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Winter Pick-Me-Ups

Its January. Its cold. Its grey. Its blah.
Now is the time to savour the simple pleasures wherever you can find them.  Here are a few of my favorites:

I know I go on about my Essentrics routines, but they are so therapeutic! I bought the Age-Defying series for my mom, but, of course, she didn't even remove the plastic cover.  When it became clear she was never going to try it, I asked for it back.

Classical Stretch Season 8

I love this one as much as the others! The routines are almost all mixed format, partly standing exercises and then some bar or mat work, although there are a few that are all standing or all mat.  There is a big focus on the slow, Tai Chi inspired moves, which I love. I just find they limber me up so much after my workouts.  Again, these routines are great for overcoming or preventing injuries, and improving posture and mobility.  Just ignore the claims about weight loss or advice never to lift weights because it bulks you up. That's all BS.

For some odd reason, it can be tough to find turkey or chicken sausage in Canada (and you'll almost never find it in a restaurant!) so I was thrilled to find these at Loblaws:

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They are very yummy and reasonably priced and contain no nitrites!

These days I tend to indulge in a drink or two on the weekends. I am despising red wine for the past few months...no idea why.  So when I want something, I usually gravitate to a strong hoppy beer, or a dry sparkling wine.  This sparkling wine from Peller Estates is pretty good and inexpensive, so you don't have to save it for a special occasion:

 
Its also available at the wine store inside the Loblaws hear our house...no extra trip required!

There is nothing better on a cold winter evening than snuggling up to my best friend and husband (they are one in the same, in case you had some weird, perverted idea...), and watching our favorite television shows.  A few new ones we are enjoying this season are:

The Grinder - Funny!
Code Black - Good acting and filled with drama
The Player - Interesting premise

Of course, we are still catching our old favorites like The Good Wife, Criminal Minds, Law & Order SVU, and Blue Bloods.

Although these things are making the winter bearable, I am still hoping that our late start to the cold weather and snow doesn't mean we will have a late spring.  That would suck. A lot. 

Cheers! I hope you have a good weekend...especially you folks in the U.S. dealing with the mega storm!

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