked in before. The neighborhoods, trees and gardens in this part of town were so freaking charming. It was probably the slowest walk of all time because I was in constant awe of the flowers and branches around me, and I even stopped in my tracks a few times to stare up at the sky or snap a random photo...

Eventually I did make it to the farmers market, which is located at Larch & 10th in Vancouver. What a bumpin' market! There were vendors for everything from produce to plants to breads to pastries to seafood.

Before long, I'd accumulated a few things from a couple local vendors - a small honey votive and jar of blueberry honey from Jane's Honey Bees, and a homemade Peppermint Spearmint soap from The Other Eden. Both of these ladies (and many other vendors at the Kitsilano Farmers Market) accept major cards right at their booths - super helpful for the not-prone-to-carrying-cash amongst us (such as myself).

Later in the afternoon, the sunshine was still not quitting, so I continued to take complete advantage of it. Armed with a blanket, a good book, a cold water bottle and a banana, I headed down to Kitsilano Beach where I spread out on the lush green lawn.

My book of choice this past week has been It's Easier Than You Think: The Buddhist Way to Happiness by Sylvia Boorstein. It's my favorite book, and one that is perfect for re-reading from time to time. I recommend that you read it because it's a quick read full of valuable Buddhist-inspired lessons, taught in a way that the layman can really understand.

After about 2 hours out on the Kits Beach lawn, I finally came back inside for some dinner. And obviously... I went back out again after dinner to get some gelato from my favorite Vietnamese sub shop - Paradiso Italian Gelato.

The evening wasn't complete till I watched Justin Timberlake's Master Class special on Oprah's OWN channel last night. In case you were wondering, I specifically changed around my cable package this weekend in order to include the OWN channel. (The JTim Force is strong with this one.)

Was the weather nice for you yesterday?
Have the farmers markets launched in your town yet?
Did you catch the Justin Timberlake special? I assume you did.

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Incredible Vietnamese Sandwiches... from an Italian Gelato Shop

There is a little gelato place right next door to my Kitsilano apartment called Paradiso Italian Gelato, and the fact that there is a gelato place beside my apartment is a bit of a problem for me. (Please see item #38 on this list for some clarification.) I love their mint chocolate chip gelato, which comes with tons of mini chocolate chips right inside of it. Mmm...

But ironically it isn't the gelato that's turned me into a loyal repeat customer at Paradiso. No, it's actually the Italian gelato shop's Vietnamese sandwiches that have kept me coming back.

I like to think of the Vietnamese sandwiches as the real hidden gem of Paradiso... and that's not to say that they're any less prominently featured in the store. It's just that Paradiso is located right at the corner of Yew and Cornwall in Vancouver - right next to the Kitsilano Beach. And they're the only "ice cream-ish" type of place in that part of Kitsilano. Essentially, the demand in this neighborhood is a lot higher for cold gelato than it is for Vietnamese sandwiches. So, all the more for me!!

Here's what's so fabulous about the chicken sandwich at Paradiso:

- pulled chicken
- CILANTRO - my favorite herb of all time and one of my very favorite flavors, period.
- pickled carrots, onions, cucumbers, and jalapenos
- hot sauce
- bread that's always crispy on the outside and soft on the inside - never stale and always tastes fresh and delicious.

The hot sauce and jalapenos make my nose run, for sure, but it's so worth it. These amazing sandwiches are only $5 each.

I love to pick one up and take it down to our beach to eat it on the lawn.

If you're near Kitsilano and looking for some yummy sandwiches to pick up and bring down to the beach, definitely check out Paradiso Gelato & Bistro (1520 Yew St, Vancouver). Just make sure you leave some for me.

Oh, and I suppose you could try their gelato, too, while you're there ;)

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{Linking up with Whatever, Whenever Wednesday and Wonderful Food Wednesday}