It's that time of year again where everyone begins to think about all the things they are thankful for, and I myself do this as well! So it got me to thinking, why don't we stay thankful all year long? Why is it so hard for us to acknowledge all the things we are thankful for year round? Why do we have to reserve gratefulness for one weekend (or two for those who celebrate Canadian and American Thanksgiving)? It seems as though this is a question that is asked every year... and every year we vow to change our ways...
Rant over!
I wanted to share with everyone some of the things I am the most grateful for this year. So of them may be slightly trivial, but some of them are a little bit more deep rooted. However, I think it is a healthy balance of small and large things that make life worth living and make you a well rounded person!
1. A closet full of fall clothing! I am a very candid autumn lover, and I will talk about all my appropriate clothing to pretty much anyone who will listen! I can finally break out the leggings, the oversized sweaters, the scarves, mittens, hates, and autumn dresses! It makes me happier then I can explain to anyone! Mustard yellows, burgundy, grey, and brown (Ohhhhh the brown boots!) My love affair for fall will never dwindle, I promise you all that!
2. A solid support system. The last year has been one of the hardest of my life, but the amazing group of friends that I have did not leave my side for one minute. They waited as I went through the motions and they waited to be the shoulder to cry when I needed it, and they were there to share in my angriest of moments. Most importantly, they were there to celebrate, laugh, and joke with me when I was ready again. I couldn't ask for a more amazing group of people, and I love them all!
3. Those moments where you have small breakthroughs with people. When you are able to break through to a new and different part of your relationship then you have never experienced before. Those moments where you realize that you will be friends with this person and they will remain an important part of your life for years and years to come.
4. Ryan Gosling... I have no words.
5. Avocados! I eat one everyday and there is no shame in that!
6. The moment in an amazing book that you finally figure out what is happening, and it all makes sense.
7. Finishing a painting, sitting back and realizing that you created this. Right down to the minute details you made this, and you love it!
8. Waking up just a couple of minutes before your alarm goes off but you still feel utterly refreshed so you are able to just lay in your warm bed and enjoy the gift of time you have... even if it is just a few short moments.
9. Corbin! He's just so lovely. Most handsome kitten on the block!
10. My newfound enlightenment in regards to what I want and what I need in a relationship! I have finally figured out what is important to me and I will no longer back down and just let things be. I've come to the realization that I am actually a girl, I have feelings and while sometimes they do tend to be a little irrational they are still my feelings and they are likely very warranted. I have learned to accept that I need to be chased, need to be told that I am beautiful, and need to feel that I am wanted. I no longer try to convince myself that I don't need that, that I am better then that, and that intelligent secure women do not need that kind of reinforcement in their lives. Fact of the matter is, every girl likes that feeling! Every girl deserve to hear that she is beautiful, she deserves flowers, she deserves some guy looking through her eyes and into her heart, she deserves someone who embraces her whole world when he holds her hand. I am still strong, independent, intelligent and awesome... I just want to be treated a little bit like a lady!
While I really could go on and talk about countless other things that I am thankful for, I should let it be for now!
Please, share with me what you are the most thankful for! Also, have a safe and amazing Thanksgiving weekend (remember, it isn't ALL about the size of the turkey).
Be well.
Sunday 13 October 2013
Thursday 10 October 2013
Acorn Squash Soup
At the beginning of the week I decided that I needed to roast a squash, and when I say needed I really mean that! At the moment I cut it, seasoned it, and put it in the oven I really truly felt that I needed to be doing it! Believe me guys, this happens more often then you would think!
The problem was, that I was not sure what I would do with my finished product! So I packaged it up, and threw it in the fridge until I knew what I wanted to create with it.
Throughout the week the weather became amazing, and by amazing I mean that fall officially hit! I was foggy in the morning, we had a couple days of rain and the temperature is slowly dropping. As much as I love this weather it was leaving me craving food that would warm me to my bones! Obviously pumpkin everything was the most logical thing to do, but I needed to branch out (and use up that tasty squash that I had sitting in the fridge). So, on a particularly chilly night when I was off work late, starving, and oh so cold I felt like it was time to whip this squash into some amazing heart warming soup.
For this soup I used a medium sized acorn squash, since it was what I had in my fridge, but I am certain you would be able to use butternut or even pumpkin! Whatever is plentiful in your home at any given moment in time.
First off, I sliced up and the squashed and removed all the seeds. Then I drizzled some olive oil, and sprinkled on some Italian Style seasoning and a bit of pepper then baked them in the over for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Keep checking on them, and when they are fork tender and it looks like you could separate the skin from flesh they are done!!
From this point on, this is what you will need:
- the squash you have roasted
- a small onion, chopped
- couple stalks of celery chopped
- three cloves of garlic, crushed
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 can of coconut milk
- 2 cups of vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 cups of frozen peas
- crushed red pepper, to taste
- sriacha, to taste
- sriacha, to taste
Whatcha you should do now:
1. Get your lovely boyfriend to peel the skins off the squash and put all of the flesh into a blender while you chop the vegetables and sauté the garlic, onion and olive oil together, on medium heat until tender. Turn element to low.
2. Add the can of coconut milk to the frying pan and gently heat through. Then add the coconut milk mixture to the blender and blend until the squash is a smoothish consistency.
3. Put it all back into the frying pan, add the spices, and the vegetable broth until your desired consistency is reached. Add in frozen peas and heat till warmed through again!
That should be all! Be prepared to enjoy some amazing and delicious soup! (Jonathan really seemed to enjoy it, so I can assume it was good!)
3. Put it all back into the frying pan, add the spices, and the vegetable broth until your desired consistency is reached. Add in frozen peas and heat till warmed through again!
That should be all! Be prepared to enjoy some amazing and delicious soup! (Jonathan really seemed to enjoy it, so I can assume it was good!)
Wednesday 11 September 2013
Blogging with a kitten is a way different process!
As many of you lovelies already know, there has been a new addition made to our little household! His name is Corbin, and he is a sweet little ginger kitten.
The next day I arrived home in the early evening and promptly rushed to my bathroom, since I was very aware that there was still four kittens playing amongst themselves! I opened the door and immediately died of a cuteness overload! In front of my eyes there were four tiny adorable (and somewhat frightened) little babies trying to figure out why their lives were being uprooted. Admittedly, I sat in my washroom playing with them all for almost an hour! Sending text messages back and forth to my friend who was very concerned that she was inconveniencing me with this litter! She was most definitely the furthest thing from right about that! I was in love with the fact that I had all of these bundles of love under my roof!
After a couple of hours I grew quite attached to them all, but knowing full well I could not keep all of them I focused my attention on one specifically. He seemed to have a much more calm demeanour about him, and was content to watch his brothers and sister play for the most part and only chose to join in when he saw the moment to be fitting. It was clear he would much rather cuddle with someone and enjoy chasing his own tail (how could you not be enamoured with such a kitty)!
Next came the process of naming my new friend! I knew in my heart that he needed something beginning with 'C' because on either side of his body he has somewhat of an abstract 'C' in his fur! We began to narrow down the possibilities, quickly phasing out names such as Clemence and Cory etc! I was also shot down pretty quickly when I suggested a strong name such as Colonel Fluffster Mc Cutepants (or something equally as degrading). Eventually TimTam and I agreed Corbin fit nicely, especially since I feel that all animals need some sort of adorable human name!
The next couple of nights were unbelievable and rough, it turns out that having a new kitten is pretty comparable to having a child! I was up all night with him while he cried for his brothers, sister and mum and I spent a greater part of the next couple of days trying to comfort him and help him get used to his new surroundings! However, it has been a couple weeks now and he has settled in very comfortably!
I cannot explain the amount of love that I get from him everyday! To cuddling with me when I go to sleep, to a very excited greeting when I get home from work! He is always there to fall asleep on my face, or play with my toes while I watch tv! He even sits with me to watch me as I paint and will attempt to type while I blog or text!
I thought now would be an excellent time to share his story so everyone knows how he came into my life!
As most things in my life it began with a simple text message from a friend of mine; in a small panic she asked if I would mind keeping a couple kittens in my bathroom overnight so that they would not be taken to the SPCA by an unpleasant man that will remain nameless. However, we ran into the small problem of me not being back in the city from my vacation yet. So, I suggested that she contact my younger brother to get the keys to our apartment and she would be able to let herself in and situate the kittens safely in the washroom! TimTam agreed (although he was not made aware of a number of the details until I had pressured him to agree)!
The next day I arrived home in the early evening and promptly rushed to my bathroom, since I was very aware that there was still four kittens playing amongst themselves! I opened the door and immediately died of a cuteness overload! In front of my eyes there were four tiny adorable (and somewhat frightened) little babies trying to figure out why their lives were being uprooted. Admittedly, I sat in my washroom playing with them all for almost an hour! Sending text messages back and forth to my friend who was very concerned that she was inconveniencing me with this litter! She was most definitely the furthest thing from right about that! I was in love with the fact that I had all of these bundles of love under my roof!
After a couple of hours I grew quite attached to them all, but knowing full well I could not keep all of them I focused my attention on one specifically. He seemed to have a much more calm demeanour about him, and was content to watch his brothers and sister play for the most part and only chose to join in when he saw the moment to be fitting. It was clear he would much rather cuddle with someone and enjoy chasing his own tail (how could you not be enamoured with such a kitty)!
Eventually the kittens had to be brought back to their own home where they were comfortable and a small five year old was eagerly waiting, so my friend swung by to pick them up. I slyly asked how upsetting the family would be if I was to keep one of the kittens for my own benefit! With the most sincere thank you I have ever received it was agreed that I would keep the baby boy I fell so in love with! We chased the rest of the kittens around the house trying to catch them and I bid the other three goodbye while clutching my kitten!
Next came the process of naming my new friend! I knew in my heart that he needed something beginning with 'C' because on either side of his body he has somewhat of an abstract 'C' in his fur! We began to narrow down the possibilities, quickly phasing out names such as Clemence and Cory etc! I was also shot down pretty quickly when I suggested a strong name such as Colonel Fluffster Mc Cutepants (or something equally as degrading). Eventually TimTam and I agreed Corbin fit nicely, especially since I feel that all animals need some sort of adorable human name! 
The next couple of nights were unbelievable and rough, it turns out that having a new kitten is pretty comparable to having a child! I was up all night with him while he cried for his brothers, sister and mum and I spent a greater part of the next couple of days trying to comfort him and help him get used to his new surroundings! However, it has been a couple weeks now and he has settled in very comfortably! 
I cannot explain the amount of love that I get from him everyday! To cuddling with me when I go to sleep, to a very excited greeting when I get home from work! He is always there to fall asleep on my face, or play with my toes while I watch tv! He even sits with me to watch me as I paint and will attempt to type while I blog or text!
Call me a crazy cat lady if you must, but this little guy is pretty much the greatest and I will use any excuse to talk about him! He is exactly what I was looking for and he fills the void in my heart that Freddy used to fill for me! Even TimTam and Corbin have created a small bromance!
I am not even slightly sorry that there is an obscene amount of cat spam here, he's just the more adorable fluff ball!
Be Well!
I am not even slightly sorry that there is an obscene amount of cat spam here, he's just the more adorable fluff ball!
Be Well!
Monday 5 August 2013
Dairy-free Alfredo that will leave you loving life.
I posted this on my Instagram not to long ago, and I was flooded with a number of text messages afterwards asking for the recipe (probably because I raved about it hard to anyone who would listen). So, as promised and in timely manner (pahaha, just kidding) here it is!
Keep in mind this makes about 2 cups of sauce once it is finished, and about half is sitting in my fridge and has been for about a 5 days... thus far unscathed! I really don't know how long it will keep but I think I am going to use the remainder in a soup this afternoon. I will let you know how that goes.
Ingredients:
1 can of full fat (much to my dismay) of coconut milk
1/2 cup of nutritional yeast (this adds the 'cheesy' flavour - look for it in organic markets such as Planet Organic)
handful of fresh sweet basil (or a tsp-ish of dried basil)
clove of garlic, crushed
salt & pepper to taste (I added a lot of pepper, and it was a good choice)
Combine everything into a food processor or a blender and blend until everything is smooth and combined. No joke, that is it!
To eat it hot, just warm on the stove top for a few minutes! I poured mine of a bit of cooked pasta and a ton of zucchini pasta and PURPLE CAULIFLOWER! I steamed the cauliflower, but I left the zucchini raw, if it is sliced as thinly as I sliced mine it will cook a little bit when it is combined with the hot pasta, vegetables and sauce!
Also, keep this in mind. I love basil so I did add a lot to mine, so if you are not as much of a basil lover start with half the amount and add to taste! If you choose to consume cheese, you could probably add a little bit when you are heating it up, that could be delicious!
I made sure that everyone I came into contact with over the next couple days after making this the first time heard about how much I loved it! I went as far as to share bites of it with all my coworkers, I did not hear any complaints from their end!
Be well.
Becki
Sunday 28 July 2013
Oh hey... 25?
Fun fact: In just a few short weeks (6 or so) I will be turning 25! I always figured I would handle it with the same grace and poise as I have handled the rest of my birthdays! HA! Fact of the matter is, I am freaking out... anxiety is at an all time high! To aid(??) in my coping I took the time to read over my bucket list, big mistake!
So, as I sit on my bed with a large glass of wine in the midst of a clothesnado (I'm jumping on this Sharknado bandwagon, feel free to judge) I figured that I would share my thoughts on turning 25 with the world! I'd like to lay out a couple of clarifiers though! First off - I am not attempting to make anybody feel bad about my life in anyway, this is not a cry for help or an attempt to get sympathy. Secondly - keep my tone in mind folks, I am sarcastic and as real as these feelings are I am not attempting to be negative. Finally - I KNOW 25 IS NOT OLD... I don't feel old, I just feel feelings... which I will elaborate on further.
This last year I have gone through some extraordinary changes in my life I finally settled on a career path, changed jobs, spent some time in school, moved out from the comfort of two girl roommates, lost some friends, reconnected with others, and split with a gentleman(I'm sure the list is not limited to this). All things considered, I feel as though I have kept it together... at least on the outside. As I near the end of this whirlwind of a year and creep closer to this quarter of a century business I am beginning to evaluate where I am at with my life and I honestly do not feel as though I am as accomplished as I thought I would be! I am not where I thought I would be, and the scares me to death.
As a young buck I figured I would be married with some (1) babies by now, I would be well on my way to owning a home maybe have a puppy and probably being the housewife of the century to my doting husband. I would live in overalls, and keep my hair tied back in a curly flowing ponytail with a bandana tied around my crown... you know basically just keeping it real! It is clear that my priorities have changed quite drastically! These days I am more concerned with making it through the day without looking like an idiot in front of cute fireman, how many dishes I am doing to force myself to do, and if I have a clean pair of tights to wear to work in the morning. The idea of having a family and a life such as the one I used to dream of is very surreal to me now, especially because I am not even in any sort of loving committed relationship with anyone but this wine glass I am nursing pretty well!
To be honest, at this juncture of my life I feel myself resenting those of my friends (and strangers on the street) who are in happy relationships. Don't get me wrong, I am beyond happy and proud of my loved ones who are able to keep it together and work hard at relationships because they are tricky b's I know that first hand. However I find myself questioning what is so wrong with me that I was part of a relationship that failed so miserably, and then I question why I even concern myself with these details anymore. <-- That right there opens up an entirely new can of worms for me everyday! The amount of love I have for this person is astounding to me, still. Even after all the garbage that was pulled I still feel myself uncontrollably drawn to this individual, but at the same time pushed far away (taking a drink... because that was one of the hardest sentences I've ever typed). So anyway, back to reality here. I am no longer in this relationship, and even after seven months it does not feel real. I want to wake up one morning to a remedied life, where everything is glorious and I am in a monogamous and consenting relationship. So far, that hasn't happened... I spend all night dreaming of weird things and waking up to odd Plenty Of Fish messages from 'men'.
Yes! New topic. Online dating guys - this is some weird ass shiz! I feel that as a found adult, meeting people is hard! Your friends try to set you up and it doesn't work out, if you're in school most of the other people are a couple of years younger than you, bars are just a weird place to meet someone who doesn't want to get in your pants and if you're anything like me the guys you work with are gay. So, as a 24 year old woman who was/is feeling a little frumpy and out of sorts I figured I would try this online business that has seemed to work for some people. Thus far... I am less than impressed! Let's be honest, men are weird! I haven't been able to figure it out. Instead of sharing normal conversations, I get a lot of 'hi's' and 'oh cool's' and my all time favorite 'so what are you looking for's?'. Last time I checked, dating sites were for dating, right? This leads me right into dates... going on dates! This is something I am so over I cannot even explain right now (stay tuned for that satirical piece I am also working on). Dates are interviews, I rock at interviews... but I get bored of doing them unless I know there is some sort of gain in it for me, and that has not been promising yet! So... 24 going on 25 and I don't want to go out on dates with men... figure that one out for me, eh!?
The cusp of 25... now I feel like I need to have something to show for my previous 24 years of "experience"? At this point I could show you some pretty fantastic student loans that I have to start paying right away. OH! I could also show you the obscene rent that I pay for my downtown apartment that has become even less appealing now that my bike was stolen and the nicer one beside it was left unscathed. Hmmmm... what else can I show for my life!? I guess I have a number of possessions... most of them being clothes and books... thats pretty sweet, right? I shouldn't forget my Photography Diploma, that is something I am pretty proud of! However, I still feel unaccomplished! I want so badly to be known for so much more! I have a list that grows everyday containing plans, ideas, and pipe dreams that I would love to accomplish!! I just need to find the motivation to do so. Societal construct suggests that I should have so much more to show for my life at this point, and I am falling into to trap believing that I am worth less than I might be because I don't have everything!
I am reaching a point in my life where others my age are doing weird things like buying house, getting married and having babies... what!? It is bizarre to me, but at the same time I am jealous! The people I fell down a mud hill with at safe grad with are being adults, and making adult decisions. I would love to be at that point in my life where some of those things are an option for me... I want something I can pour my entire heart soul and world into... I don't have that at this point! Believe me though, I will find something to smother with Becki-ness (sorry for that).
So... 24 going on 25 is learning experience for me. I am trying to figure out how to be happy and accepting of what I have and what I have accomplished instead of focusing on what I lack! Guys, I am learning this is the hardest thing I have ever done!
September 20 2013 I will be 25 years old. I will be a (probably)single Assistant Manager at Starbucks in Edmonton taking correspondence classes at the University of Athabasca to become a Public Relations something. I will still drink like I'm 19 (I like wine, okay) and hopefully my apartment will not resemble a frat house anymore! I will likely barely be able to cope with the idea of growing another year older, because frankly I am not ready for that but on the outside you will see a smiling wide-eyed girl! Look closely and you will see all those insecurities just waiting for someone to hold my hand and pull them out. As I battle all these anxieties and insecurities I have given a silent vow to make 25 great, everything I missed out on at 24 in the haze of depression will be recognized at 25! I am going to make my bucket list my b-- and accomplish the heck out of everything. It's going to be an interesting year, and I can't wait to see what I come up with.
So, as I venture into the land of 25 bear with me as I figure out how to walk in these shoes and if I seem distant... you freaking bet I am! I am lost in how to be 25 because I was lost for my entire year of being 24. I didn't realize that this is what being 25 was going to be like, and I don't think I am ready for it... Let's do it though... I haven't figured out how to stop time yet.
It's going to be okay, right?
So, as I sit on my bed with a large glass of wine in the midst of a clothesnado (I'm jumping on this Sharknado bandwagon, feel free to judge) I figured that I would share my thoughts on turning 25 with the world! I'd like to lay out a couple of clarifiers though! First off - I am not attempting to make anybody feel bad about my life in anyway, this is not a cry for help or an attempt to get sympathy. Secondly - keep my tone in mind folks, I am sarcastic and as real as these feelings are I am not attempting to be negative. Finally - I KNOW 25 IS NOT OLD... I don't feel old, I just feel feelings... which I will elaborate on further.
This last year I have gone through some extraordinary changes in my life I finally settled on a career path, changed jobs, spent some time in school, moved out from the comfort of two girl roommates, lost some friends, reconnected with others, and split with a gentleman(I'm sure the list is not limited to this). All things considered, I feel as though I have kept it together... at least on the outside. As I near the end of this whirlwind of a year and creep closer to this quarter of a century business I am beginning to evaluate where I am at with my life and I honestly do not feel as though I am as accomplished as I thought I would be! I am not where I thought I would be, and the scares me to death.
As a young buck I figured I would be married with some (1) babies by now, I would be well on my way to owning a home maybe have a puppy and probably being the housewife of the century to my doting husband. I would live in overalls, and keep my hair tied back in a curly flowing ponytail with a bandana tied around my crown... you know basically just keeping it real! It is clear that my priorities have changed quite drastically! These days I am more concerned with making it through the day without looking like an idiot in front of cute fireman, how many dishes I am doing to force myself to do, and if I have a clean pair of tights to wear to work in the morning. The idea of having a family and a life such as the one I used to dream of is very surreal to me now, especially because I am not even in any sort of loving committed relationship with anyone but this wine glass I am nursing pretty well!
To be honest, at this juncture of my life I feel myself resenting those of my friends (and strangers on the street) who are in happy relationships. Don't get me wrong, I am beyond happy and proud of my loved ones who are able to keep it together and work hard at relationships because they are tricky b's I know that first hand. However I find myself questioning what is so wrong with me that I was part of a relationship that failed so miserably, and then I question why I even concern myself with these details anymore. <-- That right there opens up an entirely new can of worms for me everyday! The amount of love I have for this person is astounding to me, still. Even after all the garbage that was pulled I still feel myself uncontrollably drawn to this individual, but at the same time pushed far away (taking a drink... because that was one of the hardest sentences I've ever typed). So anyway, back to reality here. I am no longer in this relationship, and even after seven months it does not feel real. I want to wake up one morning to a remedied life, where everything is glorious and I am in a monogamous and consenting relationship. So far, that hasn't happened... I spend all night dreaming of weird things and waking up to odd Plenty Of Fish messages from 'men'.
Yes! New topic. Online dating guys - this is some weird ass shiz! I feel that as a found adult, meeting people is hard! Your friends try to set you up and it doesn't work out, if you're in school most of the other people are a couple of years younger than you, bars are just a weird place to meet someone who doesn't want to get in your pants and if you're anything like me the guys you work with are gay. So, as a 24 year old woman who was/is feeling a little frumpy and out of sorts I figured I would try this online business that has seemed to work for some people. Thus far... I am less than impressed! Let's be honest, men are weird! I haven't been able to figure it out. Instead of sharing normal conversations, I get a lot of 'hi's' and 'oh cool's' and my all time favorite 'so what are you looking for's?'. Last time I checked, dating sites were for dating, right? This leads me right into dates... going on dates! This is something I am so over I cannot even explain right now (stay tuned for that satirical piece I am also working on). Dates are interviews, I rock at interviews... but I get bored of doing them unless I know there is some sort of gain in it for me, and that has not been promising yet! So... 24 going on 25 and I don't want to go out on dates with men... figure that one out for me, eh!?
The cusp of 25... now I feel like I need to have something to show for my previous 24 years of "experience"? At this point I could show you some pretty fantastic student loans that I have to start paying right away. OH! I could also show you the obscene rent that I pay for my downtown apartment that has become even less appealing now that my bike was stolen and the nicer one beside it was left unscathed. Hmmmm... what else can I show for my life!? I guess I have a number of possessions... most of them being clothes and books... thats pretty sweet, right? I shouldn't forget my Photography Diploma, that is something I am pretty proud of! However, I still feel unaccomplished! I want so badly to be known for so much more! I have a list that grows everyday containing plans, ideas, and pipe dreams that I would love to accomplish!! I just need to find the motivation to do so. Societal construct suggests that I should have so much more to show for my life at this point, and I am falling into to trap believing that I am worth less than I might be because I don't have everything!
I am reaching a point in my life where others my age are doing weird things like buying house, getting married and having babies... what!? It is bizarre to me, but at the same time I am jealous! The people I fell down a mud hill with at safe grad with are being adults, and making adult decisions. I would love to be at that point in my life where some of those things are an option for me... I want something I can pour my entire heart soul and world into... I don't have that at this point! Believe me though, I will find something to smother with Becki-ness (sorry for that).
So... 24 going on 25 is learning experience for me. I am trying to figure out how to be happy and accepting of what I have and what I have accomplished instead of focusing on what I lack! Guys, I am learning this is the hardest thing I have ever done!
September 20 2013 I will be 25 years old. I will be a (probably)single Assistant Manager at Starbucks in Edmonton taking correspondence classes at the University of Athabasca to become a Public Relations something. I will still drink like I'm 19 (I like wine, okay) and hopefully my apartment will not resemble a frat house anymore! I will likely barely be able to cope with the idea of growing another year older, because frankly I am not ready for that but on the outside you will see a smiling wide-eyed girl! Look closely and you will see all those insecurities just waiting for someone to hold my hand and pull them out. As I battle all these anxieties and insecurities I have given a silent vow to make 25 great, everything I missed out on at 24 in the haze of depression will be recognized at 25! I am going to make my bucket list my b-- and accomplish the heck out of everything. It's going to be an interesting year, and I can't wait to see what I come up with.
Turning a quarter of a century is weird, like really weird! I am stuck in this paradox of wanting to be an adult (which I suppose I have been for awhile now) but also wanting to be a friggin teenager!
So, as I venture into the land of 25 bear with me as I figure out how to walk in these shoes and if I seem distant... you freaking bet I am! I am lost in how to be 25 because I was lost for my entire year of being 24. I didn't realize that this is what being 25 was going to be like, and I don't think I am ready for it... Let's do it though... I haven't figured out how to stop time yet.
It's going to be okay, right?
Friday 24 May 2013
A rainy day REMEDY in Edmonton.
I woke up this morning and to my delight it was rainy in good old Edmonton! There is something about the sound of rain falling and the fresh smell that sends shivers down my spine and puts a smile on my face!
I didn't have to work until 430 today (technically my day off... I am an excellent employee), so I figured that I would venture through the chilly weather and warm my soul with some of my favourite food!
Remedy is a cafe in Edmonton with two locations, the original location is just south of the river on 109st and the new location is centrally (and conveniently) located on Jasper ave and 103 st. Since the downtown spot opened I have found myself frequenting that one more often since it is so much closer to my home! The atmosphere is very different from the south location as it caters to the downtown business crowd but I still feel incredibly at home as soon as I walk through the door. There is always massive art work on the wall, which frequently changes and the colours of the walls pop and compliment the rows of tapestries that line the window sills. The smell of homemade chai and various curries fill the cafe and you are immediately ready for some tasty homemade food.
The menu boasts a number of wraps, samosas, chai (iced and hot), coffee, tea, as well as a couple Western options for those less brave! There is a handful of cakes and other pastries available each day! Most of the food served has a vegan option, including the beverages as they have four milk choices for individuals to choose from! On the weekends they have a special of Masala Dhosa which is vegan and gluten free, unfortunately I have not tried it yet but with all the good things I hear about it I am anxious to go back and give it a try!
Today I opted for the Sabji wrap which is hands down one of my favourite wraps in the world, as well as a Chai tea (don't tell Starbucks)! I requested that the Sabji wrap has hummus added instead of the standard mayonnaise and this in itself makes the wrap totally vegan and the chai was made with almond milk. I ordered my meal and turned around to find a good friend of mine sitting at the table behind me studying, I figured I would join her for a few minutes while I waited for my lunch to be made. My almond chai came out first and the barista who made my beverage was incredibly pleasant and we shared a few pleasantries and even found some common ground with our love for scarves! My wrap came out less than 10 minutes afterwards, which was a pleasant surprise.
The chai as always was hot, and sweet with the perfect amount of spice. I do find that the almond milk adds a little bit extra sweetness which I find to be quite pleasant. I have to admit that I am never disappointed with the chai tea that is served as the syrup is handmade by the owner on a regular basis.
The wrap was just as lovely as always. At only $8 you get more than enough! The wraps are huge and usually big enough for more than one meal and they are packed with fresh ingredients like spinach, chick peas, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. The curry is perfectly spiced and not to overwhelming as you are able to taste the different layers and the freshness of the vegetables. My all time favourite part of the meals you get at Remedy is the mystery brown sauce. To this day I do not know what it contains, but is perfectly sweet and pairs insanely well with the spicy nature of the wrap and it brings together all of the flavours beautifully!
All in all, my visits to Remedy are amazing! There is a friendly warmth to the cafe and there is always a familiar face waiting to have a pleasant conversation! The staff is knowledgeable about the products served and they are always eager to hear your feedback about your favourite foods. Never have I left feeling disappointed and hungry!
On such a gloomy rainy day, Remedy was exactly what the doctor ordered.
I didn't have to work until 430 today (technically my day off... I am an excellent employee), so I figured that I would venture through the chilly weather and warm my soul with some of my favourite food!
Remedy is a cafe in Edmonton with two locations, the original location is just south of the river on 109st and the new location is centrally (and conveniently) located on Jasper ave and 103 st. Since the downtown spot opened I have found myself frequenting that one more often since it is so much closer to my home! The atmosphere is very different from the south location as it caters to the downtown business crowd but I still feel incredibly at home as soon as I walk through the door. There is always massive art work on the wall, which frequently changes and the colours of the walls pop and compliment the rows of tapestries that line the window sills. The smell of homemade chai and various curries fill the cafe and you are immediately ready for some tasty homemade food.
The menu boasts a number of wraps, samosas, chai (iced and hot), coffee, tea, as well as a couple Western options for those less brave! There is a handful of cakes and other pastries available each day! Most of the food served has a vegan option, including the beverages as they have four milk choices for individuals to choose from! On the weekends they have a special of Masala Dhosa which is vegan and gluten free, unfortunately I have not tried it yet but with all the good things I hear about it I am anxious to go back and give it a try!
Today I opted for the Sabji wrap which is hands down one of my favourite wraps in the world, as well as a Chai tea (don't tell Starbucks)! I requested that the Sabji wrap has hummus added instead of the standard mayonnaise and this in itself makes the wrap totally vegan and the chai was made with almond milk. I ordered my meal and turned around to find a good friend of mine sitting at the table behind me studying, I figured I would join her for a few minutes while I waited for my lunch to be made. My almond chai came out first and the barista who made my beverage was incredibly pleasant and we shared a few pleasantries and even found some common ground with our love for scarves! My wrap came out less than 10 minutes afterwards, which was a pleasant surprise.
The chai as always was hot, and sweet with the perfect amount of spice. I do find that the almond milk adds a little bit extra sweetness which I find to be quite pleasant. I have to admit that I am never disappointed with the chai tea that is served as the syrup is handmade by the owner on a regular basis.
The wrap was just as lovely as always. At only $8 you get more than enough! The wraps are huge and usually big enough for more than one meal and they are packed with fresh ingredients like spinach, chick peas, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. The curry is perfectly spiced and not to overwhelming as you are able to taste the different layers and the freshness of the vegetables. My all time favourite part of the meals you get at Remedy is the mystery brown sauce. To this day I do not know what it contains, but is perfectly sweet and pairs insanely well with the spicy nature of the wrap and it brings together all of the flavours beautifully!All in all, my visits to Remedy are amazing! There is a friendly warmth to the cafe and there is always a familiar face waiting to have a pleasant conversation! The staff is knowledgeable about the products served and they are always eager to hear your feedback about your favourite foods. Never have I left feeling disappointed and hungry!
On such a gloomy rainy day, Remedy was exactly what the doctor ordered.
Thursday 23 May 2013
BEDIM: Serious catch up, again!
Day 18: Childhood story
I feel like the most prominent story in my childhood that I look back at with fondness quite often is the day that a creek stole my flip flop!
Let me start from the beginning. It was a summer day and I was playing with my brother and friends in our backyard, which we were growing quite bored of. So we decided that it would be a good idea to make our way down to a part of the creek behind my house that had a small waterfall and a large pipe that the stream flowed into. In order to get to this area though we had to jump over a fence and run through the neighbours backyard which we seemingly had no issues doing. We spent hours down in that area just pretending that we were The Boxcar Kids (I truly hope some of you catch this reference), we had completely different lives when we were there. I remembering feeling so free and so adult, to this day it is one of my favourite places in the world!
So, after a couple of hours we felt like it was probably time to head back home! In order to do so we had to cross back over the stream and for whatever reason I decided to walk across a fallen log in the creek instead of taking the easy route over the top of the huge pipe. I felt like I was doing well until I slipped on a wet spot and fell right into the creek, it wasn't deep and there was no risk of drowning don't worry! I was shocked that something so silly had happened to me, but I quickly went right to confusion because my foot was lodge into the thick mud of the bottom of the creek! I pulled it out and to my dismay my shoe did not come with my foot. We spent half an hour trying to find my flip flop with no luck! So with sadness and shame I walked back to the house soaking wet and with one single shoe!
As chapped as I was that I was soaked and shoeless I loved that day and I remember how blessed my childhood was that I was surrounded by such natural beauty and the insane amount of creativity we possessed to play for hours with nothing but nature!
Day 19: My 5 favourite blogs!
In no particular order.
1. Arianne - I love her view on the world and what goes on in it! She is stunning, amazing, positive and so spiritual that it blows me away! I could spend hours reading and re-reading about her adventures!
2. Alex - She is raising an outstandingly beautiful family! Her girls are gorgeous and I feel as if I know them, even though I've only met one as a tiny little baby!
3. abeautifulmess.com - So many crafts, recipes and other inspiring things! I love it all!!!
4. ohsheglows.com - Vegan recipes for days, and every one of them that I have tried is fluffing delicious!
5. bitchesgottaeat.blogspot.ca - She talks about real things that some people are afraid to admit! She acknowledges some ridiculous single girl behaviour, or just girl behaviour in general! She possesses an amazing talent for hysterical writing!
Day 20: Something I struggle with.
I have high anxiety, so lets be real. I struggle with a lot of things on a daily basis! Right now the biggest one would be, dealing with change! For those of you who know me well know that I have a very clear plan in life and any little hiccup can wreck things pretty intensely! Right now in my life things are very up in the air and it is hard for me to get up and out of bed and seize the day like I know that I should. There are parts of my life that I thought were set in stone and I was able to stop worrying about, but I have very recently been proven wrong! I am working to let it go, and be easy and just make the best of the situation. Dang is it ever hard though!
Day 21: My favourite blog archives.
Bahhhh... I can't do this one! I know, total cop out! I think all of my posts have been equally great thus far... nothing is standing out!
Day 22: My rant.
This one is so easy for me, right now away! I want to rant about the stigma that people seem to have about body types! People come in all difference shapes and sizes and it is time that we recognize each and every single one of them is beautiful in their own way! We need to stop telling people what their measurements should be, or that they are only beautiful if they fit into a size 6! Curvy women, and curvy men are also beautiful! We need to stop with this idea of the "ideal body shape". The ideal body shape is human shaped! Do you have a torso, arms and legs? Then you are perfect! Heck, you don't even need to have arms and legs. If you have a heart, a mind and all the organs you need to stay alive you are a stunning and gorgeous individual!! As long as you are able to honour yourself, have confidence in yourself and use the talents and positive traits you have been given you are beautiful!
I will say this again, and I will say it till the day I die: Stop focusing on the numbers on the scale or the numbers on your clothing tags! Embrace all the beauty you possess!
Boom...
Day 23: Things I've learned that school did not teach me.
- How to effectively grocery shop for a week (or so) worth of meals. This is a sad thing to admit, but there are nights where I eat Tutti Frutti and half a bottle of wine for dinner...
- Taxes happen, every year!
- Room mates will get on your nerves, moreso than siblings.
- You actually have to continuously clean your house (what!?)
- Having the ability to write a killer paper will mean nothing if you have no life skills to apply to a pretty crappy job you may have to work (something about paying your dues...)
I am positive that I could go on, but I will stop for now.
Kind of caught up, again!
Things have been really insane with work and life the last couple of weeks! I seem to pass the days away without even realizing it sometimes! My hope is that life calms down and I am able to breath and enjoy the beautiful weather we seem to be having lately!
Be well.
Becki
I feel like the most prominent story in my childhood that I look back at with fondness quite often is the day that a creek stole my flip flop!
Let me start from the beginning. It was a summer day and I was playing with my brother and friends in our backyard, which we were growing quite bored of. So we decided that it would be a good idea to make our way down to a part of the creek behind my house that had a small waterfall and a large pipe that the stream flowed into. In order to get to this area though we had to jump over a fence and run through the neighbours backyard which we seemingly had no issues doing. We spent hours down in that area just pretending that we were The Boxcar Kids (I truly hope some of you catch this reference), we had completely different lives when we were there. I remembering feeling so free and so adult, to this day it is one of my favourite places in the world!
So, after a couple of hours we felt like it was probably time to head back home! In order to do so we had to cross back over the stream and for whatever reason I decided to walk across a fallen log in the creek instead of taking the easy route over the top of the huge pipe. I felt like I was doing well until I slipped on a wet spot and fell right into the creek, it wasn't deep and there was no risk of drowning don't worry! I was shocked that something so silly had happened to me, but I quickly went right to confusion because my foot was lodge into the thick mud of the bottom of the creek! I pulled it out and to my dismay my shoe did not come with my foot. We spent half an hour trying to find my flip flop with no luck! So with sadness and shame I walked back to the house soaking wet and with one single shoe!
As chapped as I was that I was soaked and shoeless I loved that day and I remember how blessed my childhood was that I was surrounded by such natural beauty and the insane amount of creativity we possessed to play for hours with nothing but nature!
Day 19: My 5 favourite blogs!
In no particular order.
1. Arianne - I love her view on the world and what goes on in it! She is stunning, amazing, positive and so spiritual that it blows me away! I could spend hours reading and re-reading about her adventures!
2. Alex - She is raising an outstandingly beautiful family! Her girls are gorgeous and I feel as if I know them, even though I've only met one as a tiny little baby!
3. abeautifulmess.com - So many crafts, recipes and other inspiring things! I love it all!!!
4. ohsheglows.com - Vegan recipes for days, and every one of them that I have tried is fluffing delicious!
5. bitchesgottaeat.blogspot.ca - She talks about real things that some people are afraid to admit! She acknowledges some ridiculous single girl behaviour, or just girl behaviour in general! She possesses an amazing talent for hysterical writing!
Day 20: Something I struggle with.
I have high anxiety, so lets be real. I struggle with a lot of things on a daily basis! Right now the biggest one would be, dealing with change! For those of you who know me well know that I have a very clear plan in life and any little hiccup can wreck things pretty intensely! Right now in my life things are very up in the air and it is hard for me to get up and out of bed and seize the day like I know that I should. There are parts of my life that I thought were set in stone and I was able to stop worrying about, but I have very recently been proven wrong! I am working to let it go, and be easy and just make the best of the situation. Dang is it ever hard though!
Day 21: My favourite blog archives.
Bahhhh... I can't do this one! I know, total cop out! I think all of my posts have been equally great thus far... nothing is standing out!
Day 22: My rant.
This one is so easy for me, right now away! I want to rant about the stigma that people seem to have about body types! People come in all difference shapes and sizes and it is time that we recognize each and every single one of them is beautiful in their own way! We need to stop telling people what their measurements should be, or that they are only beautiful if they fit into a size 6! Curvy women, and curvy men are also beautiful! We need to stop with this idea of the "ideal body shape". The ideal body shape is human shaped! Do you have a torso, arms and legs? Then you are perfect! Heck, you don't even need to have arms and legs. If you have a heart, a mind and all the organs you need to stay alive you are a stunning and gorgeous individual!! As long as you are able to honour yourself, have confidence in yourself and use the talents and positive traits you have been given you are beautiful!
I will say this again, and I will say it till the day I die: Stop focusing on the numbers on the scale or the numbers on your clothing tags! Embrace all the beauty you possess!
Boom...
Day 23: Things I've learned that school did not teach me.
- How to effectively grocery shop for a week (or so) worth of meals. This is a sad thing to admit, but there are nights where I eat Tutti Frutti and half a bottle of wine for dinner...
- Taxes happen, every year!
- Room mates will get on your nerves, moreso than siblings.
- You actually have to continuously clean your house (what!?)
- Having the ability to write a killer paper will mean nothing if you have no life skills to apply to a pretty crappy job you may have to work (something about paying your dues...)
I am positive that I could go on, but I will stop for now.
Kind of caught up, again!
Things have been really insane with work and life the last couple of weeks! I seem to pass the days away without even realizing it sometimes! My hope is that life calms down and I am able to breath and enjoy the beautiful weather we seem to be having lately!
Be well.
Becki
Friday 17 May 2013
BEDIM: Day 15/16/17
Another couple days where I fully blew at this! But, thats okay. Days off are the days we can use to catch up, right?
DAY 15: A Day in the life.
To be honest, my days change... all the time! It is the life of a shift worker and sometimes my schedule can be pretty up in the air! Here was Wednesday the 15th though!
DAY 15: A Day in the life.
To be honest, my days change... all the time! It is the life of a shift worker and sometimes my schedule can be pretty up in the air! Here was Wednesday the 15th though!
My day started out (earlier than my watch claims), I woke up at 4am to get ready to go to work.
At 5am I hit the road to bike to work!
Since I am habitually early for work I sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful weather for about 15 mins while I waited for my barista to arrive at work!
The next 8 1/2 hours are spent in this beauty of a cafe, mind you it is also +30 degrees inside the cafe. Our air conditioner does this funny thing that involves it freezing and shutting off...
2pm I leave work and bike home to eat some lunch!
Then I have a shower and prepare for a special coffee/shopping date with one of my lovely friends! I haven't seen her in a week or so and I was itching to give her the graduation gift that I picked out especially for her! (They were some gemstones in a necklace, and she loved them!)
We did a little bit of shopping, even though the both of us her borderline exhausted!
Then we finished off the day by hitting up Remedy downtown so that we could get some delicious take out food. Also, I need everyone to know that this is THE BEST hummus you will ever try in your entire life.
I went to bed around 11pm that night, I feel the only way I managed to stay up that late was the copious amounts of coffee that I drank throughout the day!
Day 16: My "lot in life"
To be honest, I do not feel like I am hard done by! When I think of the phrase "lot in life" I very much attribute it to people who are unable to catch a break and they end up homeless, or broke, or they lose all their loved ones etc...
I have to say that I am one lucky lady! Yes, I do have days where I feel a bit negative but in the grande scheme of things I have nothing to complain about at this moment in time.
In the past I have had speed bumps, but I have always had more than enough support in my life to get over them! I have gone through a pretty severe sickness for a couple of months, an eating disorder, heartbreak, family problems... anything and everything! But the support system I have had is outstanding!
So, instead of mulling about the things that suck I would like to take the time to thank all of the amazing people that I have in my life! I won't name any names at this juncture because you all know who you are! You all mean the world to me, and I cannot even imagine what my life would be like without all of you. Thank you for everyone who has come in and out of my life (and some of you have come back in again), you have helped to shape me into the woman that I am today!
Day 17: A favorite photo of myself
Realistically, this is just a very simple photo. There is nothing really special about it, but I have to say at the moment this photograph was taken I knew that I was going to be okay! At this moment I knew that I had moved on, I had took a deep breath and started anew. Maybe there was some hurt still there, but I was using the pain that I felt, and the things I was going to in a positive way! I used my previous experience to make me stronger, smarter and an even better version of myself! I realized at the moment this photo was taken that I didn't need someone in my life who was willing to hurt me, more than I could ever expect someone to hurt you. I realized that no one will love me and respect as much as my friends and family and then it hit me! I was not going to waste my emotional and physical energy being upset! I walked out of my washroom after this was taken (yeah its in the bathroom!) and I have been rocking it ever since! No I am not perfect, yes I have bad days, but! I am all together rocking my life.
That was kind of a huge ramble, I apologize! But I do believe that I got my point across!!
Be well :)
Tuesday 14 May 2013
BEDIM: Day 12/13/14
Clearly a fail, I missed 3 days! Anyway, I am catching up today and hopefully tomorrow will be another new day!
Day 12: What do I miss?
Honestly, pinpointing one thing is kind of hard for me at this point in my life. It is human nature to miss things, and I don't feel that it is a character flaw to admit that I miss a lot of things! For the purpose of this days post I will attempt to narrow it down to one specific thing!
I miss the naivety that I had as a child, I miss being able to spend my life just questioning anything and everything! I miss not understanding how so much of the world works and assuming that each and every person is good and they mean what they do to have the best of intentions. This does not mean that I have a jaded view of the world (I promise), I have just spent the last year or so of my life realizing that things are not perfect all the time, and you cannot always make everything right with a simple hug. Living life with a positive disposition is hard, it takes a lot of emotion effort. So yes, I miss the lack of knowledge I had about the world, but I do not regret the intelligence that I have now.
Confusing? Maybe.
Day 13: My public apology.
I have a habit of not apologizing for a lot of the things that I do, unless it is completely warranted! But I feel like this might be necessary after I look back on my last couple of days!
To the residents of Edmonton:
I am about to begin biking to work on a daily basis. On a normal day I am a very anxious person, but when you add in spinning wheels underneath me and my lack of direction it is about to become much worse.
I do not plan on listening to music while biking, nor do I intend to use my cellphone because that is simply idiotic. However, I get nervous and I feel unsafe on my bicycle.
I plan to practice, and I do hope to get better over time but I cannot promise that it is going to be an easy transition. However I do promise to use side roads as well as sidewalks in order to stay out of the way of any other moving vehicles.
Please be patient with me as I get my bearings!
Thank you, and countless apologies in advance.
Day 14: Ten things that make me very happy.
1. Ke$ha songs, every single one of them.
2. When I find a carbonated beverage that is not packed with sugars and unnatural additives.
3. Whipping together a dinner that turns out to be absolutely delicious.
4. Musicals!
5. The feeling you get when you finish reading an outstanding book.
6. Listening to my iPod and going for a long evening walk.
7. Thunderstorms, they are just so romantic!
8. Super cute animals memes.
9. Yoga.
10. The feeling you get when you have an amazing conversation with your closets friends, you know the ones that make you feel like you have opened a new door in your relationship.
Three days in one! I tried to make them short and to the point!
Be well!
Day 12: What do I miss?
Honestly, pinpointing one thing is kind of hard for me at this point in my life. It is human nature to miss things, and I don't feel that it is a character flaw to admit that I miss a lot of things! For the purpose of this days post I will attempt to narrow it down to one specific thing!
I miss the naivety that I had as a child, I miss being able to spend my life just questioning anything and everything! I miss not understanding how so much of the world works and assuming that each and every person is good and they mean what they do to have the best of intentions. This does not mean that I have a jaded view of the world (I promise), I have just spent the last year or so of my life realizing that things are not perfect all the time, and you cannot always make everything right with a simple hug. Living life with a positive disposition is hard, it takes a lot of emotion effort. So yes, I miss the lack of knowledge I had about the world, but I do not regret the intelligence that I have now.
Confusing? Maybe.
Day 13: My public apology.
I have a habit of not apologizing for a lot of the things that I do, unless it is completely warranted! But I feel like this might be necessary after I look back on my last couple of days!
To the residents of Edmonton:
I am about to begin biking to work on a daily basis. On a normal day I am a very anxious person, but when you add in spinning wheels underneath me and my lack of direction it is about to become much worse.
I do not plan on listening to music while biking, nor do I intend to use my cellphone because that is simply idiotic. However, I get nervous and I feel unsafe on my bicycle.
I plan to practice, and I do hope to get better over time but I cannot promise that it is going to be an easy transition. However I do promise to use side roads as well as sidewalks in order to stay out of the way of any other moving vehicles.
Please be patient with me as I get my bearings!
Thank you, and countless apologies in advance.
Day 14: Ten things that make me very happy.
1. Ke$ha songs, every single one of them.
2. When I find a carbonated beverage that is not packed with sugars and unnatural additives.
3. Whipping together a dinner that turns out to be absolutely delicious.
4. Musicals!
5. The feeling you get when you finish reading an outstanding book.
6. Listening to my iPod and going for a long evening walk.
7. Thunderstorms, they are just so romantic!
8. Super cute animals memes.
9. Yoga.
10. The feeling you get when you have an amazing conversation with your closets friends, you know the ones that make you feel like you have opened a new door in your relationship.
Three days in one! I tried to make them short and to the point!
Be well!
Saturday 11 May 2013
BEDIM: Day 11 (and a little bit of catch up)
It's been suggested to me that I sell myself in 10 words, I am not especially good at selling myself so I will give this a shot!
1. Ambitious
2. Creative
3. Outspoken
4. Introverted (but not in a bad way)
5. Loyal
6. Trustworthy
7. Fashionable
8. Hilarious
9. Clean
10. Environmental
I have to admit, this took me an extremely long time to write... I hope this counts as selling myself! I feel like I just listed some descriptive words.
Day 1: I am catching up... I don't want anyone to miss out on learning more information about me!
I was born in Comox BC precisely one minute before my twin brother. 22 months later my younger brother came along and shortly after that we moved to Terrace BC, there I spent the majority of my childhood! I was blessed with the privilege of attending a private Christian school where my mum was teaching, as well as living in a large beautiful house with a very large backyard. I was always taught to take pride in what I do, and work hard for anything that I wanted all while playing hard and enjoying the age that I was at. Although I spent most of my childhood being kind of a loner I felt that it was very fulfilled and I don't believe I missed out on anything.
When I was 12 we moved to Edmonton and I was thrown into public school, as shocking as it was I was able to find myself and eventually make some life long friends.
I finished high school, received a photography diploma online and worked a number of pretty horrific jobs!
I have had some amazing experiences, have learned more about myself and others than I could ever imagine and have grown into an strong and substantial woman! I am back in school working towards a Public Relations degree and working at Starbucks, a job that I finally feel I enjoy and can say that I love!
Two days in one post... slowly but surely I will catch up to all the other lovely ladies out there!
Be well.
Becki
1. Ambitious
2. Creative
3. Outspoken
4. Introverted (but not in a bad way)
5. Loyal
6. Trustworthy
7. Fashionable
8. Hilarious
9. Clean
10. Environmental
I have to admit, this took me an extremely long time to write... I hope this counts as selling myself! I feel like I just listed some descriptive words.
Day 1: I am catching up... I don't want anyone to miss out on learning more information about me!
I was born in Comox BC precisely one minute before my twin brother. 22 months later my younger brother came along and shortly after that we moved to Terrace BC, there I spent the majority of my childhood! I was blessed with the privilege of attending a private Christian school where my mum was teaching, as well as living in a large beautiful house with a very large backyard. I was always taught to take pride in what I do, and work hard for anything that I wanted all while playing hard and enjoying the age that I was at. Although I spent most of my childhood being kind of a loner I felt that it was very fulfilled and I don't believe I missed out on anything.
When I was 12 we moved to Edmonton and I was thrown into public school, as shocking as it was I was able to find myself and eventually make some life long friends.
I finished high school, received a photography diploma online and worked a number of pretty horrific jobs!
I have had some amazing experiences, have learned more about myself and others than I could ever imagine and have grown into an strong and substantial woman! I am back in school working towards a Public Relations degree and working at Starbucks, a job that I finally feel I enjoy and can say that I love!
Two days in one post... slowly but surely I will catch up to all the other lovely ladies out there!
Be well.
Becki
Friday 10 May 2013
BEDIM - Day 10... I'm behind, this is normal!
So, I am late to hope this bandwagon... but some of my fav bloggers are doing this so I figured that it was time I got started on this! I have to admit that blogging everyday will be a pretty intense challenge but I am giving it a solid try!!
Day 10: Embarrassing moment.
I really did not think to hard on this one, only because it has stuck with me for years... and years... and years. Though, I have not allowed it to hinder my growth my mind will wander back to this experience pretty often.
I was about 11 years old and was finally able to attend summer camp for the first time in my life! Everything was going really great and I was enjoying the week of "independence" and one night at dinner I realized that I had to pee pretty badly! I wasn't prepared to miss out on any of the fun and so I chose to hold it (since in order to relieve myself I would have to venture to one of the countless outhouses on the property). I held it through dinner, and through some of the evening festivities to the point where I felt like I would not be able to hold it any longer. At that point I found my friend Nina and asked her to come with me, she agreed and we headed off on the short walk! To by dismay someone was using the outhouse when we arrived and so I waited as patiently as I possibly could. For whatever reason, it felt like an eternity! Suddenly, I felt relief. I knew at that moment there was no way I would be able to stop what was happening... so yes! I wet my pants. To make matters worse, although it was an all girls summer camp the owners of the property had a son (one who thought I was super cute). At the moment I was standing there with a very obvious situation happening down south, he chose to walk past and I did not have the time to scurry away and hide.
I am sure he doesn't remember this moment, or remember who I am for that matter! But I assure you, I do not hold it anymore. When I feel the need I take off running!
Coconut curry, for one.
My plans tonight got changed a little bit but that's okay with me, such is life! I figured I would take the opportunity to make myself a really delicious dinner. I stopped off on the way home from work to pick up a couple of things (although at that point I really did not know what I was planning to prepare). I walked past the potatoes and it hit me! CURRY! The other night a coworker and I were craving some curry, but the establishment across the street was not willing to make it without the chicken. For some reason they believed that the chicken needed to be boiled with the other components to get a good flavour! I thought, to heck with that! You don't need meat products to create flavour.
I picked up some potatoes, snow peas, onion and green pepper and headed home!
I have to admit, what was about to occur in my kitchen was something I was not prepared for! Since I am not a huge fan of an extremely curry-esque curry I opted for coconut curry.
Ingredients were as follows:
3 medium red potatoes (cubed and skins on)
1/2 huge white onion (cubed)
1 smallish green pepper (sliced)
large handful of snow peas
1 can coconut milk
2ish tbps of curry powder
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp crushed garlic
salt/pepper
Steps:
1. Par boil the potatoes (I would say about 6 minutes shy of being maskable), drain and set aside.
2. In a skillet with the slightest bit of oil sautee garlic and onions until almost translucent then add the potatoes and entire can of coconut milk.
3. Add the curry powder and let simmer for a few minutes.
4. Add in the snow peas and sliced green pepper.
5. Let simmer for 5-10 mins and taste. Add more curry if the taste isn't strong enough. (At this point I did add a little bit of coconut milk powder because the curry taste was a little strong).
6. If there is not an apparent sauce happening this is the moment you would add the extra water.
7. Let simmer for a few more minutes if you added more curry/water.
8. Once everything has tightened up a little bit spoon up over some rice and enjoy!
I was blown away with my dinner tonight and I knew that I had to share with recipe! Insanely delicious!!
As always, feel free to contact me with any questions if this is not clear enough!
Be well.
Becki
I picked up some potatoes, snow peas, onion and green pepper and headed home!
I have to admit, what was about to occur in my kitchen was something I was not prepared for! Since I am not a huge fan of an extremely curry-esque curry I opted for coconut curry.
Ingredients were as follows:
3 medium red potatoes (cubed and skins on)
1/2 huge white onion (cubed)
1 smallish green pepper (sliced)
large handful of snow peas
1 can coconut milk
2ish tbps of curry powder
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp crushed garlic
salt/pepper
Steps:
1. Par boil the potatoes (I would say about 6 minutes shy of being maskable), drain and set aside.
2. In a skillet with the slightest bit of oil sautee garlic and onions until almost translucent then add the potatoes and entire can of coconut milk.
3. Add the curry powder and let simmer for a few minutes.
4. Add in the snow peas and sliced green pepper.
5. Let simmer for 5-10 mins and taste. Add more curry if the taste isn't strong enough. (At this point I did add a little bit of coconut milk powder because the curry taste was a little strong).
6. If there is not an apparent sauce happening this is the moment you would add the extra water.
7. Let simmer for a few more minutes if you added more curry/water.
8. Once everything has tightened up a little bit spoon up over some rice and enjoy!
I was blown away with my dinner tonight and I knew that I had to share with recipe! Insanely delicious!!
As always, feel free to contact me with any questions if this is not clear enough!
Be well.
Becki
Sunday 21 April 2013
Clever Rabbit, learning to love "bacon".
I have to admit that I have been to Clever Rabbit a number of times before (actually more than I would like to admit) and when it comes to the food I have never been disappointed! I figured that now would be a pretty excellent time to throw out a review of one of the small handful of vegan restaurants in Edmonton!
Clever Rabbit is located on 124st and (approx) 108ave, it is nestled between a couple of other locally owned shops and cafes. For years prior to hearing about the restaurant I would walk/drive past totally unaware of its location since it is quite small in comparison to some of the establishments on 124st!
My most recent visit was this Saturday around lunch time, and I was surprised to find the restaurant must busier than it usually is and we were forced to sit at a small table surrounded by couches because all of the dining room tables were full. However, I was not deterred since I knew the food would be delicious. We sat at the small table and sipped our beverages until a table opened up and we quickly moved our belongings so we didn't lose a prime spot.
The waitress we had was clearly new and a little bit overwhelmed as she seemed a little bit frazzled and we couldn't help but smile as she flitted from one table to another trying her best to keep up with all of the tables demands, granted it is a small place hosting only 6 tables at a time it can get a little overwhelming! She was incredibly friendly, and to be honest she gave us the best service that I have ever received at Clever Rabbit. That being said, the majority of the times I have been to Clever Rabbit it is a total ghost town but the server is nowhere to be found, and our meals take an extremely long time to reach the table. It was very pleasant to have such a different experience, even though it was as busy as it was!
I have to admit that I usually get the Walnut and Chickpea Burger when I go, but I felt like I should branch out this time and give something else on their menu a little bit of a whirl! After some contemplation I decided to try the BLT, I was a bit concerned because vegan bacon is not usually something that is well done and it ends up being a tough piece of tofu that doesn't have much of a taste at all. However, the menu boasted that it was handmade seitan maple smoked "bacon". As soon as I read maple I was pretty close to sold! They have a number of sides to choose from, and this time I opted for fresh salsa and tortilla chips.
Our food made it to the table pretty promptly (this time), and I was starving so I dug right in before I thought I should take a picture of my meal.
I have to say, I am super pleased that I broke out of my comfort zone and decided to try something new because it was a delicious flavour explosion!
Everything right down to the bread it claimed to be homemade, and I admit that I believe it for sure! The bread was so soft and fresh that would melt in my mouth, it was sweet yet hearty enough to hold together the sandwich! The maple seitan bacon tasted incredible, however it was a little bit tough and I found that I was not able to bite through it and it ended up pulling out of the sandwich with each bite I took. The tomato was fresh and I found that it was not to soft and was nestled between the bacon and lettuce which kept it from soaking through the bread, the lettuce however was shredded and honestly I found it to be a little bit strange. I don't usually find shredded lettuce to effective in a sandwich and subsequently spent a large amount of time trying to shove the lettuce back into the sandwich in order to take my next bite. Finally to round out the sandwich they handmade some mayonnaise, and from what I could tell it was an almond mayo (similar to the one that I had at Pangaea). I felt like the mayonnaise was a great addition to the BLT, but I would have appreciated it more if it was a little bit less sour tasting.
To accompany my sandwich I had some homemade fresh salsa with tortilla chips, which is never disappointing to me! They usually put a little bit to much cilantro in it, but this time it was a perfect combination of tomato, onion and cilantro!
All in all, I think it was a very successful visit to Clever Rabbit, and this time around the food quality matched the quality of service! I still have my reservations about that restaurant, since the level of service is not guaranteed but I am open to attempting it again on a weekday!
Thanks for reading, I really appreciate the support! I am still getting used to restaurant blogging, and I feel like I will grow in this very soon but I am open to suggestions and support as always!
Be well.
Becki
Sunday 14 April 2013
My first restaurant review, ever!
Recently I have been discussing with a restaurant blogger/friend of mine and we thought it would be a really interesting idea if I tried my hand at restaurant blogging! I have a little bit of a different view of restaurants in Edmonton since I take the vegan route, and I wanted to share how I go about eating out in this city. After some consideration I thought that I would integrate restaurant blogging in with this blog for the time being and deepening on the level of success I will move it to its own separate blog! So please share your suggestions, criticisms or praises because I would love to hear what everyone thinks!
I am starting off simple and choosing a small deli in a local organic food market that I attend quite regularly named Pangaea. It is located in downtown Edmonton on 104 st a block north of Jasper Avenue and to my recollection is a recent addition to the eclectic mix of shops that line the street of our beloved outdoor Farmer's Market (which to my elation will return to 104 st from City Hall at the end of May)!
Like I mentioned previously, this establishment is a small and primarily locally supported. They pride themselves in supporting locally grown produce as well and organic meat. All of their products are of the highest quality possible and the deli products are completely hand made from scratch, which is something I have to admit I was really excited about!
Each day the staff in the deli section prepare a number of specials from scratch that cater to omnivores, carnivores, vegetarians and vegans! However, since it is so small, they only prepare a small variety of foods each day and while there is not a huge variety of choices the products that they do have are outstanding!
On Saturday afternoon when my friend Amanda and I ventured through the cold, slushy weather their vegan special was roasted broccoli and butternut squash sandwich and potato leek soup. As soon as we walked in we were greeted by a number of smiling faces, and we were asked if we had ever visited the deli before and we were offered a sample their vegan soup that twitter had told us they had.
I decided that soup and sandwich would be the best combination for me today, and I (obviously) opted for the special they had!
As we paid for our meals, they offered to warm up our sandwiches on the panini grill and we agreed since it seemed to be the most delicious choice! We sat down to eat our lunch and one of the deli staff brought over a sample of one of their raw cookies they made that morning, she was incredibly knowledgeable and clearly passionate about the food that they make which helps the customers get excited about the food they are about to consume! It is very refreshing to see such commitment.
I started off with the sandwich because I was so intrigued with the combination of flavours, I had never seen broccoli or butternut squash in a sandwich before, but I was not about to scoff at it! Though the vegetables had been roasted they still maintained their crunch and freshness associated with raw vegetables but had a warm and savoury tone to them that was outstanding. When it was paired with the smooth homemade almond mayonnaise and the warm toasted bread it ended up being so much more than a sandwich. The layers of flavours all paired together really nicely but still maintained a distinctive separation allowing every bite to showcase something different.
I am a huge fan of soups especially on day like Saturday when the wet heavy snow will chill you right down to the bone, and this soup did not disappoint. The potato and leeks were blended together to create this smooth and creamy soup (but with no dairy added)! The onion like taste from the leeks was paired excellently with just the right amount of dill and it finished off with a nice light peppery spice.
I couldn't have been more pleased with my lunch! I felt like we made the right choice after a long hectic day at work!
Hope you all enjoyed my first attempt at restaurant blogging, I am still learning how this works and I can't wait to hear your feedback!
Be well.
Becki
I am starting off simple and choosing a small deli in a local organic food market that I attend quite regularly named Pangaea. It is located in downtown Edmonton on 104 st a block north of Jasper Avenue and to my recollection is a recent addition to the eclectic mix of shops that line the street of our beloved outdoor Farmer's Market (which to my elation will return to 104 st from City Hall at the end of May)!
Like I mentioned previously, this establishment is a small and primarily locally supported. They pride themselves in supporting locally grown produce as well and organic meat. All of their products are of the highest quality possible and the deli products are completely hand made from scratch, which is something I have to admit I was really excited about!
Each day the staff in the deli section prepare a number of specials from scratch that cater to omnivores, carnivores, vegetarians and vegans! However, since it is so small, they only prepare a small variety of foods each day and while there is not a huge variety of choices the products that they do have are outstanding!
On Saturday afternoon when my friend Amanda and I ventured through the cold, slushy weather their vegan special was roasted broccoli and butternut squash sandwich and potato leek soup. As soon as we walked in we were greeted by a number of smiling faces, and we were asked if we had ever visited the deli before and we were offered a sample their vegan soup that twitter had told us they had.
I decided that soup and sandwich would be the best combination for me today, and I (obviously) opted for the special they had!
As we paid for our meals, they offered to warm up our sandwiches on the panini grill and we agreed since it seemed to be the most delicious choice! We sat down to eat our lunch and one of the deli staff brought over a sample of one of their raw cookies they made that morning, she was incredibly knowledgeable and clearly passionate about the food that they make which helps the customers get excited about the food they are about to consume! It is very refreshing to see such commitment.
I started off with the sandwich because I was so intrigued with the combination of flavours, I had never seen broccoli or butternut squash in a sandwich before, but I was not about to scoff at it! Though the vegetables had been roasted they still maintained their crunch and freshness associated with raw vegetables but had a warm and savoury tone to them that was outstanding. When it was paired with the smooth homemade almond mayonnaise and the warm toasted bread it ended up being so much more than a sandwich. The layers of flavours all paired together really nicely but still maintained a distinctive separation allowing every bite to showcase something different.
I am a huge fan of soups especially on day like Saturday when the wet heavy snow will chill you right down to the bone, and this soup did not disappoint. The potato and leeks were blended together to create this smooth and creamy soup (but with no dairy added)! The onion like taste from the leeks was paired excellently with just the right amount of dill and it finished off with a nice light peppery spice.
I couldn't have been more pleased with my lunch! I felt like we made the right choice after a long hectic day at work!
Hope you all enjoyed my first attempt at restaurant blogging, I am still learning how this works and I can't wait to hear your feedback!
Be well.
Becki
Tuesday 9 April 2013
Today, I am sad for baby seals.
As some of you may already know, today marks the beginning of Canada's baby seal slaughter and it is utterly breaking my heart. I decided that since my emotions regarding the subject are so strong I should tell the world, if only to shed some light to the horrific things that are still occurring in our homeland.
The Canadian Government subsidizes the slaughter of upwards of 400,000 baby seals each year, which is more than what trained scientists have suggested in order to sustain the marine animals. To some, this previous statement may seem ridiculous, that's because it is! There is no need to subsidize the murder of any animal, and here is why:
For the past number of years there has been a number of countries who have banned the sale of any seal products, which translates into no profit for Canadians. We are truly just giving our tax dollars to the government so they are able to inhumanely kill animals most of which are still sitting in storage since even Canadian markets have taken a second look at the detriment caused by the seal slaughter. Not only is it a huge waste of money, Canadians are stealing from the Native people's livelihood (as much as I am against the killing of animals as a whole). Since the seal slaughter is killing such a high volume of animals each year the sustainability of these wild creatures is in jeopardy and could lead to the eventual extinction of seals.
Although there is a lot to be discussed in regards to societies downfalls when it comes to a dying market I would like to focus on the humane nature of the seal slaughter.
We have all (I'm sure) seen the photographs of skinless massacred seals spread across the crimson stained ice caps in Eastern Canada, but that is simply the end result of an endless spree battering. These baby seals which are all under 3 months of age had been bludgeoned with a heavy wooden bat with a spike on the end. Don't you worry though, they claim everything is done humanely since it is still illegal to kills baby pups under 11 days old... (are you kidding me!?) There is absolutely nothing humane about the way these pups are murdered. The stakes are used to jab the seals in the skull, eye, nostril or mouth multiple times they are then dragged across the ice before and skinned, sometimes these pups are still alive when it comes time to ripped the skin from their muscles. The adult seals are not left from harm either, they are forced to watch as their babies are inhumanely killed. There is nothing they are able to do to keep these men (and women) from stealing their pups from them.
I could continue on with this, but I feel like I should leave it for now. I am very clouded by emotions right now, so I should apologize for the grammatical errors that may occur throughout this blog. However, I hope that I managed to get a point across or at least shed a little bit of light on the situation that is currently happening. I would love to chat with anyone about it, and see what their opinions are on the whole situation.
Be well.
The Canadian Government subsidizes the slaughter of upwards of 400,000 baby seals each year, which is more than what trained scientists have suggested in order to sustain the marine animals. To some, this previous statement may seem ridiculous, that's because it is! There is no need to subsidize the murder of any animal, and here is why:
For the past number of years there has been a number of countries who have banned the sale of any seal products, which translates into no profit for Canadians. We are truly just giving our tax dollars to the government so they are able to inhumanely kill animals most of which are still sitting in storage since even Canadian markets have taken a second look at the detriment caused by the seal slaughter. Not only is it a huge waste of money, Canadians are stealing from the Native people's livelihood (as much as I am against the killing of animals as a whole). Since the seal slaughter is killing such a high volume of animals each year the sustainability of these wild creatures is in jeopardy and could lead to the eventual extinction of seals.
Although there is a lot to be discussed in regards to societies downfalls when it comes to a dying market I would like to focus on the humane nature of the seal slaughter.
We have all (I'm sure) seen the photographs of skinless massacred seals spread across the crimson stained ice caps in Eastern Canada, but that is simply the end result of an endless spree battering. These baby seals which are all under 3 months of age had been bludgeoned with a heavy wooden bat with a spike on the end. Don't you worry though, they claim everything is done humanely since it is still illegal to kills baby pups under 11 days old... (are you kidding me!?) There is absolutely nothing humane about the way these pups are murdered. The stakes are used to jab the seals in the skull, eye, nostril or mouth multiple times they are then dragged across the ice before and skinned, sometimes these pups are still alive when it comes time to ripped the skin from their muscles. The adult seals are not left from harm either, they are forced to watch as their babies are inhumanely killed. There is nothing they are able to do to keep these men (and women) from stealing their pups from them.
I could continue on with this, but I feel like I should leave it for now. I am very clouded by emotions right now, so I should apologize for the grammatical errors that may occur throughout this blog. However, I hope that I managed to get a point across or at least shed a little bit of light on the situation that is currently happening. I would love to chat with anyone about it, and see what their opinions are on the whole situation.
Be well.
Monday 1 April 2013
I'm a convert to Lush Toner!
My most recent purchases at Lush are hands down new favourites, one of them being something that I have recently been converted too!
I have to admit that I was not convinced toner was something that I needed to incorporate into my everyday beauty routine, especially since these days my routine consists of next to nothing! However, when I went to West Edmonton Lush for a free facial I was convinced! They used "Breath of Fresh Air" toner water which comes in a super handy little spray bottle (pretty handy for the lazy lady I have become) and as most of the products I am using, is totally vegan! The combination of sea water, aloe, seaweed and rose is outstanding, and totally great for all skin types (mine is a bizarre combination of oily yet super dry!) Throughout my research I have learned that most elements from the ocean are incredibly beneficial for skin that gets put through the ringer all the time, and I figured I would put it to my own test! For those who know me know that I am huge fan of aloe/seaweed type scents but I am not interested in floral scented products at all and so I was pleasantly surprised that I did not pick up on to much of a rose scent when it was sprayed on my face!
After a couple of different tries I figured out the best way to use this product, so here we go. First wash your face with your most beloved face wash (I will tell you my new fav a little later on in this post) then after your face has dried for a few seconds spray your face (I find 2 sprays work best) a few minutes before you apply face lotion! Make sure after you spray your face you allow it some time to soak in and work its magic before slapping the lotion over top.
I honestly found that my face felt so much fresher immediately, I didn't find my skin felt tight and dry like it normally did! After a couple days of using it I noticed that I was not getting nearly as greasy by the end of the day, my complexion began to even out a little bit and, AND I felt that I didn't need to use as much make up to even out my skin! Such a bonus!
So yes, my name is Becki and I am now addicted to my toner. Not a day goes by that I do not use it and I do not plan on ever running out of toner again!
My other purchase was face wash, I honestly cannot tell you when the last time was that I bought the same face wash more than once. I am always finding new ones, or finding out that the face wash I had was not as cruelty free as I thought that it was. So, I have been switching brands and types pretty frequently. The newest one is 9 to 5 cleansing lotion from Lush.
I love that it is made from almond oil and orchids which give off an amazing smell! Not to florally which I definitely enjoy! It is of course vegan, and one of the few (if only) liquid cleansers that Lush carries. It does not disappoint I will tell you that!
The explanation brags that this is made for the working girl, and for most skin types with the ability to remove all the dirt and make up off your face at the end of the working day! Thus far, it is not lying! The most beautiful part is that a little goes a long way, I usually use about a dime sized amount and can easily clean my whole face and neck! Once I have washed it all off I feel so clean and refreshed and there is no make up left, including mascara! An added bonus was that I am able to clean my fresh tattoos with this because it is so gentle on your skin and doesn't have harsh chemicals or perfumes that can very easily harm sensitive skin.
So, all in all I am so impressed and in love with my new products. I am even considering buying a second bottle of the 9 to 5 when I am finished with this one!
Hello major life commitment!
As soon as my tattoos heal and I am allowed to soak in a bathtub again be ready for my review on a couple of the bath bombs I've been so nicely storing underneath my sink!
Be well
Becki
I have to admit that I was not convinced toner was something that I needed to incorporate into my everyday beauty routine, especially since these days my routine consists of next to nothing! However, when I went to West Edmonton Lush for a free facial I was convinced! They used "Breath of Fresh Air" toner water which comes in a super handy little spray bottle (pretty handy for the lazy lady I have become) and as most of the products I am using, is totally vegan! The combination of sea water, aloe, seaweed and rose is outstanding, and totally great for all skin types (mine is a bizarre combination of oily yet super dry!) Throughout my research I have learned that most elements from the ocean are incredibly beneficial for skin that gets put through the ringer all the time, and I figured I would put it to my own test! For those who know me know that I am huge fan of aloe/seaweed type scents but I am not interested in floral scented products at all and so I was pleasantly surprised that I did not pick up on to much of a rose scent when it was sprayed on my face!
After a couple of different tries I figured out the best way to use this product, so here we go. First wash your face with your most beloved face wash (I will tell you my new fav a little later on in this post) then after your face has dried for a few seconds spray your face (I find 2 sprays work best) a few minutes before you apply face lotion! Make sure after you spray your face you allow it some time to soak in and work its magic before slapping the lotion over top.
I honestly found that my face felt so much fresher immediately, I didn't find my skin felt tight and dry like it normally did! After a couple days of using it I noticed that I was not getting nearly as greasy by the end of the day, my complexion began to even out a little bit and, AND I felt that I didn't need to use as much make up to even out my skin! Such a bonus!
So yes, my name is Becki and I am now addicted to my toner. Not a day goes by that I do not use it and I do not plan on ever running out of toner again!
My other purchase was face wash, I honestly cannot tell you when the last time was that I bought the same face wash more than once. I am always finding new ones, or finding out that the face wash I had was not as cruelty free as I thought that it was. So, I have been switching brands and types pretty frequently. The newest one is 9 to 5 cleansing lotion from Lush.
I love that it is made from almond oil and orchids which give off an amazing smell! Not to florally which I definitely enjoy! It is of course vegan, and one of the few (if only) liquid cleansers that Lush carries. It does not disappoint I will tell you that!
The explanation brags that this is made for the working girl, and for most skin types with the ability to remove all the dirt and make up off your face at the end of the working day! Thus far, it is not lying! The most beautiful part is that a little goes a long way, I usually use about a dime sized amount and can easily clean my whole face and neck! Once I have washed it all off I feel so clean and refreshed and there is no make up left, including mascara! An added bonus was that I am able to clean my fresh tattoos with this because it is so gentle on your skin and doesn't have harsh chemicals or perfumes that can very easily harm sensitive skin.
So, all in all I am so impressed and in love with my new products. I am even considering buying a second bottle of the 9 to 5 when I am finished with this one!
Hello major life commitment!
As soon as my tattoos heal and I am allowed to soak in a bathtub again be ready for my review on a couple of the bath bombs I've been so nicely storing underneath my sink!
Be well
Becki
Wednesday 13 February 2013
Easy, simple, chia seed pudding!
As per the request of the lovely Arianne Bieber (keep in mind, I still want to use Leishman), I am posting the easiest recipe that I have ever come across! Not only is it easy as all get out it is delicious, like mind-blowingly delicious.
Chia Seed Pudding
What you need:
3 1/2 tbsp chia seeds
1 cup non-dairy milk (preferably a sweetened, but non flavoured one)
1/2 tsp vanilla
something to flavour it with just before serving
What to do:
1. Combine the chia seeds, milk, and vanilla in a sealed container and stir.
2. Place in fridge, stirring every half an hour or so for the first two hours.
3. Let sit between 2 hours and overnight.
4. Serve and enjoy!
I topped mine with cinnamon when I served it, and it was TO DIE FOR! Nutmeg, cardamon, brown sugar, agave nectar, fresh fruit, chocolate syrup or billions of other things could be delicious atop this easy creation!
It has a similar consistency to tapioca pudding but has a ridiculous number of benefits such as fiber, protein, blood sugar balancing, omega-3, and anti-oxidants. I could go on, but I am sure by this time you have tasted your concoction and have been sold based on the delicious flavour alone!
Don't stop with chia seeds and pudding either, these puppies are versatile! Add them to salad, pasta, cereal, smoothies, basically anything you eat!
I hope I managed to convince you how amazing these little guys are!
Be well!
Becki
Chia Seed Pudding
What you need:
3 1/2 tbsp chia seeds
1 cup non-dairy milk (preferably a sweetened, but non flavoured one)
1/2 tsp vanilla
something to flavour it with just before serving
What to do:
1. Combine the chia seeds, milk, and vanilla in a sealed container and stir.
2. Place in fridge, stirring every half an hour or so for the first two hours.
3. Let sit between 2 hours and overnight.
4. Serve and enjoy!
I topped mine with cinnamon when I served it, and it was TO DIE FOR! Nutmeg, cardamon, brown sugar, agave nectar, fresh fruit, chocolate syrup or billions of other things could be delicious atop this easy creation!
It has a similar consistency to tapioca pudding but has a ridiculous number of benefits such as fiber, protein, blood sugar balancing, omega-3, and anti-oxidants. I could go on, but I am sure by this time you have tasted your concoction and have been sold based on the delicious flavour alone!
Don't stop with chia seeds and pudding either, these puppies are versatile! Add them to salad, pasta, cereal, smoothies, basically anything you eat!
I hope I managed to convince you how amazing these little guys are!
Be well!
Becki
LUSHious products review!
Since the women that working at the West Edmonton Mall location of Lush are some of my favourite women in the whole world (no joke), I went to visit again! This time I was surprised with a number of amazing things, one being that even though they didn't have any of the face mask I was jonesing for in stock they did have enough to give me a little container to try! The second surprise was that they were having a product party the following Saturday, which I (luckily) had off! My friend Amanda and I booked an appointment for facials and tried to contain our excitement until Saturday!
This brings me to my review of the face mask I was gifted! I opted for the Catastrophic Cosmetic since it is one of their vegan and fresh face masks. The idea of it being a fresh face mask was incredibly appealing to me because it means there is a serious lack of preservatives and instead it is just an amalgamation of fresh plant based products! At first glance/touch/taste (admittedly this stuff did go in my mouth a little bit) I was convinced the the main ingredient was seaweed and thought nothing negative about it! However, the base of this face mask is blueberry and the skin of the blueberries kind of emulated the texture of seaweed, which I enjoyed! Not to mention the smell is to die for!
Since you keep this face mask in the fridge prior to using it the chilly temperature is incredibly invigorating and helps to open up your pores to receive the insane number of vitamins the blueberries are packed with! I am not the most graceful of individuals so I definitely got the mask all over my face, shirt and bathroom but in the process I could feel the mask start to pull all the garbage out of my face! I was a little bit nervous that I would have a slight reaction to this product since I have such sensitive skin, but it is so mild and cleansing that I was just left feeling a lovely tingle.
I did find that the mask dries very quickly, and if you tend to make very bold facial expression (not unlike myself) you can end up getting the dried mask all over your apartment! However, it was a breeze to clean up and the smell just kind of lingered. Removing the face mask from my face was also so easy! I simply soaked a face cloth in coldish water and placed it on my face for a few minutes and then I was able to gently wipe it away!
The end result was a fresh, grease free face and a very pleased customer! I definitely plan to purchase this again in the future and attempt to use on a weekly basis. The combination of blueberries, calamine powered and almond oil was just wonderful! I would most definitely recommended this to anyone, with any kind of skin type you can think of!
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| Catastrophic Cosmetic Face Mask |
Another product that I have been using for the past couple weeks is the Lush Veganese hair conditioner. At first I have to admit that I was not sold on it, I have a large amount of curly thick hair and it takes a lot to work through the knots and mats that occur near the nape of my neck, and the veganese conditioner did not seem to have the manpower needed to work my hair out. However, closer to the end of the bottle I noticed that my hair was not getting as knotted and I was able to use to a little bit less conditioner than I was using at the beginning and to top it all off I was getting lots of compliments on my hair! I do plan to purchase another bottle of veganese when I get paid because I would like to see what other miracles this stuff can create! Not to mention the smell, seaweed and lemon! HELLO! So lovely!
Stay tuned to see how my adventure with Lush Veganese goes.
Until then, be well.
Becki
Wednesday 6 February 2013
The secret to delish banana bread... even the critics love it.
As per the request of another one of my lovely friends I have decided to share the ever loved banana bread recipe that I have conjured up! It is a mix between a number of banana bread recipes that I have come across and have found unsatisfactory. I figured what the heck, I will combine the best parts of the great ones and make my own banana bread which if I do say so myself is to die for!
Banana Bread
(Note, I ALWAYS use bananas that have gotten to ripe for my liking and so I froze them. I feel like this is the key!)
4 medium bananas, mashed
1/4 cup Earth Balance, softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar (or raw sugar)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 pinches of salt
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F
2. Mash the bananas (sometimes I put them in the microwave for a few minutes to get them nice and gooey), and then add the butter and sugars then mix till they form a creamy texture.
3. Add in the salt, baking powder and baking soda. Mix to combine.
4. Stir in the flour, mixing only until moist.
5. Bake in a greased pan for about 45 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. If you choose to make muffins, cut the baking time in half (but keep a super close eye on them!)
6. Let them rest before you take them out of the pan.
Again, please enjoy! This is one of my favourite and most loved recipes.
Be well.
Becki
Banana Bread
(Note, I ALWAYS use bananas that have gotten to ripe for my liking and so I froze them. I feel like this is the key!)
4 medium bananas, mashed
1/4 cup Earth Balance, softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar (or raw sugar)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 pinches of salt
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F
2. Mash the bananas (sometimes I put them in the microwave for a few minutes to get them nice and gooey), and then add the butter and sugars then mix till they form a creamy texture.
3. Add in the salt, baking powder and baking soda. Mix to combine.
4. Stir in the flour, mixing only until moist.
5. Bake in a greased pan for about 45 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. If you choose to make muffins, cut the baking time in half (but keep a super close eye on them!)
6. Let them rest before you take them out of the pan.
Again, please enjoy! This is one of my favourite and most loved recipes.
Be well.
Becki
A couple favorite recipes of mine!
A friend of mine requested that I post a couple of recipes for her, since she claims I inspired her to make some of her own! I don't know that inspired is the best word, I don't think what I do is especially extraordinary but I am happy to share the delicious things I have created with the rest of the world!
First one is ridiculously easy, and I ALWAYS have the ingredients that I need to make it hanging around my house.
Banana Ice Cream
Ingredients:
6 frozen bananas
2 tbsp cocoa powder
4 tbsp sweetened coconut flakes
1 tsp coconut or vanilla flavor
Steps:
1. Let the bananas defrost for about 20 minutes, this makes them easier to work with.
2. Put the bananas in the food processor one at a time. If you don't own a food processor you will have to use a potato masher or a fork to get them to the proper consistency.
3. Add the remainder of the ingredients and blend until they are a smooth consistency.
4. Taste and make sure it is sweet enough.
5. Put back into the freezer so it becomes frozen solid again!
Try swapping out the coconut for peanut butter, or something else delicious if you want something a little bit different.
The next recipe is one that I found on Pinterest and immediately knew that I had to give it a shot!
Chocolate Coconut Granola
Ingredients:
2 cups of rolled out (I used instant)
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup sliced almonds
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp coconut extract (optional)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp agave nectar
pinch of salt
3 tbsp cocoa powder
3 tbsp water
Steps:
1. Preheat the over to 300 degrees.
2. In a large bowl stir together oats, coconut, and almonds.
3. In small pot, combine oil, brown sugar, agave nectar, salt, vanilla and coconut extract, cocoa, and water. Heat over medium heat and stir until sugar is dissolved (about 4 mins).
4. Pour mixture over oats and stir till coated.
5. Cover a baking sheet with foil and pour in oat mixture, press to about 1/2 inch thick.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes.
7. Remove granola from oven and press down again.
8. Once granola is completely cool, break into chunks and store in an air-tight container at room temperature.
It is tasty on basically everything!
Let me know if you have any questions, but I hope this is comprehensive enough!
Be well.
Becki
First one is ridiculously easy, and I ALWAYS have the ingredients that I need to make it hanging around my house.
Banana Ice Cream
Ingredients:
6 frozen bananas
2 tbsp cocoa powder
4 tbsp sweetened coconut flakes
1 tsp coconut or vanilla flavor
Steps:
1. Let the bananas defrost for about 20 minutes, this makes them easier to work with.
2. Put the bananas in the food processor one at a time. If you don't own a food processor you will have to use a potato masher or a fork to get them to the proper consistency.
3. Add the remainder of the ingredients and blend until they are a smooth consistency.
4. Taste and make sure it is sweet enough.
5. Put back into the freezer so it becomes frozen solid again!
Try swapping out the coconut for peanut butter, or something else delicious if you want something a little bit different.
The next recipe is one that I found on Pinterest and immediately knew that I had to give it a shot!
Chocolate Coconut Granola
Ingredients:
2 cups of rolled out (I used instant)
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup sliced almonds
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp coconut extract (optional)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp agave nectar
pinch of salt
3 tbsp cocoa powder
3 tbsp water
Steps:
1. Preheat the over to 300 degrees.
2. In a large bowl stir together oats, coconut, and almonds.
3. In small pot, combine oil, brown sugar, agave nectar, salt, vanilla and coconut extract, cocoa, and water. Heat over medium heat and stir until sugar is dissolved (about 4 mins).
4. Pour mixture over oats and stir till coated.
5. Cover a baking sheet with foil and pour in oat mixture, press to about 1/2 inch thick.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes.
7. Remove granola from oven and press down again.
8. Once granola is completely cool, break into chunks and store in an air-tight container at room temperature.
It is tasty on basically everything!
Let me know if you have any questions, but I hope this is comprehensive enough!
Be well.
Becki
Thursday 24 January 2013
My first review!
With my conscious decision and need to be more kind to the environment as well as the living creatures I share it with I have begun to move towards a cruelty free brand of make up and beauty products. While I am not using one brand exclusively at this point have begun to distinguish which brands I find more effective in their own right. At this point one of my favourite overall brand is Lush, they have such a wide variety of products that it is truly hard to go wrong, and it is one of the easiest tasks I have ever taken on to find something to purchase each and every time I set foot in one of their retail locations.
Since Christmas, when I made the final decision to be more consciously aware of what is in the products I am using I have acquired an obscene (and I truly do mean obscene in the best possible way) amount of products from the various Lush locations in Edmonton. I currently have everything from bath bombs to mascara and a number of products in between!
Although I do want to stop using the chemical ridden brands I currently own (which will remain nameless), I do feel it is important that I do not waste what I have spent my hard earned money on. So I am slowly integrating the happy and healthy products I have stock piled in my bathroom. On top of the purchases I have made, I have also been so graciously gifted some products by the fantastic ladies (and some men) who work at Lush and in turn I suggested that I would test the products and review them on my blog as well as rave about them to most of the people I encounter on a day to day basis.
Before I go deep into the products I used I want to mention for a moment how much I love the retail locations in Edmonton that I have visited, multiple times. It is incredibly heart warming to walk into a store and feel welcome and have each and every staff member greet you with a smile and some sort of blessed sentiment. They are there to help their customers and do not make you feel as though you are a burden when you ask silly questions (such as, "does the none of your beeswax lip balm contain beeswax?") They are more then willing to chat with you about your specific needs as well as doing an outstanding job of selling the products it is clear they are excited about. Not once have I had a poor experience shopping in any of their locations, mainly West Edmonton Mall, and I am certain the great experiences will continue for the duration of my loyalty to their company and brand.
Let me continue on with my rave about the products I have had the chance to use!
One of the first things I purchased from Lush was their mascara. For those who know me quite well that mascara is one of the things that I am unable to live without, and envy of those with full luscious lashes is something I have to live with everyday. The need to stray from tar filled mascara was stronger than my envy for huge (clump filled) lashes and so I took the plunge! I finished up the last of my lash blasting earth hindering chemical filled tube of volumizing lengthening mascara and cracked the seal of my snazzy new Eyes Right Mascara! At first I was a little bit perturbed at the size of the brush, I wasn't confident that it would give me the length and the volume that I so desire, but instead of giving up hope I knew I had to give it a shot. The size of the brush and handle take a large amount of getting used to, but once you have a handle on it the mascara itself is quite lovely. Although the mascara is not as hugely dramatic as some of the larger nationwide brands it definitely holds it own in the mascara department (in my humble opinion). I also find that you have to add a couple of layers in order to get a solid amount of volume, pending that is what you are into anyway! The mascara lasts all day, even when I am sweaty or splash milk, water or number of other liquids on my face at work which I love! It is always a pleasure to check your make up and not spend your time trying to wipe away the flakes of mascara that have accumulated underneath your eye. The only thing I cannot yet attest to is the hold it has if you have started to cry, the mascara does not claim to be waterproof, so I can only assume the worst would happen if I teared up at any point but I will only be able to tell you if I choose to cry one day soon. As for the removal of make up, it was an actual breeze! I did not have to use any sort of make up remover as it came off when I washed my face with my regular face wash at the end of the night.
So, my final decision on this mascara is: lovely! I would consider purchasing it again, however I would also invest in some larger brushes to go along with it as I am growing tired of cleaning mascara off my eye lids once I have finished my make up in the morning. The volume and lengthening is great, and no clumps is something I am still getting used too (granted I am excited about it!)
These are both samples that I have been gifted from some of the lovely ladies at the West Edmonton Mall location who were so excited about the new conditioner that was released that on top of the conditioner I was already purchasing they wanted me to try out the new one!
Since Christmas, when I made the final decision to be more consciously aware of what is in the products I am using I have acquired an obscene (and I truly do mean obscene in the best possible way) amount of products from the various Lush locations in Edmonton. I currently have everything from bath bombs to mascara and a number of products in between!
Although I do want to stop using the chemical ridden brands I currently own (which will remain nameless), I do feel it is important that I do not waste what I have spent my hard earned money on. So I am slowly integrating the happy and healthy products I have stock piled in my bathroom. On top of the purchases I have made, I have also been so graciously gifted some products by the fantastic ladies (and some men) who work at Lush and in turn I suggested that I would test the products and review them on my blog as well as rave about them to most of the people I encounter on a day to day basis.
Before I go deep into the products I used I want to mention for a moment how much I love the retail locations in Edmonton that I have visited, multiple times. It is incredibly heart warming to walk into a store and feel welcome and have each and every staff member greet you with a smile and some sort of blessed sentiment. They are there to help their customers and do not make you feel as though you are a burden when you ask silly questions (such as, "does the none of your beeswax lip balm contain beeswax?") They are more then willing to chat with you about your specific needs as well as doing an outstanding job of selling the products it is clear they are excited about. Not once have I had a poor experience shopping in any of their locations, mainly West Edmonton Mall, and I am certain the great experiences will continue for the duration of my loyalty to their company and brand.
Let me continue on with my rave about the products I have had the chance to use!
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| Eyes Right Mascara |
So, my final decision on this mascara is: lovely! I would consider purchasing it again, however I would also invest in some larger brushes to go along with it as I am growing tired of cleaning mascara off my eye lids once I have finished my make up in the morning. The volume and lengthening is great, and no clumps is something I am still getting used too (granted I am excited about it!)
 |
| Blousey Shampoo & Happy Happy Joy Joy Conditioner |
The shampoo was somewhat standard, and a pretty intense change from what I normal use (an unscented, coconut oil one... not Lush brand). Although this one did not have any added colours or scents it had a strong hemp scent which I am not totally opposed to, but not in love with. The consistency is thicker than I expected it to be, and it is not foam as I had expected it to. However once I had pushed it through my hair and rinsed it out my hair felt incredibly clean and fresh!
Happy Happy Joy Joy is a new conditioner that Lush has just announced (fun fact: the name derives from the old Ren and Stimpy cartoon back when I was a child!) I was excited to try it, mainly because the cashier at Lush was ecstatic about this new conditioner and it was all she could do not to give me an entire bottle to sample! Upon smelling it in store I was a little bit weary about giving it a shot, although it did have citrus in it (my all time fav scents usually contain a citrus of some sort), it also had a very strong rose scent. I later learned that it is not simply a conditioner, but also a hair perfume... hence the strong floral scents. I figured I would give it a shot anyway, even if I didn't like the scent it could end up having some greater benefits for my hair! The amount I was given was barely enough for the extreme amount of hair on my head, but I massaged it through and let it sit for about 6 minutes because I wanted to give my hair the opportunity to soak up as much moisture as possible considering I hadn't used conditioner for 4 days prior to this (I ran out, and kept procrastinating getting more). I really liked how soft my hair felt in the shower after I had used it, however my only concern comes from the lack of detangling I found it did when I was trying to comb out the knots afterwards. I ended up using a detangling spray to be able to comfortably run a comb through my hair, but let me tell you my hair was softtttt! I let my hair air dry as I normally do, and I ended up with soft and pretty curls! I could only determine one thing: this conditioner did not weight my hair down as most other ones do, which I appreciated greatly. However, the scent was far to overpowering and I truly believe that the only way I made it through the entire day was by pulling my hair into a bun for work. Each time I moved my hair a wave of perfume came flying at me, and since I really do not enjoy the scent of roses I would gag... slightly.
Everything else about the shampoo and conditioner was amazing, but unfortunately I do not believe I will be using the conditioner again purely based on the strong rose scent! But hey, if that is your thing this conditioner is the one for you! I will likely stick to my Lush Veganese conditioner (I will be reviewing that in a following post).
I feel like this post is far to long to continue, so I will leave it as is and will review some more of my favourite Lush products as well as a couple other brands that I have started using at a later date.
Be well.
Becki
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