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In Lifestyle

Gifts from 2017

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Hey guys! I love a “New Years Resolution” post as much as anyone else, but this year I wanted to share the things I’m grateful for, rather than just what I’m striving for. This time last year I was honestly in a fog- having lost a job, lost a family member, started a new job and feeling all of the struggles of life we can all relate to each other regarding. I feel like I spent too much time thinking about what I wanted 2017 to be, and not enough time reflecting on the good in 2016. So here are five things I loved about 2017 that I’m grateful for as we kick start 2018. Time with Family 2017 was an awesome year for spending time with my family. Up until July I was working half-time, so my afternoons were often spent with my mum, and as the summer wore…

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In Lifestyle

Life Lately No. 1

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Hey guys! I wanted to start something new where I can kind of “round up” all of the little things from the past little while that maybe didn’t make it to the blog as a full post, but are fun none-the-less. Last week I had Monday off (as part of an extended Canada Day break from work), and then I went back to work FULL TIME! I’ve been working part time and love my job, and as of last Tuesday, I’m a full time member of the team. It’s been swelteringly hot in Edmonton the past week or so, so I’ve been hiding in my parent’s basement and neglecting my own house. It needs cleaned and aired out! But, I’m taking care of a friend’s dog this week so we’ll see how much gets done! But the past week has been hiding out at mom and dad’s and enjoying the gazebo…

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In Lifestyle

Happy 150th Birthday, Canada!

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Hey guys! One day late, as I was celebrating my beautiful country with family,  but Happy Canada Day! I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about Canada in the past while, dually brought on by our big birthday and my best friend being steps from a terrorist incident overseas.  I have always loved being a Canadian, but I think that the feeling solidifies with age as the exotic sheen of other countries fades away and you realize other places are great to visit, but this is home. As kids, our family did not take a lot of vacations.  We went camping a lot though on the weekends, and I can’t say how lucky I was to grow up a few hours from the Rockies in Alberta. Beautiful rivers, quiet lakes and majestic mountains are mostly what I remember about those trips.  I also remember driving past mines, oil derricks and…

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In Lifestyle

About my Dad

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Hey guys! And Happy Father’s Day to all of the dads and extra dads out there. Often unsung, overshadowed at times by the amazing contributions of our mums, I know my dad has always been there for me to ask for help with a challenge or advice. He’s taught me a lot about life and just like I shared a bit about my mum, I wanted to share a bit about my dad this Father’s Day. He’ll read this in six months and probably make fun of me! It’s not very often that people have the opportunity to share something that they’re immensely proud of about one of their loved ones on a larger scale. When I was completing my degree, a friend of mine that I worked with as an editor for the Canadian University press asked if I’d be willing to work on a project with him. The project…

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In Lifestyle

Life Update: Burns, Breaks and First Aid

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Hey Guys! If you follow me on social media (Twitter, Instagram or Facebook), you may have noticed that I have been rocking a new accessory: I mean… you may not have noticed my break from TBGB at all… but if you did, and you don’t follow me on social media… that is why. On May 9th I did a number on myself and grabbed a 345 degree Celcius skillet handle, straight out of the oven. If you’re wondering where my pot mitten was… it was on my left hand. Who knows why. Fast forward about an hour later, after I determined that my bubbling skin would in fact NOT go back to normal if I “just kept it under the cool water a bit longer”, a ridiculously attractive urgent care doctor informed me that I had sustained second degree burns. There’s a reason why my personal directive (yes, I have…

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In Lifestyle

About my mom…

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Hi guys! And a very Happy Mother’s Day to anyone reading this that is a mom! So many moms are amazing individuals, and there are so many women who step into mothering roles that are amazing individuals, too! I really believe that it takes a village to raise up awesome kids into happy, healthy adults and moms (and what I like to call “extra moms”) are so important to that. I hope you’re all being appropriately showered with love today! I started contemplating what I’d like to say in what I jokingly referred to as “my ode to my mom” about a month ago. My mom is a bonafide badass. She’s done everything from being a political lobbyist, to working with the elderly, to being a solo parent, to holding down the fort while my dad was away (a lot, for work), running a successful business with my dad, and…

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In cheap eats

No-Buy Update

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Well, I made it around a month. Not my best but… there were 3$ pints of strawberries that I just couldn’t deny myself. I also really wanted fresh dairy. So after thirty days of not buying groceries, I bought a few things. This no-buy isn’t firmly over, I’m still trying to work out of the meals and proteins I have frozen and my shelf stable items, but I’m running out of things like eggs and in my house… that just won’t do. March was a pretty easy month to not be buying groceries. I had a hospitality suite at work for three days and lots of invites out to my family’s place. I also did a cooking class that sent me home with three+ days’ worth of food. I think as I go forward my “no buy” will just be modified- if I need eggs or a fresh item,…

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In Food

February 2017 Favorites!

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[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_XcYd5uyX4] Hey guys! Another month has passed, and I had some super fun favorites! Not a whole bunch of things, but a few that I have really loved. As a side note, I had this video edited all nicely with titles and the like and… when it uploaded, they disappeared. I clearly need to start editing in a new program. Sorry! Instead you get random clips of me drinking and swearing. Not the worst, right? Food: Oikos Yogurt These snack sized “dessert” yogurts have been amazing! I often crave something sweet at night or am hungry after getting home from my periodic evening job. These greek yogurts fix both of those issues! And the portion control helps me not overeat. Wholly Guacamole Minis Ok. These are amazing! I know loads of people would love these for a quick snack with chips dunked right in the package, and yes, I’ve…

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In Lifestyle

New Year, New Goals

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Hi guys! Happy New Year! I hope that 2017 brings new fun, new promise and new opportunities for everyone reading this. I often feel that we make our own luck in many ways, either through hard work to create good things or a good attitude to make mediocre situation awesome. Every year, I try to set some goals to help guide me through the year towards doing positive things. I’m not a “resolution” type of person because I find they just don’t work for me, but when I set goals and try my best towards meeting them, I find the outcome is always positive even if I don’t meet my goal fully. My 2017 Goals Focus on the positives: 2016 was a tougher year for me, as it was for many people, with my roommate moving out unexpectedly due to her own hardship, the loss of my job in November and…

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