Friday, May 27, 2011

Fill in the _____ Friday

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  1. If I could get away somewhere for the weekend I would go... to London and I would bring... J because he's never been, and my camera. I'd wander around all day taking photos and soaking in the history. Oh, do I miss London!
  2. Something I often rant about is... public transit. It's the bane of my existence.
  3. One thing I need to have in my fridge at all times is... beer! You really have to ask?
  4. My "life-saving" product is... Hmmm. I'm really digging LUSH's Pied de Pepper foot cream -it was my favourite product when I worked there and the only one I've spent money on since. This stuff smells divine, is extra moisturizing, and the cinnamon makes my skin all tingly. Trifecta.
  5. A friend is someone who... listens when you need to be heard, hugs you when you're feeling alone, can chat like they saw you yesterday even if it's been a year, and forgives you when you do something stupid.
  6. If I could write my own blank it would be... "health means.... to me." I'm thinking a lot about what "health" is these days - physically and mentally. Now that I'm done school, have a job I love, a great home that I share with my favourite person in the world, and have had surgery so my back is much better off, I'm trying to deal with my feelings surrounding the trauma my poor body has suffered with diabetes and back issues and trying to learn to love myself despite how broken I sometimes feel. It's the hardest thing I've ever tried to do, but I'm hoping that one day I'll get there!
  7. My favourite kind of art is... street art. Obviously. (Followed closely by tattoo art and photography.)
Thanks to Lauren at The Little Things We Do for the blanks!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Juice Beauty - On Sale!!


I normally don't go overboard telling people to buy stuff, but I actually really like this company and their products, so I thought I'd share some info and a sale coupon code for anyone who might be interested. If you don't like hearing about products, feel free to skip this post!

I came across Juice Beauty by fluke when I got a free sample of their Oil-Free Moisturizer with a Sephora purchase. I immediately loved how it smelled and liked what I read on the label, but as I've got sensitive skin and have spent years finding products that work for me, I didn't try it right away. Eventually the yummy scent won me over and I gave it a try. And immediately fell in love with it.

Since then I've learned a bit about the company. They use 100% certified organic juice as the base for their products, making them 98% organic. And they don't contain parabens, petroleum, propylene or butylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfates, pesticides, phthalates, artificial dyes or synthetic fragrances. Since skin is the largest organ in the human body and 60% of whatever we put on it gets absorbed quickly into the body, this is a huge plus!

As if all that wasn't enough, they are also listed on the PETA website as a cruelty-free company, meaning that they do not test their products on animals. This issue has been close to my heart since I was in my early teens, and I always make an effort to support companies that do not harm animals just to make us look pretty.

Of course anything this good comes at a price - one that often makes them much harder on the budget than they are on the skin! Which is why I was super excited to discover their friends and family sale which will give you 25% off and free shipping (even to Canada!) until May 31st. Just enter coupon code FF2011 upon checkout.

If you're not familiar with the brand, here are some of my favourites to get you started:

 Oil-Free Moisturizer 
This was the first thing I ever tried and an excellent introduction to the brand. It has a lovely citrus scent with just a hint of sweetness that I find gorgeous. It spreads easily and a little goes a very long way - but it absorbs quickly and doesn't leave any oily residue - great for those of us who don't like the feel of heavy cream or makeup on our skin!

 
Green Apple SPF 20 Antioxidant Body Moisturizer
 With summer fast approaching, it's time to start thinking about how to protect ourselves from harmful UV rays without forgoing everything that makes summer fun. This is the answer. It has SPF 20, making it good for everyday protection from casual sun exposure, and your new summer favourite! It does double duty as a moisturizer so it will keep your skin super soft at the same time. And it doesn't leave any white residue or have an obnoxious sunscreen smell. If you get just one product in the sale, this should be it!

 
SPF 8 Lip Moisturizer
Don't forget those lovely lips when you're heading out into the sun! These lip moisturizers have a great smell and taste, go on without leaving any residue and come in clear as well as two subtle tints for when you want a little more colour! Sold in a package of three and individually.

  And I’ve heard really good things about these:
 Green Apple Peel Sensitive
I haven't tried this one yet, but it's sitting in my bathroom, so I will soon! It is formulated with anti-oxidants and will gently exfoliate while smoothing out fine lines and reducing breakouts. Apparently. Also comes in full strength for those with more hardy skin types.

 
SPF 30 Mineral Sheer Moisturizer 
More than any other body part, your face is exposed to even the most diffused sunlight every single minute that you're outdoors. In the summer, this is likely to be a lot of minutes. From what I've ready this is light enough to wear instead of daytime moisturizer but will give you SPF 30 protection so you don't have to slather heavy sunblock on your face. Sounds like a good idea to me!

Go and check them out while they've got they're sale on - also check out their "kits" if you want to try smaller sizes of a variety of products before committing to anything full sized!

    Wednesday, May 25, 2011

    Wicked Wednesday - The New Sherlock Holmes (BBC)

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    I have been meaning to watch the new Sherlock Holmes for ages, but I never seemed to get around to it. After spending an evening with a good friend of mine who is a huge fan of the Jeremy Brett version, I was inspired to give it a go.

    So I loaded the first episode up onto my iPod and figured I'd watch the first ten minutes or so in bed since I wasn't particularly tired. Fast forward roughly an hour and 22 minutes and I'm still watching with rapt attention. So involved did I become that I actually giggled out loud at the section where Anderson (an irritating crime scene investigator) says, upon finding a key piece of evidence in Holmes' flat, "According to someone, the murderer has the case, and we found it in the hands of our favourite psychopath." To which Holmes replies, "I'm not a psychopath, Anderson, I'm a high-functioning sociopath. Do your research." Luckily J is a deep sleeper.

    I have now breezed through all three episodes and am left cursing the brevity of British TV show seasons. It's going to be a long wait until it's back on air again!

    Monday, May 23, 2011

    Apocalypse Later

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    I don't know if you've all heard, but over the weekend The Rapture was supposed to occur. For those of you who are not biblically inclined (neither am I, but I've done a little bit of research), the true believers are supposed to be sucked up into heaven while the rest of us are left behind with their pets to be consumed in a series of earthquakes.

    Clearly that didn't happen. Unless it did and I just don't know any true believers so I haven't noticed anyone missing.

    The guy who started all this is now saying that he miscalculated and The Rapture is actually going to happen in October. I won't be holding my breath.


    Friday, May 20, 2011

    Fill in the _____ Friday

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    1. People always tell me I look like... no one. I've been told I'm unique-looking. I've also been told I look like Jennifer Morrison, Julia Stiles and Malin Akerman. So apparently there's some difference of opinion.
    2. Friends don't let friends... act like idiots. If I think you're doing something stupid or if I think you're wrong, I'll tell you. I won't lie to make you feel better - though I will try to say things tactfully if I really like you.
    3. A sunny day is perfect for... sitting on a patio with good company or a good book and drinking a beer. Or grabbing a coffee and people watching.
    4. My favourite accessory is... I like the family crest ring my mom gave me and the watch an ex gave me years ago that's still nearly as good as new. I also like fun costume jewellry and one-offs. I got a great leather cuff awhile ago that I'm still digging.
    5. If I could afford it I would... take an extra day off at least once a month just to do "me" things. I'd also love to go back to school and make academia and learning my life's work. You know, if I were very independently wealthy.
    6. The cure for boredom is... finding something to do. As a friend once said, "you are responsible for your own good time." Irritating at times, but undeniably true.
    7. I am currently "in like" with... pancakes, raspberry beer, Grieves and The Rapture (so much fun to poke fun at!).

    Friday, May 13, 2011

    Fill in the _____ Friday

    1. If I had to use 3 words to describe why I am undoubtedly a... Wall, they would be... creative, stubborn, industrious. Is there a word for liking nice stuff? That, too.
    2. Something that happened to me in life that initially seemed bad but turned out to be good was... there have been a bunch over the years. Break ups generally tend to go that way, I don't regret any of them though they sucked at the time. Landing in hospital with my back because finally getting surgery means that I'm not longer in pain all the time. There are also things that weren't bad, exactly, just accidents - like choosing to go to Cap because I liked the trees. It ended up being the best time in my life and I met some amazing people while I was there.
    3. Something I inherited from my mum is... the tendency to get a little bit crazy.
    4. Something I inherited from my dad is... the tendency to daydream.
    5. My goal for this summer is... to actually have fun! And get back in shape. Yoga class!! And reconnect with my friends, and go to more concerts. If there are any good ones to go to, that is!
    6. The best thing about this week is... that I not only got to go see one of my favourite groups in concert, but also got to hang out with one of my best friends, Gary, who is from Australia and I rarely get to see.
    7. Something I couldn't give up if I tried is... carbs. I have a friend who is doing this Paleo diet thing, which she loves, but she can't eat bread or pasta or anything. I don't get it.
    Thanks to Courtney at MySoCalledDenver for the blanks!

    Friday, May 6, 2011

    Fill in the _____ Friday

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    1. What I love most about my home is... that it's clean!! I have been cleaning, scrubbing, mopping, shining, polishing and dusting for days.
    2. I am excited because... tomorrow the kitty shrink is coming over to spend two hours trying to figure out what the hell is going on with Mac. The vets don't know - they can't definitively find anything physically wrong with him - so we're getting a behaviourist to see if she can figure it out. Fingers crossed!
    3. My preferred method for blowing off steam when I'm frustrated is... stamping around a bit and banging things until I feel better.
    4. Currently I am craving... the weekend. Ooooh to sleep in!
    5. The thing I love most about my mom is... that's a tough one. Our relationship is complicated, to say the least, but I guess that she always finds little ways to show me she's thinking of me - like writing me a letter or sending me flowers for no reason.
    6. If I was going to write a book about my life, the title would be... She Tried and Then She Died. The End.
    7. If I were to eat one thing for the rest of eternity, it would be... Hmmm. Pesto pasta, maybe? Or just pasta if I want to be sneaky and try to leave it a little open-ended... though lately I've really been getting into salads, so maybe salad. There are so many variations and ingredients you can use and there's nothing better than fresh veggies to do a body good!
    Thanks to Lauren for the blanks!

    Wednesday, May 4, 2011

    Wicked Wednesday - Derek Miller's Last Post

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    It feels mildly inappropriate to use the word "wicked" to describe this week's discovery. Perhaps it should be amended to "Wickedly Sad Wednesday." At any rate, it's something you should read. Derek Miller, a local Vancouver blogger, died of cancer yesterday. Having advance warning of impending death and being a dedicated blogger, he wrote his final blog post, to be published posthumously. This is it. (Fair warning - you might wanna grab a box of Kleenex before reading.)
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