The holidays are almost here! How exciting! Though we are yet to have snow in my part of the world, I’m looking forward to it’s arrival. I always enjoy the snow but this year it will be a nice consistency in this wild year we’ve had. I know this season will be hard for a lot of people, being separated from family and friends. I’m certainly feeling it. Regardless I hope that people are able to give responsibly this year and to their level of comfort. I’ve collected some ideas below for a environmentally and financially conscientious holiday gift giving. Enjoy!
wrap gifts in reusable (fabric) bags or brown paper
have a white elephant/thrift gift exchange
hosting an event? Use https://ruckify.com/ to rent any equipment you might need
use LED lights inside and out
carpool to holiday events
send e-cards for Christmas
going out for hot chocolate? Bring your own mug to coffee stores like Tim Hortons & Starbucks
buy eco-friendly gifts, or make gifts to give
baked goods, audiobooks through Audible, makeup removal cloths, experiences, etc.
opt for an e-mail receipt
buy products with little or recyclable packaging
thrift a gift
https://poshmark.ca/
https://www.depop.com/
Facebook Marketplace
purchasing goods from places that recycle/donate some of their income to environmental/humanitarian efforts
https://www.thriftbooks.com
https://www.etsy.com/shop/thegreenbunny
https://4ocean.com
https://www.tentree.ca
http://www.boso.ca
https://www.tenthousandvillages.com/
support local shops and artisans
https://www.not-amazon.ca/
use a fake Christmas tree
‘rental‘ trees are an even better option, especially if you like live trees! Vancouver & Calgary have booming markets where you are brought a live, potted coniferous tree of your choice and after the holidays the tree is taken back and planted in Canadian forests.
save on energy
thermostat: Turn down your thermostat when you’re asleep or not at home, or install a programmable/smart thermostat to do it for you.
lighting: Only have holiday lights on the tree turned on when people are home to enjoy it. Use LED lights
insulation: Adding insulation to your attic is the best way to reduce your heating and air conditioning bills.
be aware of local recycling initiatives other than the local thrift store! Many used the holiday season to purge their older belongings, may as well recycle them properly
I hope that these ideas bring you inspiration for your holiday season. I wish you all a merry and bright holiday filled with love. Be safe and enjoy the moment, even if this season looks different than usual. Happy giving!
Welcome back! In this post I’ll be discussing some of my favorite drinks that one can get at Starbucks, but they are not on the menu. The barista might need to be walked through how to make these however, many were barista inspired!
On occasion, in seasons of my life where I’ve been blessed to have regular trips to Starbucks, I’ll find that my usual drinks aren’t doing it for me. If I’m paying $7+ for a hot drink, I’d like for it to be something I’m really looking forward to. How I discovered these was by talking to the barista working the cash register. I’d tell them what I usually like and ask if they had any suggestions for something different. I’ve been pleasantly surprised every time!
As I previously mentioned, I’ve been disappointed by Starbucks not bringing the Blossoming Peach Tea Latte back for the Chinese New Years each year. In my frustration, I mentioned this to the barista and she asked a few more questions about the flavors. What I hadn’t known at the time was that a London Fog was the base drink for the Blossoming Peach Tea Latte. So, the suggestion was to order a London Fog with soy but instead of 2 Earl Grey teabags, have one Earl Grey and the other Peach Tranquility. I gave it a go and much to my surprise it was amazing! I wasn’t sure how it would work since the original drink used peach syrup and cherry blossom sugar sprinkles but it worked rather well. Now, this isn’t to say it’s a perfect replacement for the original drink, but it’s a darn good substitute when the craving hits.
Around the transition of seasons from fall to winter, I had been getting tired of my chai tea lattes. This time I asked the barista how I could change up my usual chai latte into something a little different. He had just the suggestion for me. He told me a vague idea what it was, certain I would like it, and so I told him my dietary restrictions and off we went. What I received was a delicious treat that suited both the fall and the middle of Christmas. It became my favorite travel drink during the holiday season! The order it one would need to ask for a Chai Tea Latte, no water, with two scoops of vanilla bean. Of course, my choice for milk is soy, which can change the flavor of the drink a bit but dear reader you are free to pick whichever milk suits you best.
As of yet, I have only collected these two ‘extra special’ drink recipes from Starbucks. I hope that if they are tried, they are loved as much by others as they are by me. Enjoy!
Tis the season for Starbucks! I always find that if I’m going to spend money on tea or hot beverages, my first choice is always Starbucks and often it’s during the cooler seasons. I thought I would take this opportunity to share with you my favorite beverages on their menu and why they are my favorite hot beverage company. In another post, I’ll discuss my favorite Starbucks beverages that are not on their menu, so stay tuned!
So, why Starbucks? I mean, I’m Canadian so I should like Tim Horton’s more... but here’s the thing. I love tea, that’s my preferred hot beverage. Unfortunately, Tim Horton’s has never been great at tea or tea based beverages. There are cold drinks I like from Tim Horton’s but c’mon, it’s Canada and often it’s cool out! I prefer Starbucks because they make great ‘specialty’ tea drinks and they can adjust to some dietary restrictions I have. I mean, the methods do include cross contamination but thankfully my body is okay with that on occasion. Of course there are local places that make a fantastic cup of specialty tea which I often prefer to give my money towards however, I can travel and always know that I can find a Starbucks somewhere along the way.
In terms of what I like there are quite a few beverages that I will specifically go to Starbucks for.
Matcha Green Tea Latte (soy)
London fog (soy)
Chai Tea Latte (soy)
Caramel Apple Spice (no whipped)
Blossoming Peach Tea Latte (soy, no whipped)
As you can see, I’m a big fan of tea lattes. I make my own at home (Green, Earl Grey/Chai) but if I’m traveling or really craving something special then I’ll go to Starbucks and have one made for me. Of all the lattes, I often will select the matcha latte. If I’m feeling something special, I might shake a bit of cinnamon on top of it for some extra spice.
The Caramel Apple Spice is basically liquid apple pie. It’s by far my favorite fall beverage. I treat myself to it often around Thanksgiving and when the family goes pumpkin picking. It’s rather sweet but not nearly as sweet as the version that Tim Horton’s used to carry.
What makes me really sad is that the Blossoming Peach Tea Latte is no longer available. It was trialed for a few years as being a Chinese New Year beverage that would be seasonal. Unfortunately, it didn’t take off as well as Starbucks would have hoped and so it has not been brought back. The base of this drink was a london fog, then peach syrup, whipped cream, and cherry blossom sprinkles were added. It was my favorite spring treat. I hope that they bring it back someday but in the meantime, I’ve devised something close to it which I will mention in the follow up article.
Do you have a special place to get your favorite hot beverage?
August is coming to an end and autumn has been on the wind since the last rainfall. Something that I hadn’t considered to be real until moving here was that Canada has a storm season. My first year in this province the storm season wasn’t so bad; 2 black outs, 2 thunder storms and a handful of windstorms. Nothing major right? Last year, Dorian was the biggest storm that came through and I got my first real taste of storm season. Thankfully I received some education on what to do from some classmates prior to the storm coming. This year, it seems like storm season is going to be a long one, so I thought I might detail what we do to prepare before everyone begins to scramble to get it all done!
First off, storm chips are a thing! The focus around food is that it has to be counter or cooler safe. It was recompensed to us to have 4 days worth of food prepared before the storm hits. So of course we did, and we had all the leftovers in the fridge. Once the power went off, it hit us that what we did wasn’t the best idea. Thankfully, the Atlantic Superstore down the street has it’s own backup generator and we were able to purchase some quick meals. Many people will also buy numerous bags of ice to pack into their fridges/freezers to try and keep the area cool if a blackout lasts for a few days. Much later in the storm season when the weather is rather cool, one can store things to be kept cold outside. Many who have BBQ’s will opt to fill their propane tanks and BBQ their meals once the storm has passed. PLEASE DON’T BBQ INSIDE YOUR HOME. Canada’s public health services recommend food that won't spoil, liked canned goods, energy bars and dried foods.
Water is also a big deal. You want to be sure to have enough water to drink, bathe, flush the toilet, clean etc. for about 4 days. So, buying jugs of water is common as well as filling up all bathtubs with water. Canada’s public health services recommend two litres of water per person per day. Include small bottles that can be carried easily.
Photo credit
Batten down the hatches! Storm winds range from ~75km/h to ~115km/h which can have a huge impact on your yard and home. All loose Items or things that aren’t permanent fixtures should come down and be stored in a secure location. This could be under the skirting of a deck, inside a shed, inside the house or if you’re so luck you’ll have access to an indoor garage. Cars should be moved close to the house or taken to places that have indoor/protected parking. During storm season, many businesses in the area offer their protected parking areas for free to people who don’t have garages. It’s honestly a wonderful benefit to the maritime community. Of course doors and windows should be firmly locked & latched. I like to have the blinds open so I can see what’s going on in the community and can better anticipate if any property damage is going to happen to our home. Trees are a big thing to look out for. Depending on the time of season, there can be a lot or minimal damage from trees. The leaves act as sails which is more likely to down branches/whole trees so an early storm can do a lot of damage. Once the leaves have come off the trees, the risk of damage is far less as only limbs are likely to break instead of whole trees coming down. If you can, trim high risk/loose/damaged branches prior to storms.
Power outages can last a while. In the Atlantic region, most of the power lines are hung, not buried, due to the density of clay in the ground. This means that power outages happen often and after a big storm, they can last for a few days while everything is being repaired. Some people have backup generators or other power sources that they can use during this season. Obviously, there is priority restoration to places like hospitals, nursing homes, long term care facilities, and people’s homes who have a resident living on an electricity powered device. This can pose a problem when it comes to heat and light. Many folks have candles all over their home and a plethora of blankets. A big one is to be sure to fully charge all of your devices and backup/external batteries. It was advised to me to limit the use of them after the power goes off because one never knows exactly how long the power outage will last.
Photo credit
People safety is obviously an important one. Be sure to refill all prescriptions prior to the storm, including an extra set of glasses/contacts if you use them. Fill up all of the vehicles you own with fuel before the storm. Be sure you let the power company know if someone in your home is dependent on electrical devices (oxygen providing, ventilator, etc.). Many people take storm season as an opportunity to check the smoke/carbon monoxide detectors in their home and support/replace them as needed. In the interest of community, make sure that you have the numbers of people you care about as well as neighbors and high risk people in your community so that you can check in on them throughout the storm. It’s often a good idea to have an emergency/storm kit in your home as well;
flashlight & extra batteries
candles & matches
can opener
external battery for electronic devices
basic first aid kit
fire extinguisher: ABC Class
battery-powered or wind-up radio and extra batteries
blankets & toilet paper
special needs or health-related items such as prescription medications, infant formula or equipment for people with disabilities
extra keys for your car and your house
cash (especially smaller bills and change for payphones)
your family's emergency plan
Pet safety is close to many people’s hearts during storm season. Have carriers/leashes on hand with a little travel pack of your pet’s necessities inside. This is mostly done to prepare for if there is significant property damage and the family needs to get out fast. That being said, I keep my pets on the same floor or in the same room as I am just in case we need to leave fast. Please don’t leave your pets outside or unattended during a storm such as these.
I hope this has been a helpful walk-through on how to prepare for a big storm.
Many people struggle to create a good skincare routine for themselves that is simple to complete and easy to afford. To make matters more difficult, there’s a ton of products out there all claiming to be the best for whatever purpose it’s meant for.
Along my skincare journey I’ve consulted with my esthetician to discover what the best routine for me would be. In a previous post on exfoliators, I outlined my skin concerns. What concerns you have largely dictate the types of products you’ll find helpful and as a result will impact your routine. Today, I’ll share what my products and routines are to help guide anyone who shares the same concerns.
So, what are my skin related concerns?
Angry skin; very dry, sensitive and agitated from poor care
Adult acne; black/white heads > cyst
Large pores across nose & cheeks (likely from sun damage & picking)
Discolouration; redness across nose/cheeks, dark circles around eyes (ethnicity related)
Wrinkles developing around eyes
At the beginning of this journey, I was convinced I had combination skin. I would feel so dry at times and so oily at others. I was washing my face so frequently to combat my skin in the only way I knew how. I perused exfoliators and was gifted toners and cleansers from my mother-in-love. Some of it helped but it didn’t feel right. Finally, I asked my esthetician who knew my skin rather well. She expressed that I actually had very dry skin, and explained why she felt that dryness and sensitivity was the cause of my problems, not the cleanliness of my skin per-sae. She recommended some product ideas that at the time were out of my price range, and so my sister stepped in for a birthday surprise and convinced my parents to go in with her to buy these products. She also recommended an order to try, and to do it once in the morning and again before bed. Her order was this;
Wash face with soap
Cleanser
Exfoliate (2x per week, morning only)
Tone
Moisturize
This was a great start for me! I followed her advice and after 2 weeks my skin responded very differently than it once had. It had resilience, I could wash my face with different water an not break out. It was brighter, and there was less acne! I had never seen my skin so happy, even my mom was surprised. What started as tackling some wrinkles had turned into something much bigger and better for my skin.
Since then, I’ve been able to experiment with more products, especially as my routine has developed and certain products I go through much quicker and can’t always afford the good stuff. What I do now is a little different than what I was first recommended;
Wash face with soap
Masks (when available, only once per day and 2 per week at maximum, relaxed morning or bedtime)
Cleanser
Exfoliate (2-3x per week, morning only)
Tone
Moisturize (warm months, cold months, overnight/run out of others)
I can’t say that my routine is perfect yet, there are still things I want to add in and make more regular, but for now on a student budget this is working really well for me. In the future, I want to move away from my overnight/’I’ve run out of everything else’ oil to a more evening, creamy, deep moisturizer. As much as the oil is effective, I generally don’t like heavy, oily, greasy things on my face... it makes me need to exfoliate more frequently to clear out my large pores. I would also love to go back to using my favorite black honey exfoliator instead of my home made one. I found it to be softer, less oily, more effective, and safer for daily/frequent use. Mask use is something that I’d like to use more regularly as well. In particular there is a pink clay one and a pollution clearing one (I live in a big city) that I would like to integrate. I’ve used pink clay masks in the past as both a full facial mask and spot treatments. It works really well for my skin and I can feel the yuck being drawn out. The only downside to pink clay is that it can be rather drying so I’ll have to follow up with a deep moisturizer. I’ve had the opportunity to try the pollution clearing mask and at first I thought it would be too intense for my skin. It had an intensely cooling effect on my skin before settling down, which gave me concerns for the sensitivity of my skin. I left it on for the minimum recommended time after doing a test area and found that it did an incredibly job aiding my skin. Four days later and I can still see the positive effects of it!
I look forward to continuing to adapt my skincare routine to my needs as they are now, and as they will be while I age. My goal is to have healthy skin that will allow me to age gracefully, without breaking the bank! I hope that this was helpful to you and that it encourages you to get going on your own routine. Remember, it’s always better to consult someone who has an education in skin when making these decision and do a test swatch before integrating any new products into your routine. Best of luck!
I’ve been on a journey this past year. Not just a journey to another province but my own kind of health journey. Sometime in 2018, I decided it was time to figure out how to take care of my skin. I began my research by talking with friends and family, looking up youtube videos, reading articles, asking the staff at Sephora, and discussing with my esthetician. The best advice I received came from the professional of course, who was the last person I asked! So, with the help of my esthetician’s knowledge and some gifts from family, in 2019 I was able to begin my skincare journey.
My first concern was exfoliating. I had quite angry skin; combination, sensitive, prone to adult acne (black/white>cyst) & big pores across my nose/cheeks (i suspect from sun damage & picking). So angry that if I went away for a weekend and the tap water was treated differently, I would break out. Not ideal for anyone, let alone someone in their young adult years. Getting on a good exfoliation routine was my first step into taking care of my cutaneous organ and it made quite the difference! With my new routine, I was able to travel with minimal breakouts and at home, I developed far fewer blackheads. Of course, it takes a while to find the right product.
Below is where I will outline the methods & products I tried before settling into my current routine. I hope that by sharing my journey, others will be encouraged along theirs.
A product I used in my teens was the St. Ives Apricot Scrub. It was very effective but often left my skin feeling and looking irritated. I jumped off of that bandwagon once someone told me that because the seeds were ground up and therefore had sharp edges, would damage my skin in the long term. It was too intense with more risk than I would like for my skin. So, I stopped exfoliating and my facial skin health deteriorated. Years later I discovered some other products that my skin enjoyed much more. Of course, neither of which were available at the local drug store.
The products I use;
Archipelago Botanicals: Black Honey Sugar Scrub
GM Collin: Phytoaromatic Gommage
I absolutely adored the Archipelago Botanicals scrub. I would use it daily since it was so gentle on my skin and it contained moisturizer to help my skin feel hydrated after. It never left my skin irritated, rather it felt protective of my skin. Unfortunately, a tub of it would last me a month if I used it every other day so it quickly became not feasible to keep up with as a student. The GM Collin scrub is also amazing, though it feels rather different from the Archipelago Botanicals scrub. It’s also very soft and can be used daily however it’s still rather expensive. I find that this scrub had less of a protective feeling but more of a deep clean feeling. It also takes far less product to use for the same results. On my esthetician‘s instructions, I’ve been using it between the cleanser and the toner 2-3 times per week. Still, it was too expensive for a student budget. I had to find another way to exfoliate my skin safely and effectively without breaking the bank. I decided to try and figure out how to make my own exfoliator at home.
The recipe I use;
2 cups sugar (I use regular white sugar)
1/2 cup coconut oil (melted)
3/4 cup liquid honey
~1/4 cup lemon juice OR juice from 2 lemons with the pulp but no seeds
Optional: a few shakes of turmeric
Using an electric hand mixer, combine the sugar and melted coconut oil.
Add in the honey and blend until smooth.
Mix in the lemon juice (and turmeric).
Package in mini mason jars. Can be stored at room temperature but for long term storage, put it in the fridge.
I made this recipe by trying out a few from articles & Pinterest, taking the elements I liked and putting it all together. I love it because the ingredients are easy to come by at the grocery store, it’s quick to make, it makes a lot (~7 mini jars), cooking grade ingredients so I feel like they are safe to put on my skin. In terms of routine, I use this 2-3 times per week in the shower. I’ll wash my face with soap and then use the exfoliator. I was hesitant at first to leave the exfoliator on my face, so I would wash it again with soap. I didn’t want to honey or oil to clock up my bigger pores! I slowly began to not wash my face a second time but rather make sure the exfoliator was rinsed off really well. So far, it’s going really well.
In terms of a routine, I always exfoliate in the morning. This seems to work best for me because I sweat quite a bit in my sleep so I need to get more off in the morning than I do at the end of the day. Like I mentioned above, I use the honey/lemon/coconut recipe 2-3 times per week in the shower. If I need to exfoliate more than that then I use a bit of the GM Collin exfoliator since it’s a bit gentler and more expensive.
Ultimately, you have to do what’s best for you! If you need help, I suggest talking to your local skincare professional; a dermatologist or esthetician.
With the American Thanksgiving festivities behind us, Christmas is around the corner in Canada! In all of the excitement for the season, I thought I’d take a moment to share some of my favourite holiday ideas to help preserve our environment. The holidays are an incredibly lovely time of year when people’s hearts are much warmer and open, it’s easy to want to give thoughtful gifts, however, that doesn't mean we should be wasteful in the process. It’s also important to note that not everyone has the ability or should implement all of the ideas on this list, it’s all about doing what you can where you can! Without further adieu, here’s my top 10 things to consider to have a more eco-friendly Christmas season.
wrap gifts in reusable (fabric) bags or brown paper
Have a white elephant/thrift gift exchange
use LED lights inside and out
carpool to holiday events
send e-cards for Christmas
Going out for hot chocolate? Bring your own mug to coffee stores like Tim Hortons & Starbucks
buy eco-friendly gifts, or make gifts to give
baked goods, audiobooks through Audible, makeup removal cloths, etc.
opt for an e-mail receipt
buy products with little or recyclable packaging
purchasing goods from places that recycle/donate some of their income to environmental efforts
https://www.thriftbooks.com
https://www.etsy.com/shop/thegreenbunny
https://4ocean.com
https://www.tentree.ca
http://www.boso.ca
use a fake Christmas tree
‘rental‘ trees are an even better option, especially if you like live trees! Vancouver & Calgary have booming markets where you are brought a live, potted coniferous tree of your choice and after the holidays the tree is taken back and planted in Canadian forests.
save on energy
Thermostat: Turn down your thermostat when you’re asleep or not at home, or install a programmable thermostat to do it for you.
Lighting: Only have holiday lights on the tree, turned on when people are home to enjoy it. Use LED lights
Insulation: Adding insulation to your attic is the best way to reduce your heating and air conditioning bills.
Be aware of local recycling initiatives other than the local thrift store! Many used the holiday season to purge their older belongings, may as well recycle them properly
I hope that you found this list intriguing if not helpful. May your season be filled with joy and the people who love you. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a community to raise a professional.
My first placement was in Halifax, NS at an outpatient cardiorespiratory rehabilitation program. I went with one classmate and between the two of us, we had 2 clinical instructors that shared the load with teaching us. To make up for not having the opportunity to get our feet wet with inpatient cardiorespiratory, we often had the opportunity to visit the local hospitals. My favourite visit was the day we went to observe surgeries. Admittedly, my partner saw a triple bypass with complications that lasted 8h, but I saw 3 total knee replacements and 1 total hip replacement. Within the rehab. clinic we ran exercise classes geared towards various abilities and conditions as well as educational sessions. All of the classes were run with a registered dietitian, a nurse, and a physiotherapist. By the end of this placement, we were handling our own classes, their exercise prescription, our own intake sessions and assisting wherever else we could be used. This placement was incredible, not necessarily because of what I was doing, cardiorespiratory isn’t my favourite subject, but because of who we were with. The staff were incredible and the clients were gems. Leaving this placement was a hard thing to do, but it encouraged me to look forward to future placement experiences.
My second placement was in Shelburne, NS in a rural hospital. This meant that there was a blend of inpatient and outpatient. This was supposed to be my MSK placement, and that was covered with the outpatient setting. I went with one of my classmates to my setting to work under one clinical instructor. There were two other classmates that were in Shelburne with us, but worked at another clinic. This placement was very interesting because our clinical instructor had never had a student in Canada before. They had been trained in physiotherapy in another country and wrote the cross-examination to practice in Canada. Man, I don’t think I’ve ever had someone so dialled into how I was learning and where I needed a hand. I’ve never felt so supported and trusted, but they always knew to a finer detail where I was in my learning than I could articulate. It was an incredible experience to work with someone so seasoned and so good at educating. The inpatient process was an interesting adjustment and along with that, we found how the local rural hospitals worked together to provide care to the residents. In the particular place I was staying, there weren't many post-surgery, those folks stayed in Halifax, but rather there was a lot of people who were awaiting long term care placement. Since I was at a rural hospital, the physiotherapist saw everyone for everything. This gave us a chance to see what it would be like working with neuro patients as well as doing things like home visits. Again, even though this placement was entirely different from the last, the people are what made it amazing.
During the first placement, I travelled by taking my husband all around Halifax to show him all the cool places I’d already found. It was a blessing to get to spend his first 6 weeks in Halifax as a resident here doing enjoyable little evening trips. During the second placement, I did a lot more exploring with my classmates. We were always going for hikes, runs, having a fire and seeking out new adventures. If my friends weren’t available, I would adventure on my own or with the woman I was staying with during the week. I found Shelburne to be rich with history and local art, so of course, I brought some home with me. I made it a goal to visit as many of the local white sand beaches as I could while I was in Shelburne. I only got to 4 but each were unique in their own ways. My favourite by far was Welkum Park.
