Tag Archives: lifestyle

May 13, 2016 · 6:00 am

#FBF: Barcelona, Spain – The City Of Dreams (Part 2)

Happy Friday!

This is the last flash back to my trip to Europe some 2 years ago.

If you missed the previous posts, you can catch up here:

This was the last full day in Barcelona for me and my brother. Both of us were pretty sick, so we didn’t take many pictures of each other. And the ones we did, well, I won’t post them because I look sick. Ha!

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That day we went to Park Guell, which was built between 1900 and 1915 . It was commissioned by Eusebi Guell and designed by Antoni Gaudi.

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Since we took a metro to get there, we needed to walk for about 20 minutes to enter the park. But it was definitely worth it. There were great views over the city and plenty of architecture to see.

The house below was actually the place where Gaudi lived there until his death in 1926.

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An interesting fact: The park was originally supposed to be a commercial housing development, which turned out to be an unsuccessful venture.

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Afterwards we went to Barcelona’s Arc de Triomf. It was built in 1888 as the main access gate for the 1888 World Fair.

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I must admit that people there, at least the ones we met, were extremely nice and helpful, including this police officer.

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We walked A LOT that day! To be honest with you, I don’t even remember what majority of the pictures we took are. *Haha!* However, I had to share this one.

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This was a street show in front of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia. Spanish people definitely know how to capture tourist attention!

Have you ever been sick while traveling? How did you make the most out of your trip?

Missed some of my most recent posts that created great discussions among my fellow bloggers? Here is your chance to catch up:

One Run At A Time, Or How To Avoid Toxic Thoughts: Have you ever psyched yourself out of a workout? If yes, then this post is for you.
Running Wisdom: be kind, be YOU, your health journey is what YOU make of it.
Should You Run With Or Without Music? Chime in the ongoing conversation!
5 Running Must Haves: What are your running necessities?
5 Pieces of Advice You Need for Your First Half Marathon from Coach Suz: Do you have any advice to share with new runners?
How Yoga Has Helped My Running Game: Any other runner-yogis out there?
Running With a Dog: From bare basics to a training plan for your four-legged friend to spring into action.

PS. Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

xoxo
Olena

9 Comments

Filed under Travel

Tagged as Barcelona, cardio, Euro trip, fitness, health, lifestyle, Park Guell, running, Spain, Travel, weight loss

April 10, 2014 · 6:45 am

Let’s Talk Addictions: How To Wear A Scarf

So today’s post is a little bit out of the left field. I have a revelation: I’m in love with scarves. Yup, scarves!!!

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Okay, that’s not exactly how I wear my scarves. But, hey, whatever floats your boat! Haha!

When Justin and I went to Italy 3 years ago, I was blown away.

I mean, how could I not?! Ahaha! *Just kidding! But those statues were, let’s just say, a great bonus!*

The architecture was spectacular, people – welcoming, food – delicious. However, if I said that Italian women wore their scarves as a piece of jewelry, that would be an understatement. They wear it as if it was a piece of art! And let me tell you, even though I love scarves, I am pretty clueless as to how to wear them. *I know! It doesn’t even make sense! RIDICULOUS!*

Also as some of you may or may not know, spring in Canada is non-existent. One moment, it’s winter.

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The next – full blown summer.

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*LOL!!!*

That being said, I want to make the most of it, even if only for a week. Check ça! *Look, I went all French Quebecer on you!*

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Any other scarf addicts out there? What’s your favorite way to wear a scarf?

xoxo
Olena

24 Comments

Filed under Fashion

Tagged as Addiction, Fashion, fitness, health, How to wear a scarf, Italy, lifestyle, Scarf, Style, Travelling

January 9, 2014 · 6:45 am

Workout Nutrition: The Ultimate Guide

For some reason lately I’ve been hearing more and more girls making comments about how unhappy they are with their weight. It might be an effect of the post holiday season, but I also blame media for influencing the way we see ourselves. However, this feeling is not strange to me either.

Source: Image by Samantha Hatten

As a former gymnast from Ukraine, I struggled with my body image for many years as well. From a very early age, I’d been constantly weighed in front of others and told about how my body should and shouldn’t like. When I went to a university, many of my friends started dieting, and I even remember how at some point I hadn’t eaten anything at all for a few days and drank just water.

I’ve never really been overweight, and yet only a couple of years ago I didn’t feel comfortable wearing short shorts or a bathing suit… And this is SO WRONG! I am sick and tired of a perceived image of what our bodies should look like. Our happiness should not depend on a number on a scale!

Even though I feel comfortable with the way I look now and for the first time in my life don’t strive to lose any weight, I am still learning about how to eat properly. It’s definitely challenging to change old habits. Yet, if there is willingness, everything is possible! Don’t you think?

Anyhow, I found this great guide on Pinterest and figured I’d share it with you. Oh, c’mon, don’t give me that “I eat properly already” excuse, there is always room for new knowledge and improvement! *BOOM!* Fueling our bodies before, during and after the workout is detrimental to our fitness success. Therefore, without further ado: the ultimate guide to workout nutrition.

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What are your thoughts about this guide? What are your favorite pre- and post-workout food? I’d love to know!

xoxo
Olena

16 Comments

Filed under Fitness, Motivation

Tagged as body image, cardio, fitness, health, lifestyle, nutrition, strength, weight loss, workout fuel

January 8, 2014 · 6:45 am

Your Body Will Plank You After This Core Workout

After reading my previous blog post, one of my fellow bloggers, Laura, pointed out to me that there is yet another great exercise to strengthen your core: the PLANK.

Usually I do include it in my regular workout; however, when I REALLY started thinking about it, I realized that I normally stick to a basic plank or a side plank. This is kind of silly, not because they are not good enough, but there is a great variety of planks that can benefit your body even more!

So what is the plank?

Alright, maybe it’s not that simple, it’s a WORKOUT after all!

I know that it might sound too good to be true, but this exercise can pretty much tone your ENTIRE body. By doing different variations of this basic move, you can target your arms, back, core, legs, and booty. WHOA!

I found the following picture on Pinterest, which I think is pretty cool because you can see different types of a plank.

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When doing variations of the basic plank, remember to:

make sure that your shoulders are stacked over your elbows and your body is in one straight line

When doing variations of the raised plank, don’t forget to:

lie flat on the floor, place your hands beneath your shoulders, and then push up
maintain a straight line between your toes and shoulders

When doing variations of the basic side plank, it’s important to:

lie on your side with your legs straight, then prop yourself up with your forearm so your body forms a diagonal line. Rest your other hand on your hip

This is what I did for my plank workout (repeat 2 or 3 times):