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Hey all! Finally, possibly my favorite part of the Sephora VIB Sale! Anyone who knows me knows that I loooove makeup. I dialed it back a ton for my old job to a more simple, chic and natural look but I love a smoky eye, experimenting with different shades of bright or dark lipsticks, contouring, highlighting etc etc… I love it all. It was so hard to choose just five items for each category, so I stuck with my everyday favorites for the ones I am recommending. These items are either something I use every day, use so much I buy 2 or more per year (which is why I’d buy two during the VIB sale) or both. Estee Lauder’s Double Wear is a total mainstay for loads of girls- although admittedly usually for oily skinned beauties! I love it even though I’m dry for its crazy staying power- it…

Hi Guys! Since the regular Sephora sale is starting this Friday, I wanted to share some of my favorite things to get for 20% off for VIB’s (use code 20VIB). I decided to do a section for what I use and would repurchase, and then what I would love to try! While Sephora isn’t usually affordable, things that go on my skin or on my face/scalp regularly are where I tend to be more willing to invest- and there’s no better time than the Sephora Sale! Use: Biotherm 3 in 1 Mask – Biotherm Deep Serum – Origins Ginzing Eye Cream – Purity by Philosophy Face Wash – Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Would love to try: Josie Maran 100% Argan Oil – GlamGlow ThirstyMud – Josie Maran Whipped Mud Mask – Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Face Cream – Origins Plantscription Anti-Aging Eye Treatment What are your favorite picks for skincare at Sephora?

Hello! Tomatoes are easily one of my favorite things! I love fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes, tomato salads, soups and sauces! Recently uncooked tomatoes have been giving me some sort of weird heartburn, so I have been cooking my tomatoes in different ways so I still get my “fix”. Since I also love pasta, an easy roasted tomato marinara seemed like just what I needed to make. This is a super affordable post which is surprising given that we’re using ten fresh tomatoes, and while you can definitely buy cans of tomato sauce for cheaper, but honestly this was so delicious that it felt fully worth the extra money. I also used a can of tomato sauce to make my roasted tomatoes go further so keep that option in mind as well! Roasted Tomato Marinara and Spaghetti $0.92 per serving or $5.50 for six  Ten tomatoes (five romas and 5 vine ripened)…

Now that I no longer have a roommate, I feel a bit more comfortable investing in pieces I love for the kitchen and entertaining. When people come into my house, I think there’s always quite a bit of surprise when they realize this girl that loves bows and sweet dresses has a home styled in an industrial-rustic way, with loads of black pieces and natural wood anchoring a bright, open space. I love this aesthetic because it allows me drop in mirrored pieces, touches of pink and pattern without my house screaming “single female”. Everything is functional, comfortable and durable for when I want to have a few friends over. When I bought my home I didn’t have much in the way of decor, and expensive projects like custom blinds sucked up all of my “fun” money I had laying around. When I realized things like dishes and glasses were being…

Hey guys! I thought it was only fitting after my easy tatziki recipe to give you something to eat it with! Even better, I thought it would be great to make that something incorporate the awesome dill pesto I made recently! This is a great way to make a batch of burgers to keep in the freezer for a night where it’s just too busy (or too hot, or too whatever) to cook. I will usually pull out a half cup of frozen rice and eat this with some tatziki and cut vegetables. Dill Pesto Chicken Burger $10.36 or $0.65 per burger 2 pounds of ground chicken- $4 ~150grams of bread crumbs- $1.25 1/2 a cup of parmesan cheese- $3.38 2 eggs- $0.45 Dill pesto- $1.28 Start off by putting everything in a bowl (yup, everything!). Season liberally with pepper, less liberally with salt (because of the parmesan).  Set out…

Recently I unexpectedly popped over to my parent’s place for dinner, which was fantastic, but I had already thawed  my meals for the next two days. I strongly believe (thanks to a very food-safety conscious mom) that food is only good for four days and after that, it should be discarded. Fast forward to day four for my half a cup of taco beef (BEEF!) and rice that I had defrosted. There was no way I was eating it that night and stuffing myself, and so my mom helped me out by turning my leftovers into this amazing soup! One of the best ways to save money is to never, never let food go to waste so my mum is always showing me how to turn what could end up in the wastebin into a batch of amazing freezer meals. Taco Soup 8 servings for $9.40 or $1.18 per serving…

In my recent blog post about how to cheer yourself up on a budget, I mentioned that I like to pamper myself a bit when I’m feeling down, and that one of the ways I like to do that is by painting my nails and toenails. That got me thinking about how it’s now the right time of year to swap out my nail polishes from winter-y colors to more springlike colors! This is one of my favorite parts of having such distinct seasons here in Edmonton- rotating my clothing, swapping out shoes, and embracing whatever season it is here. Since I don’t have a ton of money to invest into super chic accessories and clothing, one of the ways I make sure I look polished at work is through always trying to be well groomed. My hair of late has been messing this up for me, as well as…

Like a good kid of a mum that loves to feed people, I tell my mum what I’m eating pretty much every day. I’m just joking around really, this is a bit of a family tradition. When we were kids my dad traveled for business quite a lot but every night he would call and each of us would get a chance to talk to him and mum would always ask us questions about what we learned from him that day. We would always ask if he saw any animals while he was driving and what he ate for lunch and dinner. Now, it’s just a habit to tell my mum. (She asks too, I swear!) Anyhow. Lately, about 80% of the time when we talk about what I’m eating, it’s this! To be honest, I got 4 pounds of ground chicken for 10$ which is about 15 meals of…

Now that I live on my own, I love having friends over for a meal and company. Recently, I wanted to have a dinner for some girlfriends on Valentines Day, but since it was supposed to snow that day, I wanted to make sure that it was a warming and cozy meal. Also, since we live in Edmonton, I wanted to do in such a way that if a small amount of snow became impassable snow/ice/terribleness mix, that I could freeze the soup for later uses since we all live in different areas of the city and sometimes winter driving is just a no-go here. It ended up being a good idea since for varying reasons, our party of five became a party of three. What I came up with was a slightly spicy, veggie filled soup that everyone loved. Veggie Noodle Soup $7.31 for a party of 5, or…