Chick Flick Mania

What a great time to be a girl. The chick flick trailers before Sex and the City 2 were absolutely hilarious. I was dying. Other people were laughing, but I had tears in my eyes I was laughing so hard. By the way - what are your thoughts on SAT2? I quite enjoyed...8/10. Yes it was cheesy, and yes it was cliche, and yes there was some cultural satire that was edging politically incorrect, but all in all, I loved it. If you took it for what it was worth - a girly follow-up movie to an amazing series, I bet you loved it too. Though I must say that I liked the 1st one better! Isn't that always the case though...(*cough cough, 3 Ninjas series...)

Here are some upcoming chick flicks that I am super pumped for! Especialllllyyyy You Again. What a cast! Sigourney, Jamie Lee, Betty White! Not so much into Kristen Bell, but she's growing on me.












xo Britt

Pink Dinner

I was totally stumped on what to make for dinner tonight so I moseyed over to the grocery store to get inspired. I was initially debating chicken stir fry, but changed my mind when I stumbled upon beet greens! They were so pretty looking, I couldn't resist. Right next to the beet greens were candy cane beets! Done deal.

For those of you that haven't tried beet greens, don't be freaked out by their appearance. I admit, they do resemble weeds. Once you get past the fact that they look like something you would feed your bunny, they're actually really tasty and sweet. Whenever a plant is rich in colour, you know it's good for you. And these are gorgeous - deep pink and deep green. A cup of beet greens is about 8 calories, 0 fat, 1 g of fibre, and 1 g of protein. I used about 5 cups (didn't measure - just grabbed a huge handful and chopped them up).

Into the pan they went!

Threw the candy cane beet (peeled) into the steamer...

Added some EV olive oil, chopped garlic, and strawberry slices into the pan and sauteed the greens...

Had to have a cooking snack! Snack of choice: sultana raisins.

Marinated my chicken with a little dijon and maple syrup (going with the "sweet" theme tonight).

Ta-Da!

Had some berries for dessert - hope I don't wake up pink! Bought this new notebook yesterday - love the saying! Good for us Type A girls...Haha.

xo Britt

Thank you, technology!

Here is a precious video I stumbled upon that shows a baby responding to his mother's voice for the first time after receiving a cochlear implant. Melts my heart!

The Countess's New Vid

"Elegance is learned"..."my friends"

"Elegance is learned"..."oh yeah"

The song is choppy and awkward. I like it.



PS - In case you're not a huge reality TV loser like me, LuAnn DeLesseps (aka - "The Countess") is one of the housewives on Bravo's Real Housewives of New York. Duh...

Heads Up for Toronto Ladies!

This weekend in Toronto, some super fun places will be opening their doors for free! As if you guys aren't spoiled enough with the weather (Sense some jealously in my voice? I'm freezing over here in Halifax!), buildings such as Second City, Ontario Botanical Gardens, Museum of Inuit Art, MaRS Discovery District, and 146 more are offering free admission May 29 and 30 from 10-5. So call a friend, grab a Starbs, and go for a little city tour...talk about a pleasant weekend, n'est pas?

See here for more deets. Enjoy for me!

xo Britt

Fit Friday

I got back from Ontario eeeearly Wednesday morning, and *bam* - suddenly it's Friday?! As I mentioned in a previous post, I was at a bachelorette party last weekend. Let me just preface this post with my love of Pizza Hut pizza. The crust is unbelievable. I hadn't had PH in a couple years, and it was just as good (if not better) as I remembered. So yes, there was pizza. There were also brownies (thanks mom), drinks, chocolate, eating out, ...oh I could go on and on! But it was all worth it because we had a great time.

It's no surprise that no l-bees were lost this week. I'd say I'm disappointed, but I'm just thankful I didn't gain 10 pounds after last weekend!

To get back to the normal morning routine, I had my daily oats.

I was woke up craving maple syrup (weird). I went out and bought some, but couldn't open the bottle! Where's your boyfriend when you need him? I will have to ask him to open it later on today. I use soy milk to make the oats more creamy.

Topped with blueberries and banana.

Have a nice weekend!

Britt

Two Very Important Dates

Yes, I know I've been counting down the days until I finish grad school for what seems like a million years, but now I can make it official - 34 days! Conditional on if I pass or not, of course. It's just nice to have a date set. 
As much as I am ready to not be a student anymore, I'm kind of nervous for the next stage. I feel like when this is all said and done, I am going to undergo an identity crisis or something! I've been a student since I was...5 - that's 19 years! Whoa, whoa, whoa. Change is exciting though.
What else is exciting is...SEX & THE CITY 2 COMES OUT TODAY!!! It's finally May 27th, 2010! I have my own predictions of what's going to happen...(cough cough, Carrie is going to get pregnant with Aiden's baby), but they've been shot down by friends. The reviews have been really good so far. I am beyond excited to see it. 
Hope everyone has a nice day. I made runny oatmeal this morning. Took me like an hour to get over it...so disappointing. Oatmeal takes like 30 minutes to cook - who has time to re-make oatmeal? Grumble, grumble. :)
Britt

Whoops!

Haven't been blogging since Friday. Boooooo. Been away all weekend and am finally getting myself together after a weekend of girls, wine, wine, wine, and fun! New post tomorrow.

xo Britt

Fit Friday

Going home this weekend for a bachelorette party! Should be a lot of fun. Down 1 lb this week, 7 to go. We will see what happens on the weekend...yikes...

Got some running over the course of the week. I ran a few 5K routes with okay times, but am still struggling with hills. Darn hills. It's supposed to be 28 C in Toronto, so I packed my running gear. Hoping to get in a couple runs with my dog. :)

I cut dairy out of my diet a month or so ago because I was trying to figure out the cause of my allergy. I keep getting hives all over my legs at sporadic times throughout the day. I ended up seeing and allergic and was diagnosed with "chronic hives"...awesome. Anyways, since cutting dairy out, I really don't miss it. I only used milk in my coffee and cereal, which I've replaced with soy milk. Feels good to cut down on your consumption of animal products. Can't give up fish or eggs though! Thank goodness I'm not allergic to that!

Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

Britt

Study Treat

Hold the phone, this is amazing...

Vanilla bean faux-ice cream made with coconut milk by So Delicious. It's very creamy and has a similar taste to Cool Whip. Sign-in to Healthy Shopper to grab a $1-off coupon, cause this stuff 'aint cheap. It run at about $7 a pint, so $6 with the coupon. Find it at Sobeys, or your local health food store. I bought mine at Planet Organic in Halifax. I bought vanilla bean, but it was a tough decision. Coconut and chocolate chip cookie dough were close runner ups.

Yum yum! 

Obsessed with...

Second installment of "obsessed with...". Hold on to your socks! Or flip flops - which, by the way, are on sale for $1 this Saturday at Old Navy! Run, run, run! You know I'm stocking up on basic black. Maybe purple...hmmm...

1. Coconut water

Coconut water is so good for you. It's loaded with potassium, which is great for balancing out the s-a-l-t! It's the ultimate thirst quencher, and does not contain added sugar like Gatorade (or Poweraid, which is even worse). Since coconut water is becoming more popular in North America, it's now available at most grocery stores. And hey, if Gisele Bundchen's drinking it, you know it can't hurt.

2. Other blogs!

I'm now fully obsessed with reading other blogs. I love reading people's take on fashion, beauty, health and fitness. The blogging community is very friendly and welcoming. Check out these blogs if you want some added inspiration today! I love them.

Eat, Love, Run - Jenna talks about her approach to cooking and fitness. She's really funny and post lots of simple and healthy recipes. 

Fat-Free Vegan - Susan is a mom who is dedicated to cooking healthy, low-fat vegan food. I've always found cooking vegan to be kind of intimidating. Susan makes it look easy. Lots of great recipes on this site. I think I am going to fry the fudge brownie recipe when I am home this weekend!

I Told You Soo - My best friend Care's blog. Always ahead of the curve, Care offers a retrospective commentary of current fashion trends. Go Care! Love you biatch.

Kath Eats Real Food - Kath provides pictures and descriptions of what she eats throughout the day. She is a 20-something female who has lost over 30 pounds by healthy diet and exercise. You'll love this blog.

Listen to Lena! - Lena is a mom (soon-to-be mom for the second time!) that provides discount codes, coupons, and "heads up" on upcoming shopping specials. She's saved me a couple bucks along the way! If you're wondering how I found a certain coupon, it's probably because of this blog. Thanks Lena!

Little Red Book - My friend Kel's blog! Blogging about fashion, fitness, boys, food, and fun in and around Toronto. Kel also snaps pics of fashion faux-pas on the streets of Toronto. Great blog, even greater girl.

Peace, Love, Nutrition - Jocelyn blogs about nutrition and wellness. Her posts are written from the heart. 

Real Girl's Kitchen - Hilary Duff's sister Haylie's blog. She writes about her experiences cooking real food. Really cool recipes on this site. Her seafood boil inspired a bouillabaisse my boyfriend made me a couple weeks ago.

Oh She Glows - Saving the best for last! This is my favourite blog I have come across to date. Angela Liddon is completely inspiring in every way. She blogs about health and cooking, mostly, and is chief pioneer of the "Green Monster Movement". Check this one out, I'm sure you will love it just as much as I do. 

Those are my top faves! Have a great day. :)

Britt

Wordless Wednesday

Above: Lilac bush. Lilacs make me happy. :)

A Breakfast Story

Introducing...(drumrolllll) the oatmeal pancake! I read about this recipe on Live, Eat, Run blog. It's packed with protein, fluffy, and very yummy. I eat boiled oatmeal about...6/7 days of the week, so I thought, why not switch it up a little? Live on the wild side, ha.

The ingredients are super simple:

• 1/2 cup egg whites (use 3 eggs, strain their white)
• 1/2 cup rolled oats (rolled, not quick oats)
• 1 banana

The night before, mix 1/2 cup egg whites with 1/2 oats and leave in fridge overnight to set. In the morning, mix in half a nanner (squished). 

Heat up a non-stick pan, pour in the mix.

Cook on low-medium heat...

When the bottom is cooked, give it a flip!

When firm'ish (technical term), it's ready to eat! Add sliced bananas using the other 1/2 of the banana, sprinkle some cinnamon, and drizzle some honey or maple syrup.

My breakfast! Complete with my new Shrek cup from McDonald's... :)

Taking a breather...it's very filling!

Try it out for yourself! I highly suggest. Happy Wednesday! 

Britt

Sun Guilt

Anyone else feel guilty staying inside when it's gorgeous out? There's not a cloud in the sky today - which doesn't happen too often in the maritimes. I'm forcing myself to stay in and work because I'm missing a couple days of work this weekend for my best friend's bachelorette party.

Since I'm beyond pale right now (proud anti-tanning bed user since 2008! what up), I could really benefit from some vitamin D/UV action.

Might have to a take a brief study break to bask in the sun. Hope everyone's taking in a little sun today. :)

Quote for the Week

This particular quote is dedicated to a very special friend. To quote Buddha (double quote, ooh la la): "You cannot travel the path until you have become the path itself." Lets face it, the journey is way more fun than the destination. :) xo

"Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there's love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong."

- Ella Fitzgerald

Swelly Legs, Jelly Legs

Let me tell you about my relationship with salt...

As a teenager, I wouldn't think twice about adding salt to my food or eating salty foods like chips, and cheese. Fast forward to 24 years of age, and I can't even have a 1/4 tsp of salt without feeling the repercussions.

As soon as I so much of have a grain of salt touch my lips (seriously not exaggerating here), my calves immediately start to swell. I can deal with a little edema here and there, but I'm talking full-on, extremely uncomfortable, hard, swollen calves and ankles. Like, it's as if my calves are being held hostage in my skinny jeans. It's a battle trying to pry my jeans off my legs at the end of the night because my calves are THAT swollen.

WHT?! I thought I had at least until late 20s/pregnancy age before I'd start complaining about swollen legs! I talked to my mom about it over the weekend, and she said she is extremely salt sensitive, too. And now it's all making sense. The times I experience peak-swollen level are 1) after sushi (Hello, soy sauce? Clocking in at ~2000 mg of sodium per meal - that's roughly 2 tbsp of soy sauce), and 2) after a chip-out (duh), and 3) after pizza (chEEEEEEEEEse!).

I looked up swelly legs online, and found the following causes:

• Excess sodium consumption
• Prolonged standing/sitting
• Menstrual periods
• Pregnancy
• Being overweight
• Carb overloads
• Increased age
• Injury/trauma

Let me tell you, not only is it not pretty, it's extremely uncomfortable. And I feel like everyone is looking at my huge cankles...

I had to switch up my sushi order to accommodate my new little situation. Now I order sashimi with a side order of brown rice, hold the miso (sad day), extra wasabi. Still need that rice! I find mixing in the wasabi to the rice helps give it a bit more flavour. Plus, I find that brown rice has more flavour that white rice. 

One thing I would like to invest in is a rice cooker. How annoying is brown rice to cook in a pot? I don't have the patience. I am going to try and use my conventional pot and steamer to make steamed brown rice. Not sure if it's going to work...might have to hold out for a rice cooker!

Hope everyone's having a nice Sunday!

Britt

PS - Those aren't my legs in the picture above, but that's what they feel like at the end of a Na-filled evening!

Happy Weekend!

Snookerz!!!!

FYI

Came across these illustrations of different cuts of the cow today. I found it interesting, thought I'd share. Side note: Never eating "round steak" again - turns out it's cow bum meat! Ick.

Mmmmmm

My boyfriend's new hobby is cooking us amazing dinners. I know, I'm a very lucky girl. It works out nicely because I'm not so keen on cooking. I am, however, very good at drinking wine and overseeing the operation.

Disclaimer: I'm not trying to be an annoying Facebook foodie who has off 10 albums of different ways to cook eggs. Just thought I'd show off some of his recent dishes!

Above: Organic lamb chops (rare!), roasted rosemary potatoes, salad with dijon, sherry vinegarette, EVOO dressing, homemade mint greek yogurt for dipping. This was soooo good. So good.

Above: Dark chocolate chip pancakes and fruit salad. Valentine's Day...

Above: Seafood bouillabaisse with fresh lobster, shrimp, clams, salmon. This was so amazing - restaurant quality. And I don't even like soup!

Fit Friday

Seriously. No progress this week my friends. Went home for a wedding shower, and partied all last weekend. No change. Lets just say there were lots of cookies, and I ate them. Hey - we all did. How can you come home from the bar and not have a cookie or ten?! (okay, ten is a bit much) These posts are going to be really boring unless I clean up my act! Wish I had good news to report, but I can't lie.

...Until next week!

Oh and PS - it's crunch time. I officially have 6 weeks until my best friends wedding! Gotta start not being XL status.

Britt

Wordless Wednesday

Above: Peggy's Cove, NS (2007)

On Balance

Another one of my "I-don't-mean-to-sound-like-Carrie-Bradshaw-but..." posts. I apologize.

Do you ever feel like just when you have it all together - everything seems to be balanced in your life, and then a small change occurs and the whole pyramid crumbles? That happened to me this weekend. I totally had everything together, and within an hour everything was off-balance. I think it was a cupcake that ruined my balance pyramid this weekend. It was all down-hill from there...

The following "supports" form the structure of my balance pyramid (I made up this theory - it's the best description I could think of to explain what I mean):

1. Friends
2. Family
3. Nutrition
4. Exercise
5. Money/Financial situation
6. Romantic relationship
7. Overall health (medical concerns)

When all 7 of these supports are "good", then I am happy, fulfilled, and feel balanced. However, if for example, my romantic relationship is suffering, then it affects my nutrition (eat crappy foods), exercise (I don't), money/financial situation (I'll go shopping, or spend money on stupid things), friends (not as fun, socially), and family (I complain, they worry about me). It's a horrible cycle! 

I've been thinking about balance for the past couple of years, and I've come to the consensus that it's not possible to achieve a constant state of balance. It's how you deal with individual stressors, and not let them affects other aspects of your life that is a better indication of how well you manage balance. What do you guys think? Am I really off here? I also think achieving balance is something you get better at over time. I'm 24 - really, what do I know about balance. Not married, don't have kids, don't own a car, don't own a house, don't have a mortgage and other big bills, haven't experienced majour deaths in the family or illnesses, haven't started my career, etc. I acknowledge that I'm a novice to the game, for sure. 

If anyone has any good tips of managing and maintaining balance, please share! The blogging community is an untapped resource of knowledge - I'm learning so much from other people's experiences and advice. 

To end, here is someone who clearly has it together. Maybe I should invest in crystals? 

Britt

Deeeelemma.

I have approximately 7 more weeks left until I am finished grad school. Eek, I just scared myself by typing that sentence...

Since I am almost done, it makes sense that I am nearing the end of the money pot. And by nearing the end, I mean scraping the bottom.

Here's my dilemma: I have $755 to last me May 11 - June 25. I don't mean to sound like a spoiled brat, but IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?! Ladies. That's like ~$16 per day. Going to Blockbuster alone costs me $16 (candy, movie, late fees, flavoured water drink, obviously). I'm not freaking out, I'm just a tad concerned. Now I have to be Budget Betty, who is - lets face it - a wet blanket. I would rather work 3 jobs than be BB. She's no fun. And for the past 2 years, at any given point, I have had 2-3 part-time jobs on the go. But with this thesis, I don't really have time. Actually, sorry, that's a lame excuse. I am choosing not to work because I want to focus all of my time and effort on my thesis. I hate the "I have no time" excuse.

So, can I do it? Well, we all know what's first to be cut. It pains me to say this, but it's going to have to be sushi dinners. Ughhhhhhh. Up next? Frivolous spending at Shoppers. Do-able,  but tragic. And next? Entertainment. Except, cheap Tuesday movies obviously count.

I will let you guys know how this all pans out. If you see me working at Timmy Hortonos, you will know I've run out of money (I'm not too good for Timmy Hortonos, I could do that...).

Happy WedNESday

Summertime Drinks!

Has anyone else tried the new custom frappucino menu at Starbs? They're letting you pick your milk (whole, skim, soy), choice of coffee (extra coffee, shot of espresso, double-shot, etc.), flavour shot (sugary, sugar-free), and whip/no whip. I tried a tall soy frap with an extra shot of espresso this afternoon, and I think it's safe to say that that is my new summertime drink! Well, I actually might alternate between iced Americanos and the double soy frap-attack.

Word to the wise: if you register your Starbs card online, they don't charge you for soy milk! Annndd, if you live in the states (booo Canada - might have to add this one to the 'cons' list), they don't charge you for an extra shot of espresso. OH, annnnddd, if you register your card and maintain a balance of $5 or more, you get free wireless at all Starbs locations*.

*HOT TIP!*

Next week, all Canadian Starbs are offering 1/2 priced fraps from 3-5 pm. I suggested to the barista that they should called it "Frappy Hour". She didn't really get it and thought I was weird...

I should work at Starbs or something! Talk about advertising!

Hope everyone's having a nice Tchuseday.




*Why do establishments charge for wireless use anyways?! Internet is like $40 a month, and a router is like $80 to purchase new. Losers. Hello, this is 2010.

Best music video since "...Baby One More Time"

Love everything about this music video.


"Why Don't You Love Me" - Beyoncé from Beyoncé on Vimeo.

When to Choose Organic

I found this cute illustration by Heidi Kennedy that shows when to choose organic produce over non-organic produce. If I was a rich girl (na na na na na na na na na na naaa), I would buy organic 100% of the time, but alas...I am not she.

In the meantime, check out the pic below to know which foods are worth shelling out the extra moneys.

Quote for the Week

"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles." 

- Audrey Hepburn

HMD

(that means Happy MonDay...)

Stumbled upon this little gem this morning. So funny. I love Emma Stone. It's the trailer for the new movie "Easy A", which is a modern day take on The Scarlet Letter. Enjoy!

LOVE

Britney Does GaGa!!!!

Haha!

I found this picture on Jak & Jil Blog. I thought it was so funny because it pretty much sums up my life right now. Love expensive things, have no money to buy them.

USA: 1, Canada: 0

Whenever I visit the States, I always get so excited by the amount of cool stuff. The States just have a larger selection - of everything - than Canada. I love being Canadian and living in Canada, but here are a few things that I wishhhhh we had here:

1. Blue Bunny bars

I read about these frozen yogurt granola bars online. Who would have thought? Granola and frozen yogurt in a bar! Genius! 

2. Trix

Why?! WHYYYYY is Trix not available in Canada? Not fair, it's so good!

3. Hulu, Fancast, any American television show available online

I am really into Bravo, E!, and Oxygen network shows right now, and they are blocked in Canada. There are ways of getting around this, but it's super annoying. Oh, and NBC. I can never watch SNL clips!

4. American sports

Just more fun to watch (controversial statement, yes).

5. American sports guys

See below:

5. JetBlue

Air Canada offers semi-cheap flight deals, but they do not compare to JetBlue. $44 flights?!

6. Cracker Barrel, Bob Evans, California Pizza Kitchen, and Chick-fil-a

As soon as I cross the border into NY, I'm looking for a Bob Evans! Can't beat those biscuits...

7. Target

Wal-Mart does not compare to Target. Not even close. Do I sound white trashy for hyping Target? Maybe a little...


Hope everyone had a nice weekend!

Britt