Our New Home!

So... I'm sitting here with food poisoning on my day off, watching Dexter and I thought I would write a quick post about some changes in my life... it's been like 6 months since I really sat down and felt the desire to blog about something, but I'm pretty excited so today seems like as good a day as any to write a post!

As most of you probably know already, Alex and I are moving in together! After 4 years we pretty much decided that now was a good time.. so as of June 1st we will be moving up to Westwood Plateau in a beautiful basement suite we just knew we had to have the minute we saw it! The fact that we got it is a whole other thing... We've liked suites before and they have gone to other people but I am SO excited to not have to search Craigslist every other hour looking for new postings... That part of the stress of moving is finally over!

Here are a couple photos to give you an idea of why we are so excited!

The big living room and the door to the bedroom!

The massive kitchen that faces out to our own private little lawn area and patio.

        We actually have two little patio areas outside which will be awesome for the summer.  Maybe we will actually try to have a couple plants around even though I have a super brown thumb and I kill absolutely every plant I come near. It's worth a shot... right? I'm also so looking forward to having people over for dinners or game nights... it'll be so cool to actually have people over instead of always being the ones going over for a change!

So we left the security deposit yesterday, and we get the keys on the Victoria Day long weekend! I'm super excited... but now comes the difficult part.

We need to buy a LOT of furniture. Well... not a lot.. but we don't have a couch and so that now becomes priority #1. We also need kitchen stuff... probably a coat closet of some kinds as there are hardly any closets... probably a rug or two... some side tables....

The list goes on, so the next 3 weekends will probably be spent at Ikea, various other furniture stores... hopefully it will be more fun than stressful, but I'm looking forward to picking out some stuff together and building our little home!

Anyway... I feel absolutely horrible so I'll stop here. I look forward to various new home updates as moving is probably going to take over the next 4-6 weeks of my life!

Blog, and be happy!

Kyleigh. 

10 Reasons Why I Love Autumn.

So obviously it's fall. It's pouring rain, i don't want to get out of bed and face the storm quite yet, so what better way to start off the season than a quick blog post? 

I spent yesterday, or the first day of fall, mostly sleeping, cuddled up watching football and being lazy and cozy. Sunday is my only weekend day off usually, so I usually like to do something, be busy, but not yesterday! 

So, here are my top ten reasons to love autumn... Just because! :) 

10. Cooler Weather.

If you know me at all, you know that I am pretty much a walking furnace. I am ALWAYS hot. It is something that I've always been, which means that summer generally isn't my best time of year for sleeping or being a functioning member of society. I love summer for the sunshine of course, but when it's in the 30+ I am just about as uncomfortable as I can get. So, cooler weather is definitely a welcome sight for me! I love a cool breeze in the morning, so I'm excited for the cool crisp days of fall!

9. Soup.

Along with cooler weather comes my ability to eat one of my FAVOURITE foods ever. Soup.
Soup is pretty much the best creation on earth. It's warm, it's filling, it's comfort food to the core, and it's cheap and easy to make and have for leftovers for the rest of the week! When I can start pulling out my soup recipes, I know it's fall, and I think they'll be making their way out of the recipe binder pretty soon.

8. Scarves.

I probably own about 35 scarves. That is not an exaggeration at all... I literally own about 35 scarves. Needless to say, cooler weather brings about my scarf collection getting some use, and I love it!

7. Crochet.

One of my favourite rainy day activities is to sit down and crochet a blanket, a scarf... anything really! When the weather is too hot, dealing with lots of yarn all over the place isn't exactly enjoyable, so with autumn comes one of my favourite pass-times! I don't know why I love to do it so much, but it's kind of one of those mindless things you can do while watching TV or before you go to bed. I find it SUPER relaxing, and after a crazy day at the salon sometimes all I want to do is relax!

6. Jeans.

Jeans are my wardrobe staple. I wear jeans until I wear holes into them, so in the summer when it is so hot I have to find other things to wear... and I don't like it! Being able to bring out my jeans and not feel like I'm going to cook to death is always nice!

5. New TV shows.

Okay seriously, who doesn't love this about fall? As much as I like the summer, there is nothing worse than waiting 2-3 months to find out what happens after a crazy cliffhanger season finale! As much as I hate to admit it, I watch a lot of TV, so new episodes and new series to watch always make me happy... especially when the weather isn't so nice!

4. Apple Picking.

Last year Alex and I went apple picking and it quickly became one of my favourite things to do in the fall! We love apples, and right around thanksgiving is such a great time to go with the need for apple pies! =) It's a super fun sunny fall day activity, and I'm counting the weekends until we can go!

3. Pumpkins.

At the very top of my fun fall activities list is the pumpkin patch. Alex and I carve pumpkins every year, and we love to go and pick our own out at the local pumpkin patch. It's a fun and inexpensive activity, and it should be on everyone's fun activities for fall list!

2. Hockey.

Beleive it or not, hockey ISN'T my favourite thing about fall... although it comes in at a pretty close second. When hockey season starts I know it's fall, and I'm so excited. The way that people feel about the NFL football season starting... that is how I feel about hockey season. I could probably watch it day in and day out.... maybe I should have been a hockey analyst....

1. Leaves.

My number one favourite thing about fall is the leaves, and we have so many trees in Vancouver we are SO lucky. They are so bright and colourful... they always look beautiful, and who doesn't like jumping on a few crunchy ones now and again? I would say leaves are the number one reason I want to get married in October, the reason why I love going out for walks in the evening, and definitely my favourite fall thing to take pictures of. As much as I hate to see the green die... if it is going to die at least it happens beautifully!

I hope you all had a lazy and relaxing first day of autumn like I did, and that maybe you find one or two things on my list that make saying goodbye to summer an okay thing! 

Enjoy your first week of autumn! :) 

Blog, and be happy, 

Kyleigh. 

Healthy Eating and Meal Planning: Part 1.

Let me start this post by saying that I am a hairdresser. I am no nutritionist, nor am I exactly an expert on health and fitness.... as a matter of fact I think I am an expert on how to sit on the couch and eat take out.

This summer has been one of "those" summers. You know the ones... not only is every single weekend full to the brim with BBQ's and parties, but even the weeks seem to find a way to get so busy that all you want to do is eat bad food and take naps.

We in Vancouver have been especially lucky as our weather has just been unbelievably amazing, which makes you want to get together with friends and have a couple of drinks even more than usual. All of this is awesome and great in it's own way... except for the fact that it is horrible on the healthy lifestyle and weight loss side of the coin.

Since fall is fast approaching (even though I'd rather tell you we have 6 months left of summer) it is time to get into a routine. I always associate "back to school" with getting back to normal, and even though it has been years since I was in school, and I don't have children, it's a good time of the year to reassess some things and start to recover from the awesome summer.

This September, Alex and I have sworn ourselves to healthy living. I feel like I have said this 100 times, but this time we are serious. I've been trying to think of various ways that we could really work on having a healthier lifestyle, eating healthier, and spending less money and so I have decided to try and meal plan.

I have never meal planned before, so I thought that I might chronicle my journey through meal planning and better budgeting our eating... not as a fitness and nutrition person, but as a regular struggling person who works a crazy job and just wants to be healthier. I have read so many meal planning and healthy lifestyle blogs and websites, and most of them are written by people who are naturally inclined to be able to be organized and be healthy, or they have lots of experience on the matter and just make it sound so easy. I am not one of those people.

This will be an experience, it will be difficult, and I am looking forward to it!

Blog and be happy.

Kyleigh.

My Crazy Summer.

I actually don't remember the last time I blogged, and not because I haven't had anything to blog about but because I have been extremely overwhelmed with things to blog about, it has literally been impossible to find a moment to post about anything that has happened this summer. So, to ease myself back into blogging, I thought is share a few fun things that my summer has brought me! 

 Camping. I love camping, well..... As much as I 'camp' I suppose. Trailer camping isn't real camping but it's the thought that counts! This year I managed to actually go up to Cultus lake where I have had the joy and luxury of camping there for my entire life. My grandparents have a seasonal spot there, so when I have a couple nights it's nice to pack a tent and a cooler and enjoy a relaxing mini getaway! Alex and I have managed 2 weekends up there, and I'm hoping we can squeeze one more in before the summer is out! 

Football. As most of you know I am a sports fanatic, and so I went to my first lions game this summer! Alex and I took my mom for her birthday since she is a huge lions fan, and we had an awesome time! Hopefully I get to go again soon! 

Berries. I love going picking. Berry picking, apple picking, pumpkin picking.... Summer and fall are the best time for this awesome activity! My mom and I went strawberry and raspberry picking in July, and we are preparing ourselves for the blueberry haul that we will go get this coming week! I'm looking forward to apple picking in September/October and, of course the pumpkin patch, one of the best things of the whole year! 

I hope that this summer is treating you well, and hopefully I'll be able to blog about some more awesome summer things soon! :) 

Blog, and be happy! 

Kyleigh. 

Recipes: A Mexican Feast!

It's a rainy day in the lower mainland today, and this usually means that if I'm not at work, I'm bored. So, usually I try to find something to do, and today it was making an elaborate mexican dinner!

I actually love spicy food, but it usually doesn't sit right with me (perhaps because a lot of it is quite greasy) but I tend to avoid it. I have a cookbook at home that I bought that I have yet to cook anything out of, so I decided that today would be a good day to read it, find some yummy recipes and, because I can't leave anything alone, change the recipes and make them my own! There were a whole bunch of awesome mexican recipes in there, so I thought I would give them a go and a have a yummy theme dinner!

I made a spicy black bean dip and guacamole served with warm chips, and shrimp and/or chicken fajitas!

Let me start with the Black Bean Dip, because it was what I was most weary of, but turned out SOO yummy. I've never really had anything like it, and I love it! We ate so fast I didn't get many pictures, but man was it delicious!

Black Bean Dip

1 19oz can of Black Beans; drained and rinsed thoroughly. 
4 cloves of garlic; minced to a paste
2 tablespoons of light cream cheese
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp white vinegar
2 teaspoons of chili powder
1/4-1/2 tsp of Chipotle chili powder.*

*use to taste really, I used 1/4 tsp and it was plenty, but you might like more!

Combine everything in a food processor, mix until combines and has a dip like consistency (it's pretty easy to tell when all the beans are mashed up!) Put all the dip into a microwave safe dish, cover and heat 3-5 minutes, or until warm to your liking. Stir and serve with tortilla chips!

It is delicious, healthy and spicy! Definitely worth giving a try!

Some black bean dip and guacamole!

Secondly I made Guacamole, which I have also never made before, but it was so easy I should always just make it myself.

Guacamole Dip

2 avocados
1 clove of garlic, mashed to a paste
1/4 cup onion (I used yellow)
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
dash of chipotle powder (could use regular chili powder instead!)

Mash avocado in a mixing bowl (or I mixed mine in the food processor), add additional ingredients, mix until well combined. Serve with tortilla chips!

And lastly, for the main course, I made orange and lime marinated shrimp and chicken fajitas!

Orange and Lime Marinade (for chicken or fish)

1/3 cup Orange Juice
1/3 cup Lime Juice
3 cloves minced garlic
3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbs olive oil
dash of chili powder

Marinate chicken (if using chicken) for 30 mins+, if using shrimp or fish only allow to marinate for a maximum of 20 minutes.

Grill or panfry chicken until tender (I chopped mine into bite sized pieces pre-marinade, so mine didn't take too long to cook) and grill or pan fry shrimp 2-3 minutes until cooked.

Served with cooked peppers and onions, cheese, any of the dips listed above, sour cream or anything else you love with fajitas. Heat up tortillas until warm, serve and enjoy!

Everything was delicious and totally worth the effort of making it all myself, and I will definitely be showcasing my black bean dip and guacamole at the next gathering that I can! =)

Blog, and be happy!

Kyleigh.

Review: My New Blender!

So I've wanted a personal blender for a long time... and while they aren't very expensive I just struggled with the thought of having two blenders at my house because that just seemed ridiculous!

However, the blender we have at my house is like a high powered beast of a blender. Seriously, it might as well be industrial with how loud and crazy it is. It's not exactly the best early morning blender, unless you want to wake up the whole neighbourhood! Also, I loved the thought of a personal blender being so much easier to clean and maintain since you blend the smoothie into the to-go bottle! It makes small, one person portions too, so there is much less waste than using a full sized blender. (I always seem to make enough smoothie for 4 people instead of just me!)

Since it was my birthday this past weekend, I decided that now was a good time while I have a few extra dollars in my pocket to go a buy the blender I always eye at various stores.

I did quite a bit of research on personal blenders because many of them have the blades built in to the bottom of the to-go mug. This was something that bothered me a little bit, and something that I think a lot of people don't think about! It kind of made me feel a little unsafe thinking that if I blended something and the blade broke inside the smoothie that I wouldn't know until the smoothie was finished! So, I set out to find a removable blade blender... and believe me when I say those things are NOT easy to find.

I looked all over the place at different blenders, and there are quite a few companies that make personal blenders. From Hamilton Beach all the way to the Magic Bullet, there are usually sections in the appliance area of a store dedicated to small blenders, however there was always one of two things:

1. The blade was built into the bottom of the mug, or
2. It was damn expensive!

I don't know about you, but I don't want to spend 99$ on a blender that I will literally use only for early morning and post work out smoothies! I could buy a whole new big blender for that much, so it just wasn't reasonable or necessary to spend that much on a mini blender.

Finally I saw the blender I ended up getting yesterday. The Oster MyBlend blender.

This is actually the perfect blender. It's compact, easy to use and easy on the wallet at only 34.99$, which includes the 600ml sports-style bottle. It's pretty high powered for being so little, and gets everything blended up in no time.  It's also great because they sell the bottles on the side in various colours, so the family can each have their own smoothie bottle!

I used it this morning for the first time and it was awesome. Thus far, I give it 5 stars! =)

So, if you need a mini blender, I'd definitely suggest this one!

Healthy smoothies to go for the win!


Blog, and be happy.

Kyleigh.

A weekend update!

Well I have just been a super neglectful blogger lately. It's not that I haven't had things to blog about but for some reason I just haven't had time to really sit down and write it out! I've been pretty stressed out lately, so I guess blogging hasn't really been on my mind. 

However, no matter how bad things get, good things still happen like this past weekend for example! We went to whistler and had a wonderful time celebrating birthdays and partying our faces off! It was so much fun spending time with great friends and just letting loose! 

We also stopped off at the Brittania mine museum on our way home from whistler on Sunday. It was super cool, I hadn't been there since I was like 8, and Alex never had so we had lots of fun exploring the mine! 

So, this week is a week of celebration. I'm going to de-stress, relax and celebrate MY life, because I was born 22 years ago this coming Saturday! If nothing else, I'm glad to be alive in this beautiful place and enjoying my friends and family!

I hope you all have a wonderful week, enjoy it and celebrate a little for me! :) 

Blog and be happy, 

Kyleigh