Best of 2012

HELLO 2013! I don't think I have ever been so excited for the year to change. I was sooooo over 2012 and just wanted the new year to be here already and now it is and now I'm going to talk about 2012 (ummmm...ooookaayyy). The following is my Best of 2012...10 of the best things that happened to me, that I did or whatever in 2012. It was a pretty good year with the end of the year being much better than the beginning health and wellness wise.

Counting down starting with my #10 best thing from 2012

10. FRINGE FEST

2012 Fringe was awesome. I attended more shows than I ever have before. I got to share it with my friends. I normally make a half assed promise to see a show or 2 but this year I was down at the square almost everyday that it was on. LadySkits with K.P was my favourite show and Fringe is during the nicest part of the summer so the weather was gorgeous. I also got to use the water taxi which stops right by my place and right by the Fringe grounds. We watched tons of acts on the free stage, we drank in the beer gardens one gorgeous Friday night and I ate about my weight in poutine. Such an awesome awesome time making Fringe my #10 thing of 2012.

9. FULL FLEX TOUR

This one was a total surprise and what I consider a gift from Indiana. I so badly wanted to go to this and then ended up not only being able to go but getting backstage, drinking free beer, meeting the artists including Skrillex, dancing on stage and finishing the night on the top of some really high scaffolding platform. It was an absolutely amazing time in absolutely scorching weather. I felt so lucky and blessed to go to this FOR FREE. I walked home tired and almost unable to comprehend the day that had taken place. So much outdoor electronic music love. Thank you Indiana! The Full Flex tour comes in at my #9 thing of 2012

8. HOMEMADE MAYO

Yup, homemade mayo was good enough to make #8 on my hot 10 of 2012 list. I never imagined that I would be making my own mayo in 2012. Had you told me that in February I would have laughed a hearty laugh in your face but now not a day goes by where I don't consume my own mayo. I have yet to have a failed mayo and mine is just as thick as any store bought creepy mayo. My husbie said he wouldn't have been successful on his W30 without it. We love love love homemade mayo and for that it clocks in as the #8 thing of 2012

7. BONE BROTH

Another paleo staple makes the list. When I first read about bone broth I was intriguied, not freaked out. I knew I wanted to do the whole paleo thing legit and fo' real and bone broth is part of that. I was excited to fire up the crock pot, toss in some bones and see what happened. I knew about the gut health benefits but I never imagine it would become so pivotal in my life. It is a true staple and I am the only one in my house who eats it. Who knew that jiggly, wiggly boney jello would be one of my top 10 things of 2012 but here it is at #7

6. GOING TO COLORADO

This happened before I started my blog but in January the husbie and I crossed the bored to meet up with a group of special ladies and their hubbies for a couples weekend in Colorado, in a big ass mansion in Vail. This meet up was special because this was the first time that these people from all over North America would be meeting IRL, face to face (potential for Catfish was low). We had a blast and it was so awesome to meet everyone IRL and to just get away for a weekend. The mansion we stayed at was hella cool. I don't think I have ever seen a bigger circular dining room table or a more disgusting and high-larious game of Apples to Apples. The laughs were numerous and it was definitely a high light of 2012 coming in at #6 on the list

5. GETTING MY BIG MAMA JAMA

My big camera was a random gift from my darling husbie because he is so awesome and so good to me. He knew that I wanted a new camera so we just went out and got one (this is why I don't get Christmas presents, because I am randomly spoiled all year long). Not only did he get me a nice new camera, he got me a bad ass nice new camera and an accessories kit. It so freaking awesome and it takes amazing pictures which has made me more interested in photography and it makes my visions come to life. I love love love my 3.5lb camera and I carried it around for most of the summer making it #5 on the best of 2012 list

4. GETTING DRAKE

Another gift from my darling. Drake came to me in June. I was feeling a lot of discontent in June, I was feeling like I needed something for me, an outlet for me. I was also reading some blogs of ladies who bike and I was totally inspired. A few of my lovelies tried to caution me against a single or fixed speed bike but I knew exactly what I wanted. After looking at a few shops for a girlie fixed speed and coming up short I found Drake, my manly man bike. So handsome and so badass. One ride around the block and I knew he was meant to be mine. I love love love my bike. I feel like a kid again when I ride him and that is exactly what I wanted to feel on my bike. No fancy pedals or gears or froufrou business. Just a gal and her badass bike. He's so awesome that he gets all the attenshunz usually "Sick bike". Typing all this makes me really really want to go out for a ride but he is a summer bike only. Soon my love soon but you are #4 on my list of love


3. HAVING THE COURAGE TO FIND AND GO SEE DR.H

This was huge! I spent the better part of the summer being completely lost and self-medicating with food and booze and just generally being unhappy with where my life was at. Having the ladyballs to go see and continue seeing Dr.H after my unsuccessful first encounter with a Dr was such a big and bold step for me. I finally got to say a lot of things that I had been keeping locked up for years and Dr.H has given me some really great insights into my own life. I am 100% proud and not ashamed of my adventure to see a clinical psychologist. I was stuck in my own life and seeing him helped me get unstuck. Dealing with my mental state was so important it makes my top 3 of 2012


2. GOING BACK TO MOKSHA HOT YOGA

I never imagined that I would have fallen so head over heels in love with yoga all over again when I got that email at the end of August saying come back for a cheap month but I was already on my healing path thanks to Dr.H and little did I know that this was going to be just another extension of that. My practice has evolved so much since September and I love love love my studio and my instructor yogis. Yoga does so much for my life I get misty talking about it, yoga will be in my life forever and I look forward to growing my practice a little more each time and I hope to one day be a human pretzel although some would argue that I already am. Yoga is of course #2 on my 2012 hot list


1. FINDING PALEO AND DOING MY WHOLE30

Shocking right, I know my #1 thing for 2012 was a big fat surprise! But seriously, my life changed and coupled with #3 and #2 my life changed drastically....like 40lbs drastically. Something just finally clicked for me. It's like I have pushed the reset button on my life and I feel like literally anything is possible. I don't feel 30, I don't look 30 and I am in better shape and health than I ever have been in my life. #3, #2 and #1 saved me from myself. I grew up, wised up, learned about me and more about nutrition and it has put me in an amazing position to go forward with the rest of my life.

So there you have it, my best of 2012. It was the year I turned 30 and it was a great year full of great things and I am so looking forward to 2013 and whatever awesomeness and surprises it has in store for me and my family.

In W30 news...things are still going great. I will update y'all on the 40th, 50th, 60th days etc just so I don't bore you to death with "Day 57, still drinking bone broth" but I did say that I wanted to start off the new year with a foray into fermenteds (fermented lemons and kombucha!) so watch for those soon! I also promise to get behind the camera more since I have been doing a lot of blahblahblahtalkytalkytalky lately and that is boooooooooring. Also, expect a ragealicious post tomorrow with all the stupidity of people and their resolutions.