Engagement Pictures

I have been excited to share this post for quite some time - our engagement pictures! I think I keep convincing myself that I will write these eloquent and beautiful posts about being engaged, with all sorts of profound thoughts, and so I just haven't written much. I have decided to change that, and just share what I have to say at the time I'm writing. Being engaged is so much fun - and every day gives me a new reason to be thankful for the man God has blessed my life with. I mostly just feel so undeserving of such a gift of Grace. Seriously, he is way nicer than I am! When I grow up, I want to be as cool as Wes.

Recently, we took engagement pictures with the best photographer ever Dorazio Photography... aka my super amazing little bro, Josh! There is a beautiful park near my house, and Josh caught so many perfect moments of us. Basically, the 3 of us hung out and laughed for two hours and he got to boss around his bossy older sister and I have amazing pictures to show for it. I think it's a pretty good set up if I do say so myself ;)

But SERIOUSLY! Aren't these awesome? Take a look at his page for more of our pictures and the rest of his amazing work!

I'm always laughing when we are together...

All photos courtesy of Dorazio Photography. 

Tea of the Week: Earl Grey Vanilla

This week I'm taking a break from my David's Tea sampling to write about my all-time staple tea. This is the tea that I find myself making when I want something classic, familiar, and delicious. I am never without my favourite tea - Earl Grey Vanilla.

If I have to pick a regular black tea, it's always Earl Grey. I think it's the bergamot...there's just something I love about the taste and smell of Earl Grey. But add in some vanilla and it's even more heavenly. 

What's in your tea cup today? 

Will you be my bridesmaid?

Annnnnnd let the wedding posts begin!

I think my favourite part of the wedding planning process so far has been asking 4 of my best friends to be in my wedding. I wanted to find a way to ask them that was fun and let them know they were special to me, and of course I was anxious for some wedding crafting! After searching Pinterest for some inspiration (isn't that where every good wedding begins???), I came up with the idea of making a box for each of the girls.

I bought some boxes at Michael's and painted them an antique white, inside and out. I then painted the inside of the lid a Robin's Egg Blue (not my wedding colours, if you were wondering - I just liked them). Then I cut a piece of card stock in a fun design and wrote on it. The card stock was glued inside the lid. If you are particularly fancy, you could paint that part on, but I have yet to achieve that kind of cool factor. We won't talk about how many more of those I threw out than actually used for the boxes...apparently 4 good copies is too many for me to handle ;) 

It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to put inside. I wanted to ask the girls pretty quickly after getting engaged, for a couple reasons. First of all, everyone was asking me who was going to be in the wedding. Secondly, I was excited and wanted to share it with them! If I had waited longer, I might have included some fun things like paint chips with the wedding colours on them or things that require planning, buuuuuuut I'm not exactly the queen of patience when I have exciting news to share. I ended up deciding on 4 things for each box:
       
          1. A journal - because I love lists, they were cute, and weddings need lists.
          2. A chocolate bar - because chocolate is always a need, right?
          3. A Starbucks card - so we can get wedding day Starbucks, because we all know it is going to             happen anyways, so I thought it would be nice to treat them.
          4. A letter - just to have the chance to tell them each that they are special to me.

I also included a little note explaining each of those things, which you can see in the picture above.

It was so fun to give each of them their box! I'm so incredibly thankful for the friends God has blessed me with :)

Tea of the Week: Chocolate Rocket

This week's tea was one that I hear a lot of people say they either LOVE (as in, favourite tea of all time love) or don't really like at all. So on one particularly crisp, cold, boring (read: homework-filled) night, Chocolate Rocket called my name from the tea cupboard and it was time to try it out.

This tea was in the "Road Trip" travel pack. It's a mate tea, which means it is definitely a stimulant. This tea is flavoured with a combination of Yerba mate, cocoa, nuts, and fruit. 

To make my tea-tasting experience even better, I enjoyed my tea in my new favourite mug. It's Polish pottery that my friend Tahlia brought back from her summer adventures there - thanks Tahl! I love it - it's the perfect size for cozying up with some tea and a blanket and it's so cute :) 

And now...drum roll please....for the final verdict...

I love it! I would definitely get this tea again - it was tasty, especially with a little bit of milk :) 

Tea of the Week: Chai Guarana

My friend Sarah over at Camp Girl in the Real World has been doing a "Tea of the Week" series for a long time now where she writes about a new flavour of tea she has tried and/or loves. It's so much fun to see all the different teas she has and to find new ones to try. I love tea, and I especially love trying new ones.

I was recently gifted with 15 sample packages from David's Tea, and so the natural conclusion was to join in on this awesome idea! My plan is to post each of the teas as I try them and let you know what I think. Feel free to send me some suggestions of your own or share what you though of the tea if you have tried it as well!

So the first one I tried was called Chai Guarana. It's made with cinnamon, black tea, ginger, anise, roasted mate, guarana seeds. I tried it with my friend Sam, and she picked this one mostly because we thought the ingredients sounded exciting. I originally was going to try a mint one, but decided to join in with this flavour because I was just in the mood for something with chai in it that day. It was so good! I liked that it was a chai flavour, with a subtle little twist of something else. I enjoy teas like that sometimes - familiar, but a little different, too.

Just as an update - we were at David's Tea last night, and I found out this tea is their most caffeinated tea, and has almost the same amount of caffeine as coffee! I didn't even know tea COULD have that much caffeine...you learn something new every day ;)

How to Successfully Register for Courses Without Losing Your Mind

This month I once again had to embark on the monumental task of picking next year's courses. Which ranks pretty high on my list of things I would rather NEVER be doing. It's the worst. This year was absolute mayhem as I tried to figure it out for next year. Some of you might not find course selection stressful, in which case, this post is not for you. You can go on your merry little way, smiling and singing and whatever other happy things you are doing right now. The rest of us who want to curl up in a ball and make it go away - this post is for us. After going through the process 4 times so far, I hope I have learned a thing or two that might be helpful to some people. At least I like to think so...

1. Make a list ahead of your access time. 
BEFORE it's your turn to pick those courses, go through the course listings online and make a list of which ones you need to take, and which ones you want to take, plus a few alternatives juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuust in case your first picks are full. Which, like, never happens....but better to be safe than sorry. HA!

2. Have snacks.
Everything is easier with snackage. I say, when the going gets tough, the tough bring snackage. Some call it emotional eating, I choose to call it resilience.

3. Stay calm.
Try to relax however you can. Play awesome music, make tea, kick out annoying siblings if you have them, and please, for goodness sake, make sure you are in your PJs. Remember to take a deep breath and not get flustered when it doesn't work out.

4. Prioritize.
Remember that list from #1? Well, it works best if that list is in order of importance...for me, that means I put my mandatory courses for my major, then my mandatory courses for my education degree (because I want to finish up the bulk of my BA first), then my electives (in order of the most fun to the least). In my first two years, my gen-ed courses were above my "fun" electives. However you choose to categorize your classes, it helps to have an order, so you make sure you get those important courses, when you want them.

5. Have a plan B...and C....and D....and E....
It took me days and days and probably 30 e-mails ( at least!) to figure out my classes in a way that was remotely acceptable. There were tears and gnashing of teeth, and don't fool yourself and think plan A was accomplished. I had to re-organize my timetable, find new electives, and pull every trick in the book to make it work this year, but in the end, I think it will be OK. I haven't always had this much trouble, and I don't share this to stress anyone out but simply to let you know that it's good to have some back up plans just in case, or at least the time to figure one out on the spot.

6. Don't be afraid to ask.
If you want a course, e-mail the department, e-mail the professor, show up in their offices. It might actually get things done! Don't be afraid to make phone calls, send e-mails, and make your presence known. Universities are big institutions, and they can't read your mind - you have to ask for what you want

7. Let it go.
Whatever happens, try to just let it go. If you don't end up in that super awesome course you wanted, it's OK. If you end up with classes every day when you wanted Friday off, it's OK. If you end up with a 9 hour day of lectures, it's OK (still trying to convince myself of that one ;). If you have more early morning classes than you wanted, that's OK. In the end, as long as you graduate, it's probably going to be just fine. So take a deep breath and let it all go.

8. Pray.
You can't do it on your own - making a timetable match up when there are thousands of other people trying to get into the same courses is not simple. Not losing it and crying in some lady's office at York is an even bigger miracle (trust me, I would know). Keep calm and cast all your cares on the one who cares for you.

Some Thoughts Concerning Education

No, I'm not talking about John Locke's thoughts on the subject. All you Ed students know what I'm talking about, amiright? Enough of that for the summer.

Wes and I were driving back to the city recently and had an interesting discussion about education. You see, if I remember correctly, I was doing the hypothetical worrying thing that I do way too often. I asked him, "what if we get married and then we have a baby and then I stay home with the baby and because it's so hard to get a teaching job before I had a baby I never actually use this degree that I am working on because I never got a job and then I spent all that money on something (a degree) that didn't give us any money in return and then it's like I just wasted my time?" *insert breath here* At which point he started laughing, and then I did too because I realized how ridiculous that whole thing was.

After we both stopped laughing at me...

Wes made a very good point.

He said that he thought society had all the wrong ideas about education...viewing universities as a job factory. And I realized that in my nonsensical moment of worry, I had really had the wrong perspective all along. Thinking of university as a job factory is what I fall back on far too much.

"What it really is," he said, " is an investment in knowledge, in your own education as a person." Even if you never use your degree in terms of a job in the way society expects, you are still a better person as a result. You have still grown and expanded your knowledge. And it's true! I completely agree.

I can really tell how much I have grown in my time at school...learning to live alone, make a solid and concise argument, speak and act in a professional manner, how to manage my own money, and so many valuable teaching skills that can be used in a variety of contexts. Education is more than just a road to a job. It's about growing as a person and developing yourself in so many ways. I like to think of myself as a lifelong learner...learning this lesson was an important part of that journey. So thankful for my guy who humbles me in the gentlest of ways (and often, I think, quite by accident!).

I mean, let's be real. It's also where you learn how long you can REALLY go without grocery shopping, how to do ANYTHING from Pinterest, how to accomplish anything BUT listening to the lecture (I have seen people order delivery pizza, a group of guys watch a sports game, and of course there is the all-too-typical wedding dress purchases, among others), how to communicate just about anything over texting or Facebook because the long distance phone call is too stinkin' expensive. And don't you forget the acquiring free stuff skills that I have been sharpening. Crucial. A big thank you goes out to my friend, mentor, guru, and general free stuff aficionado Renee.

But seriously, pay attention to the first part of this post. It all goes downhill at the end. There is some genius up there though, promise! You should probably go read it again to remind yourself that I can write something useful. Go, read it! Up there.

And right now, I am thankful for a summer break to reflect on these thoughts about education :)

Pretend this is summer...see the sunshine? It's definitely summer in this picture. You can tell by Wes' facial expression that he agrees. 

Ok. This one is ACTUALLY summer. That better? And yes, I was terrified. I am like 40 feet off the ground, aren't I? You let someone do that to you and let me know if you have a more normal facial expression. Actually, on second thought, don't. Let's just all help me out and smile and move on :P
P.S. side note, he's super cool. 

It usually takes me a full month to convince myself it is truly summer. If you, too, need some help, feel free to listen to this song to get you in the proper groove. That's the official term, right?

A few of my favourite things...

I'm going to try something new in this post and share some of my recent favourite things with you! This month (mid-April to mid-May) has been a busy time filled with new experiences, so I apologize for the radio silence over here. I am aiming to get back into my regular routine very shortly! So without further ado, here are my favourites as of late...

1. Teaching kindergarten. I might sound like a broken record, because I know I mention kindergarten a lot here, but I am so LOVING my time at my placement. It's probably one of the most overwhelming and challenging things I have done, but the most fun and rewarding at the same time. I can tell that I have really grown so much now at the end of the year as well, it's pretty crazy. 

2. Watermelon. Mini watermelons have been on sale for a good price lately, and they are soooo good. Best mid-morning snack! They give me hope that summer might eventually arrive.

3. Caffeine. There is nothing like a good Iced Capp or Starbucks trip, and this month they have been so very appreciated. The few times I have managed to bring an Iced Capp to work have been so much better haha. 

4. My water bottle. I have been trying to drink more water this week, and having my water bottle with me all the time helps a ton. I am so horrible for drinking enough water. I got this one for Christmas last year and I still love it!

5. Quiet mornings. I usually listen to music on my walk to work to keep myself moving, but lately I have been turning it off to enjoy the lack of noise. It's so still and now I have been hearing birds chirping, streams running, and even some crickets...all in the (finally) bright mornings. It's so wonderful! 

6. Being done classes for another year. 'Nuff said. Can I get an AMEN??!!

7. This song. It just makes me think of driving around in the summer with friends, rockin' out and singing too loud. I can't wait. 

                                   

8 Simple Steps to Healthier Eating

I often hear people comment that they would like to eat healthier foods, but feel they can't because they are too busy, it's too expensive, etc. Today I want to share some simple steps that anyone can take to make healthy eating a bigger part of their lives too. Because food is important! I hope everyone has the experience of eating food that is so wonderful that they declare, "THIS. This right here is proof that God loves us!" Or is it just me that does that? Ah well, no matter how loudly *ahem* your soul sings when you eat good food, it's an important part of each of our lives, and has the ability to influence our individual health and wellness, not to mention our mood and energy. So how can we eat delicious food that is good for us too? Well, read on friends! 

1. Don't buy it! 
If you don't buy something, then you won't eat it. Seems logical, right? This is probably the most important factor for me. By choosing not to buy food you don't want to be eating anyways, you are basically eliminating the need for self-control from the equation. You only need self-control in that moment in the store and then at home it's easy! It's not there to eat so you are not going to have that problem...

2. It's all about the snacks. 
I have written before about the importance of having healthy snacks around if you want to eat healthy. I find that it is usually the in-between times when I am feeling snack-ish that I crave things like chips or chocolate. I want some tasty morsel to munch on, and it turns out that frozen grapes totally hit the spot!

Fresh produce from the garden is the best snack ever! 

3. Read the label! 
Finding a healthy option can be as simple as reading the label on things you are buying. As a general rule, the smaller the number of ingredients, the better it is. Also, avoid unpronounceable ingredients. For example, apples contain....apples. But a box of good ol' KD? Not so much. The same rule applies when you are comparing brands. When you are buying applesauce, for example, look for the brand with the least ingredients. You should be able to find a variety with literally just apples, or maybe with a little citric acid (vitamin C) to preserve it.

4. Make Substitutions One at a Time. 
The easiest way to change your lifestyle is to make one simple switch at a time. So if you really love to eat crackers, look for a better variety of crackers such as brown rice crackers, or maybe try making them yourself. Then, switch something else the next week, like finding a more natural variety of yogurt. If once a week seems like a lot, try once a month or every other week.

5. Plan Ahead. 
When you walk in the door after a busy day, starving and with absolutely no dinner plans, you are more likely to order pizza or make the Mr. Noodles that are sitting in the cupboard (which I wouldn't have in my house anyways right? haha). Menu plans are a lifesaver for eating healthy, and saving the grocery budget. I don't make a daily plan, but I try to jot down a few meals that I will make when I go grocery shopping so I make sure I have the ingredients and so that I can refer to the list when I don't know what to make. If you think about what you are eating beforehand, you are also more likely to take things out of the freezer to thaw or actually have time to pack a lunch.

Valentine's Day soup...from my Instagram feed

6. Cook Extra. 
This is my saving grace for when I forget to plan ahead. Batch cooking is where it's at y'all. Especially as a university student. I can cook a batch of chili and get 8 meals out of it...one the night I make it and 7 for the freezer. I have a whole bunch of the 2-cup Pyrex containers that I can put in the oven/toaster oven (put it in a cold oven so the glass warms up slowly and doesn't crack) or the microwave no problem. When I have to pack a lunch, I just grab one of my little meals out of the freezer and it's even better than a frozen meal from the grocery store. I will also sometimes freeze larger batches for if I have company, or Wes comes over.

7. Pack Food and NOT Money. 
I learned this trick in high school. If you don't have money to spend on eating out, you are not going to eat out. The way to combat not having food is to just pack a snack! I try to keep some easily pack-able items in my cupboard like crackers, dried fruit, trail mix, a piece of fruit, etc. (grab and go items). I also like to keep an extra granola bar or something in my bag just in case (Clif bars and Lara Bars are my favourite for a treat). This way, I can just bring a couple dollars in case I am stuck and need the subway or an emergency tea (it happens folks!) and maybe my debit card (which I can't use at most places on campus). I have saved myself a lot of money and donuts doing this. I know, because I don't always heed my own advice and pay for it (literally) later.

8. Have a Water Bottle You Like. 
Most of the time when you are just feeling peckish and want a snack, it's actually because you are thirsty or even dehydrated. I find that having a water bottle that I like helps me to keep hydrated and reminds me to bring water with me when I am out. If you are feeling like you want chips but aren't sure you are really hungry, try drinking a glass of water first. Especially if it seems like nothing you eat is really satisfying. Your body may actually be craving water and not salt or sugar.

Greener Beans

I am here today to let you all know that University has not allowed me to escape unscathed (Escape? Who am I kidding...definitely still stuck there lol). No, I have fallen into the world of coffee. But see, I have a dilemma, which is that I don't completely like coffee. Oh, I like its effects, don't get me wrong. That stuff is liquid gold for an early morning class or wrangling kindergarteners. But the coffee flavour? Not so much. I can handle it if it's mild, but not just straight up coffee.

Enter, the latte. And Starbucks. You see, a latte still has the effects of coffee, without tasting like I'm drinking tar. 

Problem is.....that's a $5 commitment. One would think that my reasonable (ahem) self would consider this ludicrous, but no...sometimes survival comes at a price (as anyone who has had to PAY for school knows). 

Now, don't go freaking out and think I have abandoned my beloved tea, because that could never happen. My tea count per day has not changed (a LOT), this is simply an addition. Plus, Starbucks has tea too ;) But the point is that sometimes girlfriend's gotta have some serious caffeine and Starbucks kindly assists with that.

So what do you do about such a situation when you want to be kind to the planet and your bank account? Well, allow me.

You buy one of these!! Starbucks has started making these reusable cups and they sell them for...wait for it...$1. That's ONE DOLLAR. Yep. Annnnnnnnnd... when you use a reusable cup at Starbucks, you save 10 cents, which means the cup pays for itself in 10 visits (or 10 classes, depending on how you prefer to count). Actually, if we are really getting precise, they take the discount before tax so you really save more like 15 cents when they round it to the 5 (because they finally got rid of the penny), which would be 6 or 7 visits. But we aren't going to get that precise, because school just ended and there are just some things you need to recover from in life. So really, the money savings alone is a bonus if you ask me. 

On top of saving some cash...can we just all take a minute to think about how many cups AREN'T going in the garbage when you reuse your cup? I don't know how many other people have a Starbucks on their campus, but we have one glorious Starbucks and about 8 Timmies, among other coffee shops, and that is a LOT of disposable cups. In fact, at this time of the year (exam time) I would bet that the garbage cans are 90% full of just coffee cups. So I think a serious argument could be made for the benefits of reusing a cup. I mean, Americans alone throw away 25 billion styrofoam cups each year (source).

In case you need some other reasons, here you go: 

1. This cup is way more sturdy than the regular paper/plastic cups.

2. It looks just the same so you can still feel classy with your Sbux like all the cool kids. 

3. It's super light so it's no trouble to throw it in my bag in the morning on the way to class. 

4. This one is my favourite discovery. The cup is only in one size, and when you order a tall, the baristas tend to fill it up anyways giving you more bang (code for caffeine) for your buck. It's pretty much the most awesome thing ever. 

Now, I am sure you might be wondering why I didn't have a reusable travel mug before now. I did. But I broke it. So I was in line one day and and saw this and thought, what the heck, why not? And I realized this is something anyone, and I mean anyone, could do. Talk about a simple switch. 

Kinder than Neccessary

"'Shall we make a new rule of life...always to try to be a little kinder than is necessary?' What a marvelous line, isn't it? Kinder than is necessary. Because it's not enough to be kind. One should be kinder than needed...That line, that concept, reminds us that we carry with us, as human beings, not just the capacity to be kind, but the very choice of kindness...If every single person in this room made it a rule that wherever you are, whenever you can, you will try to act a little kinder than is necessary - the world really would be a better place. And if you do this, if you act just a little kinder than is necessary, someone else, somewhere, someday, may recognize in you, in every single one of you, the face of God."

Go ahead, read it again. I'll wait for you. All of you...go read it again. 

The quotation above is from the book Wonder by R. J. Pallacio, which I had to read for my inclusive education class this year. I definitely recommend it if you are an educator or are interested in inclusion and children in any way. Actually, you should read it just for the adorable story! I cried more than once. Which, if you know me and books is highly unusual...right? Okay, maybe not. But still. 

This was one of those books that had me sitting there scribbling down quotations the entire time. The one above has to be one of my favourites. So much truth packed into those words. What if? What if we made that our motto in life, to be just a little kinder than is necessary? I think every person in the class adopted those words as their own teaching philosophy by the end of the term. But this quote struck me for more reasons than just being a teacher. 

I think the idea of being kinder than necessary is so applicable to our lives. Now, let me clarify that this does not mean having no boundaries. Boundaries are good and healthy components of our lives. But just take a minute to imagine some of your daily encounters lived by this principle. Lately this has meant that when one of my kindergarten students came up to me with a scab on his finger and horrified expression on his face and said "ummm Miss? This came off of my body and now there is bloooood!" (yes, exactly like that YouTube video), instead of responding in frustration because I had only reminded him to stop touching his face a bazillion times, maybe taking a deep breath and giving a gentle and logical reminder that this is why we don't pick scabs would be a perfectly fine accompaniment to a natural consequence.

Or when that person in line at grocery store is rude to you? Why not just give a nice smile instead of feeling annoyed at them and your plight in the ever-horrible grocery line lottery of life. I could go on and on (and most of my latest personal reminders have to do with kindergarten), but I hope that this little quotation gives you too, some food for thought today. The choice is yours - you have the capacity to be kind. We all make choices regarding our actions and we each possess the ability to choose kindness. And just maybe, someone will see the face of God in you. Because isn't that what everyone needs? 

Heroes

I wasn't planning to post today...I have one that I am struggling to come up with words for on the go, and it's taking some time.

But then I was listening to the new Casting Crowns album, after one of my wonderful friends told me I needed to check it out. I thought it would make a nice studying soundtrack, so I drifted over to YouTube to give it a listen. Studying? Nope. Not happening. I had to share this song, because it so touched my heart.

I am overwhelmed with the heroes in my life...in every situation, everywhere I turn, when I am struggling and when I am celebrating, there are heroes. I am so grateful today for the incredible blessing of the people in my life...I could never articulate it fully.

These are the heroes, just ordinary people

Laying down their lives like angels in disguise

They're weak but always willing

They dare to do the hard things

And in the dark and desperate places no one else goes

You'll find the heroes

You'll find the heroes

I was listening to this song, and person after person came to my mind. I would hope that all the heroes in my life would know how they have impacted me, but I doubt it. Life can really stink sometimes, but where would any of us be without heroes? So for those ordinary people, willing to do the hard things, thank you. I wish I had more words, but thank you. 

Be someone's hero today.

Make the Switch: Food Storage

Today I want to mention a really simple way to make your lifestyle one step healthier, by removing some plastic from your home. One of the easiest ways to do this is to switch your food storage to something less harmful.

Why do I want to avoid plastic? 
1. Plastic often contains toxic chemicals. We know to avoid BPA, but many manufacturers just substitute with BPS, another toxin (or various other toxic materials). Furthermore, plastic is made from oil and chemically rearranged to make a basically indestructible compound. This doesn't sound good for our bodies to me. I could go on and on, but essentially plastic contains toxins and that's why I don't want it in leeching into my food.

2. Toxins make you sick. All of these toxins can cause a variety of problems, from infertility, to cancer, to asthma and more. One study even claims that plastic is contributing to obesity because it causes stem cells to change to fat cells.

3. Plastics are horrible for the planet. They don't react with pretty much anything, making them very difficult to break down. So nearly every piece of plastic ever made is still around. And when some plastic does begin to break down through photodegradation with sunlight, it can be ingested by marine life and wildlife. Not only does this negatively impact the environment, but also our food supply as well.

Kick it out. 
Knowing this information, we can see why it is important to limit the amount of plastic we let into our homes as much as possible. And yet, plastic is EVERYWHERE! We drink water out of it, store our food in it, carry our laundry in it, make our kids' toys from it, etc. I think the easiest and most logical place to start, is with how we eat and store our food since that is actually going inside of us. So I am going to share tips from my own experience switching to non-toxic food storage with all of you!

1. Glass. Glass is a great alternative to plastic - it lasts a long time, is doesn't get stained, it doesn't affect the taste of your food, and most types can be reheated in the oven. I switched out my plastic containers for glass one at a time and looked for massive sales or found them at thrift stores. Pyrex is definitely my favourite though and is great quality. I got a 10 piece set for 60% off after Christmas this year! If you are in Canada, Canadian Tire has sales on this stuff almost weekly.

2. Jars. Another great alternative is to use glass jars for storing food. I save pasta sauce jars, or other food containers, along with using Mason jars. Jars are especially useful for storing soup, homemade tomato sauce, or broth/stock. I have used them for all sorts of things though - chopped veggies/fruit, extra cooked meat, homemade bread crumbs, nuts, etc. I also use glass jars for most of my pantry storage and it works wonderfully - I can see what's inside and easily label them, and I like how it looks too :)

The humble mason jar...

3. Stainless Steel. There are also stainless steel food containers - like this one! I don't have any yet, but I'm sure they would be great for packing lunches because they would be lighter than glass, and don't have the risk of being broken as easily (although I haven't even chipped any of mine and I'm not overly cautious with them).

4. Reusable Snack and Sandwich Bags. I have a set of reusable sandwich bags that I made myself with an online tutorial that I found a few years ago (before I even knew what Pinterest was lol) and they are just simple fold-lock style bags with scraps of fabric I had on hand. Super simple and great for dry foods like crackers, bread, nuts, etc. I also purchased an Itzy Ritzy bag off of Amazon with my last textbook order, since I figured I was getting free shipping anyways. I have this one and I LOVE IT! I love that I can just throw these in the wash with my regular clothes and I'm good to go! Less waste, I'm not bringing plastic into my house, and it's one less thing I have to buy. That's one of my favourite side effects of a more simple and natural lifestyle - there are so many things I don't even have to buy at the store anymore (deodorant, face wash, food storage products, bread, etc.).

5. Packaging. Last but not least, consider the packaging of food you are buying. Try to avoid packaging that contains toxins (BPA lined cans, plastic wrapped snacks, etc.). Buy in bulk or buy whole foods with minimal packaging (think: fruits and veggies that don't have to be packaged at all, etc...I use reusable produce bags). My local farmers market is my favourite grocery store!

Start slow and switch things in your home one at a time - you will be shocked at the changes you have made in no time! What is your next simple switch?

Merry Christmas...In March!

I recently wrote a little bit about the new sheets I got with some Christmas money I had been given, which I love love love! But I think my most favourite Christmas gift I got this year finally came in the mail this week. Yep. You read that right. Gotta love shipping to Canada.

It's this beauty, right here.

Source

My new duvet cover! Apparently I had a theme going between the sheets and the duvet cover and the actual duvet that I got for my birthday last year...my 8 year old cousin thought I was really boring and told me growing up seemed lame. Amen, sista.

But really, I guess I did have a theme happening. I decided a couple years back that I wanted to make my bed more natural and free of toxins. After all, I spend probably about half of my day there between sleeping and studying and using it as a couch (welcome to tiny university rooms, people). My game plan was pretty simple - to start with what I needed most, and what went on sale first - and gradually make the changes that I wanted. The final aspect that I changed (as far as bedding goes), is this duvet cover.

Here it is in real life...in my tiny little room with no true window. You can thank my phone for this lovely little snapshot ;) 

I'm so excited!!! I got an organic cotton pin tuck duvet from West Elm, in feather grey. But it was a close call between the grey, amethyst, and white. I settled with the grey because I think it will be most versatile in the next while for me. Plus I just like it ;) I had been looking for pretty much exactly this for the longest time, and I'm so glad I waited and researched! I was losing hope that I could get something organic, with the look I wanted, for a decent price. Now it's been freshly washed with my soap nuts and dryer balls, and my bed is beautiful :) I have the shams too, but I didn't bring them to school, so they aren't pictured here (in case you are wondering). I also decided to go with a Queen duvet, which is why it looks a little big on my twin bed. I figured that I am almost done school, and the next bed I get will likely be a Queen, either when I get married or get a grown up place or just when I replace my rapidly dying bed that I have right now, so I might as well plan ahead and save a few bucks later on. I will say, it was pretty fun to open a Christmas gift this week with 3 weeks left of classes and a case of the winter blues - it made my day so amazing! Now that I have officially opened all my Christmas presents, I think Spring needs to just hurry itself along and show up finally. Soon, I tell myself, soon.

10 things I like...about myself!

I am finally giving in and posting my own list of 10 things I like about myself. I was inspired by my friend Sarah over at Camp Girl in the Real World, who wrote her own post in response to Christy's (the author of another (new) favourite blog of mine, Avoiding Atrophy - thanks Sarah!). Basically, the idea is that we (women in particular) tend to negate compliments given to us, putting ourselves down but disguising it as humility. We don't want to be vain and arrogant, but what we end up doing is bringing a whole pile of negativity into our lives.  Do you believe that people were created with individual uniqueness, value, and abilities? I sure do! And this includes you and me. However, it is also obvious that we are not perfect people, especially to ourselves.

"But if you believe that you were created and endowed with certain gifts and abilities despite those shortcomings, why oh why would you degrade them? Why would you make your gifts seem like less? How is that humility?" (Christy's words)

The point then, is that it's okay to like things about ourselves, and to appreciate our own talents, ideas, skills, personalities, etc. In fact, it's even a good great thing! And she challenged readers to do the same. I think this is a fantastic idea, so I am joining the party (albeit a little late). So, without further ado, here are 10 things I like about myself.

1. I am creative. I love that I can sew, rock the world of DIY, and come up with unique ideas and ways of doing things.

2. I am organized. I can keep track of things, make lists (anyone who knows me well knows that I even think in lists lol), and make use of small spaces. This skill is super useful as a teacher, student, and overall camp person too!

3. I picked a great guy. For real though. I am proud of myself for waiting until the right time and for the right person (let's be honest, very few people could handle all my craziness anyways). And I'm glad he picked me too ;)

4. I can make people laugh. The other day I told one of my housemates that I missed our other housemate and she replied with, "that's because they [she and her boyfriend] think you are funny!" And she's right - I like that we laugh when we hang out. (She wasn't being mean or anything by the way - she just knew it would make me smile).

5. I'm great with kids - I love kids, and I think over time that built into me also having a lot of skills in this area. That's probably why I am taking Children's Studies and Education and have spent every summer since forever working at camps (aside from the one where I nannied...more children).

6. I can cook delicious food! Being able to cook tasty meals is a fantastic skill to have...great for having people over, makes life exciting, and boys love it! Or, at least one does ;) So chances are high that other people would too. Plus, eating is one of my favourite activities so it's basically ah-mazing.

Baked potato, parmesan asparagus, and filet mignon
- date night at home!

Student life can taste pretty good sometimes...

7. I'm not afraid to have my own ideas. This was (and is) a hard thing to learn, but I like that I have done things that other people think are crazy - like make my own deodorant!

8. My interests make the world a better place - some things I love are to care for kids, take care of the environment, and encourage others, which are all things that brighten the world a little bit in some way.

9. I love my curls. Some people really don't like their hair, and sure, I bemoan the beast that sometimes appears on my head, but I really do love the fact that I have curly hair.

Apparently a random prom picture is the last one I have that adequately showcases my hair. We shall pretend I am not a baby in it and this is a recent picture...because my hair still looks like that, promise (and plus, I am not about to look through more pictures for...my hair). 

10. I build strong relationships, with my family, friends, and my boyfriend. I am definitely a relational person, and people are important to me.

What are things you like about yourself? I challenge you, too, to think about some things that are great about YOU, whether you write it on a piece of paper or journal, write a blog post of your own, or in any format you like!

I have to say, this was probably the hardest blog post I've written to date (even including my 'Why does it matter?' post, that took me pretty much forever to write), which probably speaks to the point Christy was making in the first place. Such a great idea :)

P.s. Check out the linkup over at Avoiding Atrophy and take a peek at some of the other posts linked there! And Sarah's post is the second one, after Christy's!

A present every hour

I have actually surprised myself at the fact that I haven't posted anything about my relationship with Wes on the blog up to this point. Normally, I love talking about relationships of all kinds with my friends and coming up with new ideas to make people smile and feel special. Of course, I don't always do this well, but it's definitely a life goal. But this post isn't a collection of genius advice or profound realizations or anything, so don't get too excited now ;)

This guy right here

It was Wes' birthday recently, and when I asked him what he wanted to do to celebrate, he said (I'm not even kidding) "Whatever you want to do!" What a guy. Anyways, since he had no special requests besides that it was low key, I decided to get creative. That's when I remembered an idea I saw a while ago (probably on Pinterest) that seemed perfect...

A present for every hour of his birthday! Each one was individually wrapped and had a little note with the time to open it written on the outside. This was so fun!! I was so excited wrapping them all up the night before - it kind of felt like Christmas ;) 

Inside were all different things (thanks, captain obvious). Some were little treats, and some were 'bigger' gifts like....

• Black liquorice (He LOVES this stuff, you guys)
• This CD (His car was in dire need of some new beats)
• A new book (From my mom, actually...but I take credit for the idea haha)
• Coconut water (Which of all the things, might have been his favourite...crazy kid)
• Some new PJ pants...made by yours truly, but I totally spaced on taking pictures to blog about that project. Blogger fail.

I'll admit it wasn't QUITE one for every hour. I figured that he would go to the gym in the morning and then swing by my house so I planned one every hour from 9 until 3, when I knew he would leave for track practice, and I saved the last bigger gift until after practice when we were going to have dinner. Honestly, I knew he would like it, but I didn't think he would love it as much as he did - he got so excited! It was really fun and I would highly recommend doing this sometime for someone you want to celebrate on their birthday. Who DOESN'T want a gift every hour on their birthday, right? 

Make the Switch: Sheets

Today I want to tell you about another simple change you can make to have a healthier home - organic sheets!

Why, you ask?
Cotton is one of the world's 'dirtiest' crops. It covers 2.5% of the cultivated land in the world, yet uses 25% of the world's insecticides, which is more than any other crop. On top of that, the particular insecticides that are used are very dangerous and produce toxic cotton. The farmers who grow this cotton find it wreaking havoc on their bodies.

“Aldicarb, cotton’s second best selling insecticide and most acutely poisonous to humans, can kill a man with just one drop absorbed through the skin, yet it is still used in 25 countries and the US, where 16 states have reported it in their groundwater.” (Source)

We spend over a third of our lives in bed, sleeping, watching Gilmore Girls and eating chips (or is that just me?), pretending you don't actually have school today, or complaining about your man-cold.

So if you are trying to reduce toxins in your home, your bedding is an important aspect to consider.

Now, I know what you are thinking. Really, I do! You, like me, are worried about how much these sheets cost. Am I right? I was too. If you have ever researched organic sheets, you would have discovered that they can be pretty expensive. Which doesn't exactly entice my student budget, if you know what I mean. But I used my Christmas money and THEN made a great find too. This great find is what I want to share with all of you today.

I got these organic sheets from Target - which is now in Canada!!! I bought a queen set (for home) for $45, and a twin set (for school) for just under $30 (Merry Christmas to me).

The sheets are 325 thread count, which is really high since organic cotton is softer and 250-350 is about the same as an 800 thread count regular sheet. And let me tell you, these sheets are SO soft. They just get softer with every wash. I still get excited to go to bed every night because I love them so much ;)

They are GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified, and even though it doesn't say so on their website, the GOTS logo is on the actual package of sheets.

I do have a few small criticisms though. While the sheets are organic, I'm not sure about the dye. I mean, the white ones are very white...which leads me to think they have probably been bleached. This is one thing you do miss out on because of the price point, I think. The second problem I had with these sheets was when I initially purchased the steel blue-ish coloured ones. I originally bought white for home and blue for school and when I opened them, I found that the label on the white sheets read "100% organic cotton," while the one on the blue sheets just said "100% cotton." This, paired with the fact that they felt different, led me to question if they really were organic. I called the company, and a nice lady talked to me and sent in a report to the "labelling specialist" (whatever that is) and said I should hear back in a week, max. I still haven't heard from them, and called back 2 weeks later and the same lady said her report had not gotten a response yet. If I ever hear back, I will edit this post, but I doubt I will. In the end, I went back and exchanged the sheets because I knew it would just keep bothering me. I don't know if this is a common thing, but a friend of mine had the same blue sheets and the label read the same way (we purchased them in different stores, about an hour and a half apart). Anyways, I am very happy with the ones I have now, and I have no idea what that was about, they may have just labelled them differently or something.

Regardless, I love these sheets, they are pretty affordable, and they are one simple thing you can switch in your home to make it just a little bit healthier.

Some other information/sources: 
Mary Crimmins discusses her top 5 contenders for organic sheets (ranked by price)
Organic Trade Association's discussion on organic cotton

Winter Granola

Today I have a recipe for you that is sure to make your heart happy. For sure. No question.

Ok...maybe I can't guarantee that. (Don't go suing me or something drastic). But it will make your stomach happy. At least it makes mine happy... This is just going downhill now, so let's cut to the chase, shall we? 

I love granola. I eat it almost daily, either on yogurt or with milk (I like to pretend it's cinnamon toast crunch...which is my cereal. You know, that one cereal that you ask for every time you go down the breakfast aisle in the grocery store and every. single. time. (alright, except that one time it went on sale last year) your mom says no and crushes your dreams all over again? You don't? Oh. Well tell that to my mom, please.) I also really don't like plain oatmeal (my student budget wishes I did though) and this is a good way to eat it without the nasty texture that makes me gag. Anyways, this recipe is super simple, and incredibly delicious. 

Winter Granola

Ingredients: 

3 1/2 c. Oatmeal (I prefer large flake oats that I can buy in bulk from the health food store, but any kind will work, really)

1/2 c. Milled or Ground Flax Seed (if you don't want to know it's there, just pulverize the crap out of it and no one has to know)

1/8 c. Wheat Germ (optional)

1 c. Shredded or Flaked Coconut
3/4 c. Almonds - coarsely chopped (or walnuts, pecans, or any nut you like really!) 
1/4 c. Sucanat (or packed brown sugar)
1/3 c. Butter or Coconut Oil (I usually use a combination of the two)
1/4. Raw Honey
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
3/4 c. Dried Cranberries (or raisins; even another dried fruit - optional)

Directions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. In a large bowl, combine oats, flax, wheat germ, coconut, and nuts. Set aside.

3. In a saucepan, combine sugar, butter/coconut oil, honey, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil and remove from heat after 30 seconds. Stir in vanilla.

4. Pour syrup mixture over oat blend and stir to coat.
5. Spread on a large, shallow baking pan.

6. Bake for 15-20 min. or until beautifully golden, stirring occasionally. Cool.
7. When cool, add cranberries.








* For a treat, I will sometimes add semi-sweet chocolate chips. White chocolate chips are also amazing combined with the cranberries!
**Another variation is to make a maple walnut version by using walnuts and substituting maple syrup for the honey. 

***The recipe makes a lot more than the jar I pictured above. I usually freeze most of it and then keep a mason jar's worth in the cupboard so it stays fresh. I'd say I get about 4 jars, give or take.