Healthy living – Two Wild Tides

Healthy Study Habits You Can Practice This Exam Season

October 29, 2018 | Leave a Comment

Sorry to remind you, but midterms and finals are right around the corner. (In fact, Christmas is only 9 weeks away!) Some of you may even be in the midst of midterms right now. So, linds and I felt that now would be a good time to post a round-up of all of our articles that highlight healthy study habits and techniques for coping with stress, in the hopes that we might help at least one of our readers. We really appreciate your support and we want you to succeed and feel like you’re at your best- mentally, emotionally, and physically.

10 Self-Care Tips for Overwhelming Times

5 Healthy Study Snacks

7 Tips for a Healthy Exam Period

6 Tasks That Will Improve Your Everyday Life

9 Inspiring Quotes to Keep Moving Forward

Why We Shouldn’t Feel Guilty About Self Care

Mid-Week ‘Pick Me Up’ Meal

How to Maintain Control During Overwhelming Times

50 Things to Lift Your Mood and Boost Your Spirits

Consciously Fighting Burn Out

Best of luck on your exams, we know you’ll do great. You’ve got this. Never forget how powerful you are.

xoxo,
char & linds

Getting Honest About Fitness

October 18, 2018 | Leave a Comment

It’s time to get honest about my fitness habits. I’ve never been an athletic person or someone who loves physical activity. There are a few things I really love to do that are physically active, like hiking, yoga, and kayaking, but I don’t generally love getting exercise. If I’m being completely honest, most of the time I only get active because I know my body needs it to be healthy. I struggled with creating a fitness plan because I had no definitive start date to implement the plan and no definitive end date to judge whether I’d achieved my goals. Most plans and timelines start in a new year or a new season, aiming towards a holiday or birthday or the next season. But here I am, smack dab in the middle of fall, nowhere near my birthday, no holiday in sight, and I want to rethink my fitness plan. I want to set goals. Where do I start though? Surely I can’t start on a random day in the middle of the year? Well yeah, actually, I can.

The more I put off change until a new year, new season, new month, new week, or even a new day, the more I will prolong real change. The more excuses I will come up with to wait until next month. The more I will change my mind about my goals. The more engrained my habits will become, and the more difficult they will be to break next week. You get my drift. Change starts right now.

It’s never too late or too early to rework and redefine your routine, goals, and plans. Timelines don’t need to be perfect, they don’t even need to exist in some cases. I can just work on living my best and healthiest life right now, every day. Hopefully, my fitness goals will inspire yours, and I hope you’ll share your fitness goals with me, so I can seek inspiration and incorporate your techniques in my working plan (since I can tweak and restart my plan whenever I want, right?). So here it is:

Goal #1: Exercise in a way that makes me happy at least three times per week. This means hiking, walking, yoga, skiing or snowshoeing in the Winter, and dancing (on Friday nights with a beer or two) because I’ve tried the gym multiple times, and it doesn’t make me happy, motivated, or excited. I know myself, and I know I will only work out if it is in a way that makes me eager to get exercise.

Goal #2: Eat healthier. You might be thinking that I’m a total amateur now. How simple is that? How can I just say I want to eat healthier, it’s not that easy! Well, I’ve tried week- or month-long diets and detoxes, I’ve tried cutting things out, and I’ve tried restricting myself. News flash: it doesn’t work (for me). I do a lot better when I go meal-by-meal. Salad or fries? Cake or fruit? Ice cream or yogurt? I am committed to learning to make healthier choices while still satisfying my cravings. I can only meet my fitness goals if I’m happy and excited about it. If I’m mad because I’m missing out on things I love, I’m going to be mad about going out for a hike, I’m going to see health as a chore, and I’m going to be mad about being mad all the time.

Goal #3: Stop waiting for instant results and start celebrating small successes. My biggest problem with keeping fit is that I work myself up to believe that I’m going to see incredible changes in my body instantly. Logically, I know it’s not true, but I’m a sucker for wishful thinking.

I am not a fitness expert and I do not have a lot of experience with fitness. But I want to learn. I would really appreciate the wisdom, tips, and advice from you, our readers. Leave a comment, reach out on social media, or send an email. We can support each other. Thanks in advance!

xoxo,
char

Adventuring with a New Mindset

September 17, 2018 | Leave a Comment

I love documenting life, travel and my adventures. That was one of the solid foundations in which twowildtides continues to flourish. I’m grateful to have this platform and to have the ability to work with so many incredible people and brands. I do not take that for granted for a minute but it hasn’t come without a ton of work. This line of work requires a lot of time on the computer and my phone which can honestly be exhausting. Self-care is so important to us at twowildtides and we recognize that sometimes you need to put the phone down and LIVE.

With that being said, I hopped on a plane for a last minute trip to Ottawa a couple weeks ago. I was through the roof, head in the clouds, over the moon excited. However, I didn’t want to be thinking about how I would turn this experience into an article or snapping enough photos that are insta-worthy. Instead, I wanted to be fully present, alive and in the moment. I didn’t want to miss a second of this trip or the people that I spent it with. I decided to go on this trip without being focused on the blog. I needed this adventure to be exactly that – an adventure. I needed a break. Now this is not to say that there won’t be an article or no photos but it wasn’t my focus. Perhaps, I’ll have enough content as a regular ol’ traveller to turn out some awesome work. But if not – oh well. I wasn’t focused on creating content. Even as writers & photographers sometimes we need to simply let go and enjoy. Life experience is a wonderful teacher and I’m prepared to learn.

Char and I have been talking a lot about balance and how important it is to find it daily. The blog and our writing work is such a big part of who we are but it’s not everything. I’m so excited to continue to venture into the unknown and learn and love and fail and succeed and live. I will continue to document the things that are important to me. However, this one particular trip is going to be a mindset shift.

Long story short – if you’re feeling a little stuck, that’s totally okay. Take a break. Re-focus. Shift your mindset. Watch all of the beauty that will unfold when you let go of a little control.

Hopping on that plane was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. If you stick around maybe you’ll catch a glimpse of the trip on our instagram. Maybe not.

xo,

linds

Island Flare: The Holman Grand Hotel

June 19, 2018 | Leave a Comment

Prince Edward Island will always have a special place in my heart. As a child we spent time every summer on the island. I have fond memories of building sand castles in Cavendish, eating Cow’s Ice Cream in Charlottetown and taking the beautiful ferry ride back home. My time on the island has always been paired with new friendships, new experiences and a whole lot of fun!Recently, I had the pleasure of staying at The Holman Grand Hotel on a quick trip to PEI to see Anne & Gilbert at The Guild. My last trip to PEI was over 5 years ago and I was thrilled to explore Charlottetown through a different lense. Upon, my arrival at the hotel I was greeted by the lovely staff and welcomed with open arms. The maritime hospitality was present in abundance. I was so excited.The room had stunning views of the harbour and the city. With an entire wall of windows – I could have spent days simply admiring the view. I was struck by how clean, fresh and modern the rooms felt. Cleanliness is a big thing for me and I could tell how important it was for the staff as well because the room was spotless. The floors in every room are hardwood – how awesome is that?! My room was also fully equipped with a Keurig coffee machine, mini fridge, flat screen television, safety deposit box and Aveda amenities in the bathroom. The Holman Grand Hotel bodes 80 guest rooms and suites in the heart of downtown Charlottetown. Plus, Guest Services Manager, Joshua Hooper and Sales & Marketing Manager, Suellen Clow-Munro let me snap some photos in the beautiful Penthouse Suite. The Penthouse includes 4 rooms and guests can decide to book a couple or all of them. If that wasn’t enough to convince you – country sensation Shania Twain has stayed in this very penthouse. (Great spot for a family getaway!)With 3 meeting rooms, 2 exterior terraces, the Redwater Rustic Grille, a swimming pool, hot tub, the Grand Senses Spa and HD Golf Simulators – this hotel is fully equipped for all of your travel and business needs. The hotel is connected to the Confederation Centre of the Arts, dining, shopping and so much more! I had the pleasure of visiting the spa for a 15-minute complimentary water bed massage (amazing!). I definitely would have stayed for a facial as well but I ran out of time. The facility is relaxing and chic; complete with a caring and compassionate staff. A trip to The Holman Grand Hotel would not be complete without taking advantage of these wonderful amenities.I would also like to highlight that the hotel is absolutely bursting with beautiful artwork including stunning pieces highlighting all of the beauty that Prince Edward Island has to offer. Be sure to check out the artwork in your room as well as in the common spaces around the hotel. There’s also a 7-storey atrium that provides some pretty cool architectural views while beautifully displaying 3 colourful paintings from a 4 piece set by renowned visual artist Caroline Vis from Amsterdam. The hotel owns the entire 4 piece collections but 3 of the 4 pieces are displayed in the atrium. Be sure to check them out!I just graduated from the Acting Program at the Fountain School of Performing Arts and one of my classmates has a summer gig in Charlottetown in Anne & Gilbert at The Guild. I was beyond ecstatic to have the opportunity to see the show and support local Theatre. If you see the show her name is Maggie Anderson and she’s got dance moves for days and an absolutely beautiful voice. I highly encourage anyone visiting PEI to take in some local theatre and support the arts scene in Charlottetown. I had a lot of fun seeing the PEI classic in person.Exploring the streets of this cute little city led to a lot of delicious food. This started with a delicious meal at John Brown Richmond St Grille which was recommended to us by the hotel valet. It was such a good choice. I had a burger and fries and it was spot on. Complete with gluten and dairy free options. So good. I popped into Receiver Coffee Company for a chai latte and the Fisherman’s Breakfast before heading to the theatre. The vibe in the shop is really nice and relaxing. They have a lot of gluten free and vegan options as well. It would be a great place to do some writing! I stopped into Gahan House for some scallops, salads and a drink. Great pub atmosphere! Finally, I tried the coffee cider at Hopyard and snacked on some ribs. Hopyard has a really cool vibe for a shared dining experience. It’s the perfect place to grab your friends and try one of everything. I could go on and on but you get the picture – there’s no shortage of tasty grub in this city.A trip to PEI wouldn’t be complete without a drive to Cavendish and a walk along the beach. Admiring the red sand dunes and touching the cold waters of the Atlantic ocean are a must on a trip to the island.I’m sending a huge, heartfelt, thank you to The Holman Grand Hotel. It was a grand experience. I can’t wait to come back!

xoxo,

linds

Dinner for Two feat. Threaded Towns

May 24, 2018 | Leave a Comment

There’s nothing better than dinner for two! We recently teamed up with local St. John’s blogger RJ Osmond of ThreadedTowns.com to bring you an awesome dinner and dessert recipe that is a great mix of healthy and indulgent (our two favorite words!) that you can make with, or for, someone you love. After you read through our post, head over to RJ’s blog to get the dessert recipe. Enjoy!

twowildtides’ stuffed peppers for two:

A fresh and filling meal for Mexican night or BBQ season. Serve with chicken or steak or with no meat at all. Another great idea is to cook chicken, pork, or jackfruit (for vegetarians) beforehand, shred it, and mix it into the filling.

You will need:

3 bell peppers
1 cup quinoa (cooked in veggie broth)
½ can black beans
1 cup fresh mushrooms, finely chopped
1 white onion, finely chopped
½ can of tomato sauce
1 tomato, diced
Cheese (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, except the peppers, to make the filling. Slice your bell peppers in half and gut out the seeds. Arrange the bell peppers in a baking dish and fill them with the quinoa mixture, making sure to pack it in tightly. If you wish, you can sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes or wrap in foil and throw on the BBQ!