Recently I have been on an oatmeal kick. Whether it be the perfect kind at home, or Starbucks oatmeal on the way to class when I am late. Even that I absolutely love. But, when I really want the good stuff I have learned (from my friend Ali) that the toppings are what make the oatmeal. It takes it from boring to downright magical.
For my oatmeal, I use Bobs Red Mill Steel Cut Oats. This time, I used 1/2 cup of oats, and 1 and 1/2 cups of water.
Bring the oatmeal to a boil, and then let it simmer, stirring frequently. It takes about 10 minutes to cook, and I let it sit for about 5 minutes after to let it all gel together.
While the oatmeal is cooking, get all of your toppings ready!
This time, I used Edelweiss Granola, dried cranberries, maple syrup, coconut, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, vanilla bean yogurt, almond milk, peaches, and strawberries. It was the granddaddy of all granola.
When the oatmeal is all done, put it in the bottom of a bowl. A big bowl. Trust me, this stuff is gonna pile up.
On the first layer I had Tree Top Vanilla Bean Yogurt, and the Edelweiss Granola.
Layer two: peaches
Layer three: strawberries. The local ones are just coming out now, and I cannot get enough.
Layer four: pumpin seeds, dried cranberries, coconut, and chia seeds. I forgot to add cinnamon, but this is when I usually add it!
Last of all, maple syrup and homemade almond milk. Now dig to the bottom and enjoy! It really feels like decadent treat!
What is your must have comfort brekkie? Let us know!
I am relatively new to the Bachelor and Bachelorette. I previously watched the Chris Soules season of the Bachelor and the Desiree season of Bachelorette, I was told both of these seasons were pretty boring and not necessarily indicative of what the show was all about, so I gave the most season of the Bachelorette a chance.
I liked Kaitlyn on Chris’ season. She was funny and different from the rest of the girls, I was excited to see her become the Bachelorette. And she’s from Canada!
By the third or fourth episode of this season I couldn’t wait for this to be over, I just couldn’t handle the crying or complete confusion by how this “process” works. Once again I was told this season was different from the others… and not just because they didn’t go anywhere. (Seriously, Dublin and a few locations in the US? These guys were gypped.) I found that Kaitlyn is ok in small doses, but a whole season focused on her was way too much. All the crying? And each week she would be so surprised how hard it was to date 25 guys, as if she had no idea what this show was before she joined.
And don’t get me started on her dresses. They were all some sort of figure skating costumes, modified to be longer so they were “fancy” for a rose ceremony. Way to perpetuate the stereotype that all Canadians love ice skating Kaitlyn.
This girl is ready for Dancing with the Stars… or Battle of the Blades.
Anyways, Monday night Andrea and I watched the final episode and now I present to you our comments as we watched. Mostly unfiltered…
Great minds think alike, we both bought prosecco for the soiree and finished them both.
Jen: Chris Harrison calls it the “shocking finale” you need to see – “You say this every damn time Chris Harrison!”
Jen: “Bitch, why you still crying… stop crying!”
Jen: “She’s too Canadian, she cares too much about hurt feelings”
Jen: “Why is everyone so surprised that these guys hate each other, they want the same girl!”
Jen: “I think they blew the fashion budget on her gaudy rings”– Seriously, she wore at least one with each outfit change, but there was usually two (not including the “promise ring” that Nick gave her)
Rings for days
Jen: “I feel like Kaitlyn is a mouth breather”
Andrea: “Default duck lips”
Jen: “It’s like it’s always her first time using lip plumping lip gloss”
The lip/cry combo
Katilyn’s Mom: “My opinion was not all that flattering” (of Nick, after Andi’s season)
Jen: “That’s weird, because I have the greatest opinions of people on reality TV”
Jen: “Old Lady, are you still attracted to your husband” (after Katilyn’s mom was asking Nick if they would still be all over each other in 7 years)
Jen: “All this family does is cry”
Kaitlyn’s mom: “It’s okay” (Ok, this one needs to be seen to understand but it was without a doubt the most Canadian accent that ever Canada’d)
Jen: “I need everyone to stop crying”
Andrea: “Nick looks infinitely more attractive with that beard”
Jen: “I hate that beard”
Andrea: “I feel like he’s working on his mullet, he’s four months away from becoming Billy Ray Cyrus” (he cut it for the finale, Jen now thinks he was growing it during the season to show Kaitlyn he could be Canadian and when he was rejected he cut it off)
Jen: “WHY IS HE LOOKING AT THE CAMERA WHILE THEY’RE KISSING?!?!”
I was getting screenshots and there was so many seconds of him not closing his eyes while kissingHe finally closed his eyes, but he’s eating her face. THIS IS WHY YOU LOST NICK!
Nick: “I don’t know what’s going on the other side (with Shawn) and if their connection is as strong”
Jen: “I’m gonna say that obviously because he’s here at the end, it’s strong. Why am I so much smarter than these people?”
Andrea: “Can you kindly fuck off?” (to Lilly, who kept trying to jump up on the couch)
So sad she was rejected that the tears stained her face
Jen: “Is this a different dad” (about the sudden appearance of Kaitlyn’s stepdad)… “he’s Cam from Modern Family” (due to his flamboyant shirt)
Jen: “I cannot with your hair” (about Kaitlyn’s sister)
Andrea: “I bet she’s a hairdresser, a Kelowna hairdresser”
Jen: “I don’t get why everyone is so surprised there’s so many guys and that they’re jealous, of course they are”
Jen: “Why is everyone so surprised these guys bring the family gifts, the producers hand them the gifts”
Shawn tells a story about how he sent a message to his sisters while watching Kaitlyn on the Chris season and said “I’m coming for you Kaitlyn” Jen: “That’s not sweet, it’s psycho. You’re psycho Shawn”
Jen: “How do you see anything beyond those eyelashes?” Re: Kaitlyn’s mom’s eyelashes Andrea: “She doesn’t need sunglasses”
Jen: “How old is he?” (about Shawn)
Andrea: “25”
Jen: “What? This is not going to last” (we later find out he’s 28 during filming… now 29)
Her dad is giving his blessing to Shawn to propose Jen: “You said this exact thing to someone else yesterday. This is so weird”
Andrea, on how she knows Shawn will win after meeting the parents: “She got that smize and dem eyes don’t lie”
Kaitlyn and Nick meet for their date on a boat.
Jen: “There’s always a fucking boat”
Jen: “Why is she always screaming? She’s annoying like Carrie on that season of Sex and the City where she screamed all the time”
Nick: “I love looking at you”
Jen: “You stare at the camera buddy”
Andrea: “I hate that she calls them guys, they’re men… in theory”
A Bachelor Paradise commercial comes on…
Jen: “I wonder if the virgin is still a virgin? And the crazy lady is there! And the token black guy!”
Andrea: “There was three this season”
Jen: “Two were biracial, I guess that counts as black on ABC”
Andrea: “Three were not white”
Edit: It was actually four
Jen: (On Nick’s date night shirt) “Why are you wearing that shirt, you look like a little boy”
(On Kaitlyn’s outfit): “What is this, she had cute outfits and now for the finale she’s wearing Target”
Nick: “I got you something in my room”
Kaitlyn: “Really?!?” (said in an annoying baby voice)
Jen: “His penis, he has his penis for you”
Andrea: Starts sing Dick in a Box
Nick: “There’s electricity in your lips” (this was in his letter)
Jen: “That’s cinnamon in the lip plumping lip gloss”
Kaitlyn (about the letter Nick wrote to her): “It wasn’t just like, telling me how he felt, it was like…” (long pause)
Jen: “He wrote it”
Kaitlyn: “I don’t know, he wrote it in a way that was so beautiful”
Jen: “When you lose do your friends make fun of you for being this gross on TV… no, I think they just rip your balls off.”
Jen: (during a shot of the Live Audience) “So many sausage curls in the audience. All these ladies getting dressed up for a night out and they can’t finger comb their damn curls out”
Andrea (Kaitlyn is petting Shawn’s leg during the awkward winery date): “Why is she petting him? What if that’s his penis?”
Nick: “I’m an acquired taste, I think Kaitlyn has acquired a taste for me.”
Jen: “Like she’s acquired a taste for his sperm?”
Jen: (Nick is giving a long speech to Neil Lane about being rejected before meeting Neil last time) “Neil Lane is really good at pretending he’s interested in this”
Jen: (about Kaitlyn’s dress at the end) “That’s the most figure skating costume of them all”
Andrea: “A figure skating costume to end all figure skating costumes”
Andrea: (As Nick walks to see her and propose) “It’s a no, she just teared up”
Jen: “She can’t even look at him”
Jen: “Is it weird that I’m really excited to see his heart get broken?”
Jen: (To Nick, after he gets dumped) “You had more accessories on than her today, that was your first mistake” (Seriously, his bracelet collection is huge)
Jen: “That was a bitch move” (When Kaitlyn says she has to “be honest… and tell you the truth” after Shawn pours his heart out and for a split second makes him think she’s dumping him)
In retrospect, waiting until the end to dump Nick was also a bitch move
During After the Rose
Andrea: “She rocks a plunge neck like no one else”
Jen: “Do they always wear white to look like a bride, or is she trying to be virginal?”
Andrea: “Her hair looks so much better now that the split ends are gone”
Jen: “She wore a lot of extensions on the season”
Andrea: “They were budget extensions.
Andrea: (about Shawn) “I feel like he got veneers since the show”
Jen: “His mouth is more mouthy”
Annie’s perfect drawing of Shawn
Jen: “They’re boring now, we’re talking about other things like how to improve our Prosecco floats”
Andrea: “One beard is good, two is bad…. Wait, it’s just Nick’s beard that’s boring”
Said prosecco floats
Andrea: “Nick was boring all along, the drama surrounding Nick made him not boring –ish”
Jen: “She’s got total bitch face and eye rolls for Nick. She can’t even pretend to like him anymore”
Our predictions:
Andrea: Kaitlyn will be on the next season of Dancing with the Stars and will be in the Top 3. “She already has the Dancing with the Stars costumes, so she’s in fine form”
Andrea thinks they’ll hold out for an ABC wedding which will take place within a year.
Jen predicts a split in five months, but also thinks they’re both so stupid that they’ll keep going with this (this was before I saw on Kimmel that they have to pay $1000 each if they split, in a few months they can’t afford that so now I think they’ll be forced to stay together because they can’t pay their debts)
Bachelor in Paradise preview:
Someone says “she’s no longer a virgin and she might be pregnant”
Jen and Andrea: “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAH” (but it’s a cackle, we cackled for a good minute)
Notes upon notes upon notes
I took six pages of notes during this mess, and committed to watching Bachelor in Paradise for a possible weekly blog recap. I may need to come up with a way to take better notes so we’re not constantly pausing… I wonder if I can hire a Bachelorette contestant who is no longer relevant to be my stenographer. Anyone know where I can find one?
Leave us your comments about the finale! Are you glad she picked Shawn or did you want Nick to finally win something?
Almonds do not have nipples. Because of this fact alone, I was confused for many moons about how one of my favourite nuts could turn into a non dairy milk. I am by no means, in any which way vegan, vegetarian or otherwise but the call of the almond milk has reached me. I had my first taste of real almond milk (trust me, there is a difference) from The Juicery, and it was completely life changing. After dreaming about this magical beverage for about a year I bought myself the cookbook Oh She Glows (you can find it here) and in it was a recipe for Almond Mylk. Now the author, Angela Liddon does it a little differently than I do (I have learned from many a milking), but the method is pretty much the same.
All you need to make this nutty wonder is raw almonds, vanilla extract, cinnamon, honey and a nut milk bag. I looked all over for a good one, and ended up buying this one from Amazon. It works like a hot damn and cleans very easily.
The first step is to soak the almonds overnight. I used about 1 and 1/2 cups. You need to use at least twice as much water as almonds so I used 3 cups of water. Make sure it is all in a big bowl, you will be surprised at how much the almonds expand.
In the morning, rinse those nuts thoroughly and make sure they are clean as a whistle.
Put the soaked almonds in the blender, see where they reach on the measurement guide on the side, and add double the amount of water.
Start the blender off slow and slowly work it up to liquefy, or whatever the highest setting is on your blender. Honestly, a Vitamix is ideal for this, buy my little Oster one does just fine.
Once it is liquefied, you need to start adding in the stuff that makes it yummy. Starting with honey. I use about 2 tbsp for a batch of almond milk. It gives it just enough sweetness without going overboard.
Next is the vanilla. The stuff that smells like heaven, but tastes deathly on its own. I put in about 1 tbsp to make sure that I can taste it.
Cinnamon now, I did about 5 good shakes.
Last but not least, a bit of salt. I use Maldon salt, because nothing compares. You need to add the salt to balance the sweetness of the honey. It rounds everything out.
Looks almost ready for milking!
A close up of the nut milk bag!
I wrapped the nut milk bag over the top of a jug (this pretty one is the Palermo Jug from The Cross, my favourite store. You can find it here).
I poured half of the mixture from the blender into the nut milk bag to ensure that there was no spillover, yes, this has happened before.
Then you just milk the bag, squeeze little bits out at a time. It takes longer than you think to get all the moisture out. I may have been watching Pretty Little Liars on Netflix while milking.
Once it is all milked out the pulp looks just like this! Now run through the process again for the second part of the mixture and then you have some almond milk!
Yummyness!
Now all that you have to do is enjoy! Now this whole process is a prelude to my post on Thursday when I am making the perfect oatmeal, part of which is using almond milk, and its just not the same when its not homemade!
What things do you like to make that you could easily get at the store? Let us know! We always want to make things infinitely more challenging for ourselves!
As you read on Friday, Andrea had a bad dating experience last week and as she explained, they planned the date about a week and a half in advance. So when she called me on Wednesday I was confused, we never call each other because we’re texters. I had forgotten that she had a date planned for that night, so when I returned my two missed calls from her I thought the worst about why she called.
Let’s be real for a second, a guy standing you up is horrible, but I was super thankful that nothing had happened to her parents or Lilly (or a number of other people).
As soon as she told me what happened I wanted to find the guy and have some words with him. Because how dare he stand up this super-awesome woman?!? We talked for quite some time about this boy and then Andrea commented how she was happy to have a variety of friends to tell help her through this.
So I present to you, the three types of friends all women need in their lives. There’s a lot of overlap and one friend can have qualities of different types, but these are the main groups:
1 –The pep talker
This is the girl you call when you need someone to tell you how awesome you are. They’ll be the ones who tell you you’re beautiful and talk up all your awesome qualities that the guy who stood you up will be missing out on.
2- The fury
This is me. My friends are the best and for some guy to hurt them is the worst. This friend wants to find the guy, sit him down and tell him exactly why he’s an idiot to turn down your friend. They’ll also point out every bullet dodged by your friend by not dating this guy. So yeah, I creeped his Instagram account and used every post against him. He has no right to turn down a girl when he’s got cystic acne and a Harry Potter tattoo (although I’m told this is a good thing by certain people)
3 – The logical
Everyone needs the friend who is going to talk sense into you. Maybe he got lost or was in a car accident? Perhaps his phone died? This friend is great because she makes you feel like there’s still hope and that it wasn’t you, it was him. You need this person to help put things in perspective so you’re not too hard on yourself. They also make you realize that you’re not to blame for any of this.
As with any good friend, all three of these will talk you off a ledge and listen to your (crazy) ranting. We all go through it, so we’re happy to be there for you when it’s your turn. Usually with wine and a hug.
While I have some issues with this image, it was all that came to mind last night. As both Jen and I have mentioned before, we are single girls, and while I genuinely love living my life independently, I am open to relationships and once every few months I actively seek one out. I am happy to meet new people and date, but it is not a huge pressure for me. Unless I have a great time I don’t really move along with the relationship, and thats fine. I take another break for a few months and try again. In my experience this has all been just a-ok, and have met some nice guys but none that I wanted to move further with. So recently when I was in a phase of actively seeking a relationship, I met a guy online and we got along well and started texting. He seemed nice, but I wasn’t overly into it, and after a couple days of not texting I thought that it had fizzled out and I was not all that disappointed. A couple days later, he texted again and asked if I wanted to meet up, and I said sure. Don’t worry, this story doesn’t get weird or twisted. While this guy may be a run of the mill douche, nothing bad happened other than some ego bruising.
So first red flag, he asked me out for a week and a half in the future. Odd, but okay. So after continuing to stay in touch for that week and a half, we decided where we were meeting up and it was all good. On the day of, I texted asking what time would be best, and he said 7:30 because of work issues, and that is when I made my smartest move of the evening. We were meeting somewhere super close to my apartment, so I said, text me when you park and I will walk down. So as 7:30 rolled around, I was talking on the phone with my cousin, just chatting away, and I let her know that I would have to hang up when I had to go, and no problem. Then 7:40 rolled around.
Now lets get one thing straight. I am kind of a stickler for punctuality, so this kind of bugged me, because if I was going to be late, I would let the person I was meeting know, especially if there was a potential for a relationship, but alas, he did not. Then 7:50 rolled around, and at this time, I was pretty peeved. I was still on the phone with my cousin, but decided to text and ask if he was on his way. And it is officially a day later and there has been no response.
This feels shitty. Whether you are the most confident person in the world or not, having someone not make the effort to meet up with you sucks. I was really upset, and a million things ran through my mind about why this person thought that not only was I not someone that they wanted to meet up with, they didn’t care even enough to make up a lame excuse as to why they aren’t coming. I have decided that this doesn’t have anything to do with me (because I’m fucking awesome) and has everything to do with him. Man though, that ego bruise sure smarts.
So after thinking a lot about this, I have come up with a few things that I will utilize in the future to make sure that I don’t feel like I am going to be let down.
1. Choose to meet somewhere close to you, not only does it make you more comfortable to be in your own neighbourhood, it gives you an easy entrance and exit strategy.
2. Make sure (if possible) not to leave your place, or at least a neutral location until it is confirmed that said internet stranger is on the way. When Jen and I were talking last night, I was talking about how shitty it would feel if I was in a restaurant waiting, and the guy never showed up, and Jen brought up the fact that even though I know this wasn’t the case, I may have thought that he came, saw me, and left. I think that may have broken me for a good while.
3. Have excellent friends and wine at the ready. Even though this person was not a part of my life, it seriously hurt. I felt rejected, and not as awesome as I should feel. But friends (and wine!) make you see that it is not about you, it is just a mega-douche who you are better off not knowing.
Anyways, I hope that someone can use what I learned in my quasi dating flop. I am once again, going to take a break from the online dating scene, but I have not lost hope yet.
P.S. I also looked super freaking adorable, and was wearing a new top, so I wore the outfit the next day.
What kind of dating stories do you have to share? Please comment below with any online or otherwise horrors. Sharing is caring!
Last Friday night I stopped off at the mall to pick up a few things (sadly, not for myself) and got to thinking about a few things that make me angry about shopping as a plus sized lady.
Don’t get me wrong, plus sized shopping has gotten better in recent years. Growing up I remember my mom shopping in plus sized stores and the only things to buy were horrible shapeless sacks and loud prints. You could forget about finding anything trendy.
As I’ve previously written, in my summer wish list, online shopping is pretty great for plus sizes. ASOS is really great for creating great fitting clothes that are in style.
So I’ve compiled a list of stuff that really frustrates me about shopping as a plus size in most brick and mortar stores. Since I haven’t lived my whole life as a plus sized lady, I feel like I can offer a good look into what it’s like to shop as a Rill Girl who shops in the plus size but previously fit into most of your mall favourites.
Women’s Section
This is the worst. I would also like to hear from the non-plus ladies to see how they feel about this. Have you ever noticed that the plus size section in a lot of department stores is called the “women’s section” as if to indicate that those who are not 16+ are not “women?” And those that fit in the less than 16 sizes are “ladies” I guess.
Underwear
No matter what type of underwear you buy in a plus sized section, you’re buying granny panties. Last week I was looking for some neutral underwear to go under my nobody puts baby in the corner/Dirty Dancing skirt and grabbed a package of boy cut underwear. Instead of being sexy and cute (it’s possible as a plus size, I swear!) they were straight up granny panties. Up to my belly button and did not look like shorts. Even plus sized thongs have a way of being granny. Because when you’re plus sized they always think you need your panties hiked midway up your waist.
Shapeless dresses
God forbid a plus sized lady show a hint of a curve. Instead we’re given shapeless shifts to hide our body, they’re basically potato sacks with a hole cut where your neck should be. If they’re supposed to be fancy there might be some spaghetti straps. And instead of being a potato sack, they usually come in some big floral pattern. Look, these can be kind of cute if you belt it but good luck finding a belt…
Belts
Belts are actually impossible, even online. You can find a belt to hold up your jeans, but if you want a skinny belt to cinch in a waist of a shirt or dress, you’re out of luck.
Flow-y and/or Pallazo Pants
I’m a big believer in skinny jeans. This might be because I’m pretty happy with my legs, so I like to play them up by making them the smaller part and add a longer, roomier shirt up top (roomier doesn’t always equal shapeless, FYI). I’ve already talked about my love of the Old Navy Rockstar jean, a perfect (and cheap!) skinny jean option, so I don’t know why designers keep thinking we want a pant that makes our legs look huge and our bodies look stout. Very few ladies can wear a wide leg, pallazo pant. They’re usually tall, thin, blonde and go by the name Gwyneth Paltrow. Gwen is a lot of things, plus size is not one of them.
Sales
The other day Forever 21 had a Black Friday/ Boxing Day in July sale. It was great, t-shirts for $5, dresses for $8 and my coworkers could barely get their orders in before their desired purchases sold out. I went online to check out if some of the stuff I had been pining for was marked down and much to my chagrin (and my bank statement’s joy), the plus sized clothes were not on sale. Not one markdown in my beloved Forever 21+ section. This isn’t a first, for some reason stores will often mark up the plus sized sections (claiming it’s the extra fabric and manpower to design/make bigger garments) and then exclude us from discounts.
Loud Prints
Look, I like a print. In some situations they can help your outfit look trendy or make a boring pair of jeans look like you’re doing something completely different. But almost every damn plus size shirt is in some loud print. I’m not sure why, because shapeless clothing tells me that plus size designers want larger ladies to hide themselves, but the ugly prints call so much attention to them. And it’s not the good attention like “she looks great in that” and more like “wtf is she wearing, that’s horrible.” You’ll usually see these in loud florals or whatever you want to call this:
Also animal prints, so much animal print
And random sparkles and sequins on clothes that look like business or daytime wear, but are now supposed to be evening/going out stuff because of the sequins:
Finally, whatever this is
I’m not really saying all of these things are bad (except maybe the lace bell sleeves), I think animal print can be fine in moderation. And a sack dress can be cute with the right accessories and a belt. The fashions in the “normal” sized sections (ugh, I hate that I used that word) take a lot of these elements and make them work, dare I say make them trendy. And to be honest, I’m happy to say that finding images online for this post was kind of hard because when I Google and Pinterest searched for “ugly sack dresses” and “plus sized floral patterns” and the like I actually had to sort through a lot of images where the clothes were pretty cute.
Maybe there’s hope for us yet.
Let us know in the comments what your plus-size shopping pet peeves are.
We are at the time in our lives where our newsfeed are filled with weddings, engagements, and babies. This has really just started for me in the last year, and it confuses me more and more each time I come across these things. Mostly because, at 25, I am a full time student with no job and could not imagine being at the point in my life where I appear to be a grownup. I honestly feel that when I do get married, and have kids, I will still feel 18. One example of this was going to the liquor store to buy beer for a party that my mom was hosting, and I took her wallet instead of mine. Obviously I was very concerned that I would not be able to complete the task as I had no way of proving that I was over the age of 19. The girl in front of me was asked for I.D. and then, when my turn came, I was not. I was both proud and disappointed at the same time. Which all comes down to the fact that I feel like a small child, terrified to commit my life to someone else.
There is also, a different experience with your parents. My parents separated when I was 18, and over the years, my parents have both found awesome people to share their lives with. My dad in fact, is getting married at the end of the summer.
Now when my dad initially told me that he was planning on getting married, I had a specific list of things that I would need to be able to enjoy myself at his wedding. I promise, I was not being a demanding pain in the ass, but as a girl with some anxiety issues, I know what I need to get through the day. My list was short and simple. I did not want to be a part of the wedding party, I could bring a couple of friends so that I have a good buffer, I have access to an open bar (this was the questionable one, what can I say, I am a bit of a lush) and I get a new dress.
Now the dress part is quite tricky. I have a number of dresses, but not one that I feel especially comfortable in, and especially not one that is good for the summer. Also, my dads one and only rebuttal to my list of “suggestions” was that my sister and I would be witnesses, and would stand at the front during the ceremony and sign the piece of paper. I agreed. But this makes the whole dress thing more challenging, because instead of just sitting down, I will be standing at the front and theoretically pictures will be taken.
Since finding out about the wedding, I have been scouring the internet, trying to find something that I would be comfortable in. I didn’t find anything that I loved online, so I decided to actually go shopping (which I do not love). After evaluating the different options for stores, I settled on The Bay. Mainly because they have way more options than anywhere else, and therefore the likelihood of success was much higher.
So yesterday, my mom and I braved the department store. We picked up every dress that I even almost liked the look of, in my size. We didn’t hit the plus size section, so basically it was a hit or miss type of operation, as I am just on the borderline. It is a challenge, because I typically wear neutral colours, especially black and white, and neither of which I believe are appropriate for a wedding. So I had the entire freaking rainbow of taffeta, chiffon, and jersey under my arm when we entered the change room.
As per usual, the process is slightly demeaning, as you try to squeeze your body into things that fit in some places, and don’t in others. Things that don’t make you feel your best. In the end, I settled on one of the first frocks that I tried on. It is a sweet yellow dress and I feel almost like the grown up that I deny being. I love the sunny colour, and the lace and the fact that it is not my typical fit and flare type dress. Check it out here.
And then there is me in said dress. And the recommended shoes from Jen. Manolo HO!
What are your dilemmas with dressing for a formal occasion? What are some tips and tricks you have to make the choice a success?
I can’t say that I’ve bought or sold many things off Craigslist, but I have done enough on Craigslist to share some tips on how to be a decent human being on the site.
In the past I’ve used Craigslist to search for places to live, bought concert tickets and sold a few things on there, I always thought there was an unspoken code of conduct on Craigslist that everyone followed, but this weekend I was reminded that not everyone is awesome.
I’ve had an elliptical in my living room for over three years. It was bought brand new and used enough, but I was tired of it sitting in the corner collecting dust because I like to do my exercising at the gym. I mean, I wasn’t even using the thing to dry clothes! I also prefer a pool or treadmill for my exercise, I used to love the elliptical but lately I’ve just been feeling like I’m going through the motions and not really getting much sweating done. So after it sat unused for a few months, I decided to sell it. I posted it on Craigslist and Kijiji for a fraction of what was originally paid and settled in for the arduous task of selling on these sites.
I’ve got rid of some couches and bedroom furniture on Craigslist (they were actually free) and I posted them to get them out of my house without having to pay for a truck to take them away. I’ve also posted a deep freezer and let me tell you, that was a fun one. Let’s just say I automatically assume everyone on Craigslist is a serial killer so this took that feeling up quite a few notches.
Every time I’ve sold something I’ve always put it off because I know how much of a pain it is to arrange a showing/pick up/ sale with someone via email. Seriously, for every one who seriously contacts you for whatever you’re selling, you’ll get at least three others who will say they’ll come by in the morning and never show.
So with that in mind, here’s a few tips on how to be a pleasant buyer on Craigslist:
1- Respect that everyone has a life. Every single time I’ve tried to sell or even give away something for free, I’ve had at least one person tell me that they’ll contact me at a certain time and they don’t show. Don’t make someone wait around all day and don’t show, send a courtesy email that you’re no longer interested, we’re not going to bite your head off over email for flaking.
2- Ensure everyone’s safety. One of the reason’s I think someone backed out on my elliptical purchase this weekend was because I told them to come by between 1-3pm on Saturday. This was a time when my parents were going to be visiting me and I knew that a) my dad would probably be needed to move the thing and b) I never want to be alone in my house with some random from Craigslist. When I told this person to come by Saturday afternoon, they responded that they wanted to come by Friday evening, without divulging that I wouldn’t be home from work until a certain time I reiterated the Saturday time and they said they’d text in the morning… so I gave them my number (something I hate to do) and they never texted. Thank god I never gave the address.
3- Bitch better have my money. Look, the beauty of Craigslist is that you can barter, but you also need to make sure you’re prepared to pay. Don’t show up at the person’s house and tell them you’ll only pay a specific price and then get upset when they don’t meet it. 100% of the time that I’ve actually sold something on Craigslist I’ve bartered with the person and they got a better price than what I was asking, partially because they were nice (and actually showed when they said they would) but mostly because I was just tired and no longer wanted to deal with it anymore. That being said, if the asking price is $100 don’t show up with $50 and expect to pay just that.
I think that’s basically it. Just be a decent human, and this applies to your Craigslist interactions but also in life. Also, looking back on this list I think that this stuff can also apply to dating. Except the bartering part. Gentlemen, never barter for your ladies.
Next up, I need to figure out what to do with the empty corner in my living room. Since I got rid of one piece of exercise equipment, do you think I should get one of these treadmill pools?
So as a girl on a mission to lose some weight, there was one part of my routine that wasn’t really working. Working out. Because I have rhumatoid arthritis, it is challenging to work out because the activity gives me pain the following day often. But, to lessen that pain, it is important to lose weight. It is quite the vicious circle. After my many (many many many) experiments with workout fads, yoga, etc I never really found anything that I loved, and even if I did enjoy it, I didn’t really notice any results. In comes Orange Theory (check it out here). It is an intense workout, but I have noticed results, so much so that I don’t hate going, and don’t mind a little bit of pain the following day. It is an intense cardio and weight training workout, and my Old Navy gear just wasn’t holding up (literally, my pants kept falling down, and may or may not have been see through). So for my birthday this year, I asked for some new workout clothes, and some runners. I had some Nike Free runners before, but they didn’t give me enough support when I was on the treadmill. They are awful pretty though! So I am going to go through what works best for me and stays on like a charm.
The number 1 important item for an girl is a sports bra. If you don’t have one, it can cause serious tissue damage and pain. I know the pain part because I was wearing an Old Navy one that I got for $5 on Boxing Day, and the girls just danced freely.
I settled on the Moving Comfort Fiona Bra, and it works like a charm. Now my tummy is the only thing that moves when I am speed walking up a hill!
Now for pants, I am very nervous about the whole see through thing (so I always wear underwear. ALWAYS) and especially if you are a girl with a bigger booty, it can stretch the fabric out and make it more likely to show through. For this, I think it is important to invest in a good pair of pants, that are a little thicker, but still wick away sweat like nobodies business.
I got the Wunder Under pants in full-on luon from Lululemon. What I love about these is that they have a roll down on the waist, so you can either wear them high, or roll them down for a lower rise. I like them offensively high as to create a Spanx like vision in workout gear. Check them out here. I know that Lululemon has experienced a sort of see-through-gate with bigger sizes, but I have bent over in front of a number of friends (and my mom) and nothing can be seen! Wahoo!
For workout tops now, I am not a fan of the tight ones with built in support. I like tank tops with racerback and I have found the perfect one. It is once again from Lulu, but it is so light and heavenly. I just can’t get enough!
Check out this sweet gem here – the Swiftly Tech Racerback.
Last on the list is shoes. Because of my aging joints I need a super supportive shoe, that is also pillowy. Like a dream, and I found them! I got the Asics Gel Kayano 20 in Black Plum Blue, but make sure that you go and find the best shoes for you. It is so individual with runners, one friend swears by Nike, but they are not the perfect ones for me!
So, I hope this gives you an idea of what kind of gear is best for a workout, I am still learning what works best for me and will share what I find along the way!
What is your favourite gear to get sweaty in? Let us know!
So last weekend, I went to Sproat Lake on Vancouver Island with my Dad, and a bunch of his high school pals. We stay in a big house, and when there are not enough bedroom, the kids are forced to sleep outside in tents. It is all very fun, and now that everyone is over the age of 19, it has turned into a weekend of drinks and food. Everyone has a meal to cook, and has to provide a signature cocktail (I brought our signature Prosecco Floats, but this time made them with pear sorbet, a total win if I do say so myself!). Over the course of the weekend, there was incredible food. Lots of burgers, pasta, amazing salads and more. But the one item that made me crazy happy, was the most simple of all. Barb, my dads friend from high school, and my original inspiration for many a home decor project, came with what she calls El Primo Italian Spagettata, and it was dream worthy. I may or may not have had leftovers for breakfast the next day. Now I was luck enough to have her share the recipe with me, and I made it last night. Once again, it was amazing. So now I am sharing it with you!
A photo from the weekend after many a signature cocktail.
El Primo Italian Spagettata
All you need is Roma Tomatoes, about 3 per person you want to cook for, kosher salt (must be kosher, anything larger will not melt down), garlic, olive oil, basil and of course parmesan cheese.
First of all, cut the tomatoes into six pieces, and put them in a glass bowl or casserole dish. Cover them with about 1/2 tbsp of kosher salt per three tomatoes. Mix them around thoroughly, and then cover. Let them sit for three hours, and while they sit, drink a chilled white Zinfandel (this was legitimately part of the recipe I received, thanks Barb!)
After all that goodness has worked its magic together, put about 2 tbsp of olive in the bottom of a large bowl. Add in about 1-2 cloves of garlic, and roughly tear up some basil so that it is bruised.
Then remove all of the liquid that has been pulled out of the tomatoes and squeeze them to pull out any additional liquid. Then put the tomatoes in the bowl with the olive oil and mix them around.
In the meantime, boil water and cook the pasta until el dente. When it is done, add the pasta into the bowl with the tomatoes, and mix them around.
Once it is well combined, put approximately 1/2 cup of parmesan and mix it around as well.
Then Voila! Done and ready to be consumed!
With the pasta, have a nice bottle of red wine and enjoy! Happy cooking!
What kind of recipes keep you up at night dreaming about them! Please share! We would love to know!
The Rill Girls 