A Day at Buffer Festival

I had the pleasure of attending Buffer Festival in Toronto this weekend. For those who don't know Buffer Festival is held annually in Toronto, showcasing content by dozens of creators and allowing fans a glimpse of industry insight through panels. I attended the Beauty and Lifestyle screening, in which I had the absolute pleasure of meeting and chatting with the lovely Estée Lalonde and getting a first glimpse of some featured content by a handful of creators. 

It was really inspiring getting to hear creators discuss their content and give some insight to the highs and lows of the industry. I loved being able to see these creators showcase their content. I was able to really see the amount of pride and hard work people put into their content, something too easily overlooked when as viewers we get so consumed in expecting weekly videos. Buffer Festival was such an inspiring experience I will definitely be in attendance next year, and hopefully get out to even more screenings!  

Don't Over Think It

Somewhere over the last year I've managed to fall off the blogging wagon. For a while, it was simply due to a lack of time. Having been trying to juggle a full course load at university and working part-time, blogging sadly fell to the wayside. In that time, I seem to have lost sight of inspiration and I had been constantly feeling as though my mind had run dry of all creativity. I would be sat thinking, "How on earth did I used to cook up a new post every week??"when there I was entirely unable to think of a single post to put together. I would be sat stressing over the idea of lookbooks, the latest product I could buy and review, and researching new camera lenses. Then just this past week, it hit me.

I have been so anxious to get back into blogging that I had begun to over think my content. Doing so, had me losing sight of the character of my blog and I had realized I had been steering in all sorts of directions trying to find my own again. I was so concerned over producing this high production post that I realized it wasn't my style in the least. That's what I love about blogging is how personal it can be, and how it truly is to each, their own. That being said, my strongest piece of advice to anyone wanting to start to blog and as a little constant reminder to myself is - don't over think it. Authenticity carries it's own charm, don't worry yourself over other content or styles. Focus on what you enjoy and the creative juices will start flowing all on their own.

The Brow Necessities

Sonia Kashuk Brow Brush | Anastasia Brow Wiz "Ebony" | Anastasia Clear Brow Gel | Tweezerman Tweezers | Benefit Gimme Brow "Medium/Deep"

Recently I've dabbled into the daunting craft of filling in my eyebrows. I have rather thick brows as it is but I just wanted a little filler for some sparse areas at the front of my brows. I've always struggled to find a brow pencil that didn't give me horrible sharpie brows. As I have black hair, finding a diluted black pencil has been quite the struggle. I thought I'd give Anastasia's Brow Wiz a try as I have been devoted to their Clear Brow Gel for years, and I couldn't be happier. It's become a part of my daily routine and I'm starting to question how I've gone without it for so long!

If I don't have time to fill them in I swap the brow wiz- clear gel combo for a few quick swipes of Benefit's Gimme Brow. It gives them a darkened tint and does a fair job at filling in any sparse areas for a quick on the go solution. 

Finally, for standard brow maintenance I couldn't live without my brush and tweezers. I can't tell you how many sets of these tweezers I have floating around the house, they are yet to be beat! If you're looking for a good pair of tweezers, I highly recommend Tweezerman. I never have to deal with the fuss of breaking hairs with these.

What I Bought in London

Whilst I was tackling the chaos that is my suitcase, I had pulled together my purchases from my recent trip across the pond to England. I spent around 10 days exploring London and managed to rack up quite a hefty amount of goodies to bring back to Canada. (Not pictured: about 30 pounds of Cadbury and Maoams) I wanted to do the majority of my shopping in shops that we don't have over here. Shopping in London was definitely an experience, Oxford Circus is certainly an appropriate name to describe the atmosphere and crowds on a Saturday afternoon. As the GBP is nearly double the value of our Canadian Dollar, I had to be quite cautious with what I chose to spend my money on. That being said and as you can probably already guess - I headed straight to Primark. I fell in love. I was so pleasantly surprised to find semi casual tops that I could easily dress up or down for such great prices. I picked up a basic off white chiffon-esque tank top (£4) - perfect for layering, a sleeveless black high bunched neck top (£8) - I think this would look great paired under a leather jacket, a longer dolphin cut top with flowy sheer sleeves (£9), the softest oversized grey cardingan (£14), and a few other basics such as t shirts and long-sleeves.

Another shop on my must-visit list was Office. I have been lusting over their website for ages and had actually never known it had a shop I could visit on Oxford Street. I managed to scoop up these all leather chelsea boots in the sale (£52.50), this was most certainly my splurge purchase of the trip but seeing as their made in Spain and real leather I couldn't go wrong.

Finally, are a collection of bits and bobs. I hunted high and low for a Superdrug that carried Zoella's beauty range and finally, on a day trip to Brighton I was able to get my hands on her Fizz Bar (£5). I wandered through the rest of her range but the Fizz Bar was the item I had on my lust list from the start. I also picked up Ruth's Colab Dry Shampoo in the scent London and I have to say, I have never found a dry shampoo this good. It doesnt add any weight to your hair and also acts as a texturizing and styling spray. There is honestly nothing like it and for a mere £2 and change I am just kicking myself for not jamming my suitcase full of them. I have also been just dying to try the Barry M Gelly polishes as those too are unavaible in Canada. I bought the shades Lychee and Olive and I have had Lychee on my nails for around 8 days now and they are still going strong - couldn't be happier! Lastly, as part of my Primark overload I picked up these minimalist gold necklaces, each were £1.50 and I wore them almost everyday whilst I was there.

London treated me well, and I am already counting down the days until I can come back. Till then,

Getting Organized

For myself (and any other fellow uni students out there), the start of the new year also means the start of a new semester. This term I promised myself I'd stay on top of my readings and assignments. Really, time management overall is something I'd like to improve in 2015. Between work, school, blogging and time with friends and family I'd like to make adequate time for everything without stressing myself out. This is where organization comes into play.

Keeping a Planner -
I live out of my day planner, it is my savior. I won't lie to you I'm a bit of a freak when it comes to selecting the perfect day planner. It can't be too small, it can't have time slots, it must have a monthly overview etc. (I know, pathetic really) But I'm telling you, finding a day planner that works well for you will really help optimize your organization.

Setting Goals - 

This is something new I've started in the new year. At the start of each week I set a small goal for myself at the top of the page. This I've found has helped me complete pesky little tasks that do not necessarily need to be completed right away but would be nice to get out of the way. You could even set personal goals like "drink a litre of water every day this week!" or "wake up by 8am every day!"

Setting even the smallest goals like those really help to make you feel like you've accomplished something and you'll find you'll become increasingly more productive with your days as they go on!

To-Do Lists -

Ah, a good ole' to-do list. They can either make you feel proud and accomplished or like crap for having not crossed off a single task by the end of the day. This is why I set weekly to-do lists. It's inevitable that things come up throughout your day and some tasks are likely to be shoved aside. Instead of getting down that you didn't achieve as much as you prospected, give yourself the week or even a few days to accomplish it. I jot mine down on a little sticky note and keep it on the weekly overview in my planner, this way it is always in sight but not bound to a specific day of the week. Some planners even provide a section just for to-do lists!

I hope these baby steps can be of some help to some of you, and cheers to a more organized 2015!

Recipe | Chia Seed Pudding

Not going to lie, when it comes to healthy "desserts" my first reaction is to scoff and opt for a Reese's peanut butter cup. I always come across recipes that will "satisfy your sweet tooth" and it's typically a bite sized rice cake variety with cinnamon on it (I'll pass...thank you). So now that I'm trying to eat healthier - or cleaner I should say, I'm always on the hunt for easy, innovative recipes that don't consider kale to be an alternative to a Mars bar.

That being said, you can take my word for when I say this recipe makes for a perfect little snack and an excellent breakfast option! I for one, am not a pudding person. I'm pretty indifferent towards it, but with the added fruit toppings this makes for an awesome breakfast leaving you feeling awesome about starting your day on a healthy note!

For those that aren't too familiar with chia seeds let me just give you a mini run down on these little guys. Chia seeds are an awesome source of omega-3 fats, they actually have 3x the omega-3s that flax seeds have! They're also a great source of fiber, calcium, protein, manganese & phosphorus. Basically, they get you full faster, are great for your heart health, fight off pesky belly fat (can I get a woop woop!), and are a cholesterol free way of adding protein to your diet. Best of all? They're tasteless and super easy to add to your meals. I even sprinkle them in my grilled cheeses. 

What you'll need:

2 c.        almond milk (You can also use coconut milk or soy milk)

1/4 c.     chia seeds

2 tsp.     vanilla extract

Last but certainly not least, toppings of your choosing. I opted for a sprinkle of cinnamon and a handful of raspberries!

Other toppings I recommend:

- granola

- mixed berries

- chopped nuts (almonds and pistachios are delicious with fruit)

- a sprinkle of brown sugar for added sweetness

Attention chocolate lovers: You can even mix in some cocoa powder to make this into a tasty little chocolatey treat!

Once you mix all the ingredients together, you want to make sure your chia seeds are evenly mixed in with your pudding mix. Unfortunately for us impatient type, you have to let this sit for around 8 hours. I tend to make mine at night so I can dive into it the next morning!

Once your pudding has settled overnight, go right ahead and add your toppings and you're good to go!

Spring Cleaning | Closet Clearout

 

It's almost that time of year again, folks. The time of year where we shove our Winter wear to the back of our closets and bringing out our brighter Spring colours. While I was sorting through my closet I began finding articles that I pretty much never wear, have had for far too long, or were of no interest to me anymore.

A friend of mine kept telling me of a place nearby that bought gently worn clothing. I've always been a bit skeptical about selling to consignment shops because my past experiences have been a bit shady. Store owners would only pay you once your item sold and would never notify you when it did, you would have to keep coming in store to check in. The amount you waste in gas making these visits outweighs the benefit of selling the clothes in the first place, so when I was told this consignment shop sorts through and pays you for your contribution up front, I was sold!

Keep in mind, many of these places are typically looking for name brand apparel and of course, nothing with stains, holes or pilling.  So, after sorting through my closet of clothes I no longer wanted to keep, I then sorted through those piles for the articles I figured would be of interest to the consignment shop. I was getting a bit hoarder-esque in the beginning but then began to formulate a break down to help in deciding what's to keep and what's to go.

- Have you worn this in the last 8 months?

No? Chances are you aren't going to wear it anytime soon. Toss.

- Does it fit? (Alannah, stop telling yourself it will if you REALLY REALLY try)

No? Toss...seriously, TOSS IT.

- Does it fit in with your current style?

No? Then let it go. Time to evolve.

- Would you buy it today, if it was sold in stores?

No? Do I have to say it? Toss.

I ended up with 2 duffle bags of items to take to consignment. I went in, handed them over, waited around 20 minutes and to my surprise, they had taken almost everything I had brought over! I made $74.25 for pieces I had pretty much forgotten I even owned! Anything the shop wasn't interested in taking was added to the Salvation Army donation pile.

It felt pretty good to not only clear out my closet for the new season and make space for some new items, but to earn a few dollars in the process! I would definitely recommend looking up consignment shops in your area for a little added motivation to start your spring cleaning early!

Happy Spring Cleaning!

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