A few weeks ago, I purchased a bag of organic roasted coconut flakes. I have been on a coconut kick lately - not only is it delicious but it also has plenty of health benefits such as revitalizing and anti-cancer properties, along with boosting metabolism - and I couldn't stay away even though I had no idea how to eat them. So the bag remained unopened for a few days until I decided to experiment with them, and so far I have come up with 3 different combinations that I like either as a light breakfast or a midday snack. The roasted flakes add just the right exotic flavour.
Mango, kiwi and blueberries fruit platter with coconut flakes
*I generally use cantaloupe instead of blueberries - the flakes stick better to it - but I didn't have any on hand this time.
Milk & cereal bowl with coconut flakes
*My favourite choice of cereal are the Honey Nut Cheerios.
Plain yogurt and berries bowl with coconut flakes
*I used a combination of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries here.
It has been more than a week since I last posted here so I thought I would update you on what's been going on and why I have been so absent from my blog - which has been very frustrating!!
To start with, my family and I received the keys to our new home, and all throughout the last week and a half we've been busy painting and prepping the house for our move, and then moving all of our stuff into it. Unfortunately, all of the work along with no Internet connection at the new house until today have kept me away from the blog.
Moving forward, my summer plans are only getting more exciting and eventful! For almost the entire month of July, I will be in Italy taking a summer course offered by my university. I am beyond happy to be able to go on this trip but also quite nervous - it will be my first time travelling (and flying!) by myself.
The only negative is that I won't have any Internet access at the apartment I'll be living in so unfortunately, posts will continue to be sparse for a little while longer. Still, I will try to work on a few posts in the next week to publish throughout July - I have worked too hard for the past few months and enjoy this blogging world too much to completely stay away from it for an entire month.
So until next time, I hope you have a great summer and will stop by occasionally!
• H&M Garden Collection dress• Zara cardigan • Cinderella of Boston sandals •
One of my favourite parts about my birthday was the outfit that I wore. Luckily, it was one of those outfits that came together effortlessly, in a matter of minutes and with no second changes. It was nothing very special, but it included my dress from H&M's eco-friendly Garden Collection - which came out last spring - one of my most treasured pieces from my closet. It also happens to be a little white dress that I think is a quintessential piece for summer, brightened up with a little bit of embroidery at the top.
Granted, this look might not have been the wisest choice for a day of running around hardware stores buying things for the new house, but I was so proud of it that I wasn't going to let it keep me from wearing it. More so, in the spirit of taking chances, I decided to post a picture of it here and even though after a video, pictures seem much less daunting, it still took a little bit of internal back-and-forth to go through with it. That being said, I look forward to hearing any comments, ideas and helpful advice that you might have for me!
Not surprisingly, today is my favorite day of the year - it's my birthday! Other than the fact that I get a new number - today it's 22 - to me it's also the day when I know in my heart that summer is in fact here. I always get so excited for the warm months ahead and for everything that they bring with them.
I have been staring at my computer screen and trying to come up with something relevant to write for a while now, but there really are no words to describe how special this day is to me - as I'm sure is the case for everyone; it's a certain feeling coming from within and it's almost like New Year's day when I feel like I can turn a new leaf and get a whole new blank canvas to paint on in the following 12 months.
Last year, I was eager to embrace whatever the future was going to bring and I have to say that I've had quite a good year. I truly believe that it was, just as I was hoping, one of my best years yet. I've experienced lots of firsts and I've pushed myself to do more things than I normally would. So then, what are my goals for this new year?
These first days of June have been really busy but positive ones. It's the beginning of summer after all, and just that thought makes me jump for joy. I have waited for warm weather, sunny days and clear skies for so long it seems, and waking up to this scenery almost every day has definitely been my driving force of late. As I embark on my last day of being 21, I wanted to share a few other things that make me happy right now.
• Hand-me-down (read: eco-friendly) maxi skirt that's been in my closet for years and finally fits! •
• Scented candles that bring summer inside - exotic, vanilla & apple •
After a long and busy week-end of big deadlines and decisions, the pace hasn't slowed down very much around here, as my family and I are getting ready to move into our very first home. In fact we will be getting the keys in less than 3 days, and we are incredibly excited but also knee-deep in packing our rented apartment.
This is only the first piece of exciting news that I alluded to in my previous post and it's definitely a big step. I have only lived in apartments so far and I can't wait to experience everything that comes with living in a house.
I realize that buying a house further away from the city can potentially be a bigger burden on our planet due to the long commute and other such things, but I truly think that you can be environmentally friendly in the suburbs too. One step in that direction and something that I'm really looking forward to is planting our own little organic vegetable garden.
In fact, we have already started a few plants from seeds - we've got pots filled with tomatoes of all kinds, jalapeno peppers, and some herbs that include basil, parsley and dill. We still have to plant cucumbers, radishes, carrots and some green salad, but those will go straight into the ground come next week.
I can't wait until we get yummy, healthy vegetables from our own backyard!
A year ago today, I was publishing my first post. I had been following a few blogs for a few months already and knew that I wanted to be a part of this world somehow, even in the smallest way. In reality though, I had no idea what I was getting myself into and what an incredible, positive experience it would turn out to be.
Every little milestone had me jumping for joy, and the first comment (Hi, Elle!) and follower (thank you, Vanessa!) were definitely some of the most special ones - ironically, they both came on days when I wasn't in a great mood and they instantly turned those days around for the better!
As time went by, this blog has become more and more meaningful to me, and though it hasn't grown as quickly as others, I've loved taking the time to enjoy each and every stage. It has pushed me to do things that I otherwise wouldn't have and developed into a space that I'm proud of.
To celebrate this special occasion and thank all of you who have made this blogging experience a fantastic one, I decided to record a personal message. So I present to you my very first video:
Please be kind in the comments section, this is my first foray into video-making (and not a very high-quality one either, my apologies) and to say that I was nervous and shy about talking in front of a camera would be quite an understatement.
If you want to see more from me, you can follow me on Twitter and I have a link to Bloglovin' too in the sidebar - with one follower so far! (thank you so much!!) Also, feel free to e-mail me whenever you have any questions.
In recent months, I've made a habit out of browsing through online catalogs of fashion brands that I like and pulling outfit inspiration from within their pages. By far one of my favourite catalogs is the one that the J. Crew creative team puts together. Their aesthetic appeals to me a great deal and though I'd love to have access to some of their pieces, that's not quite feasible for me right now. So in order to comfort myself, I decided to scour the web for some eco-friendly pieces that will recreate this lovely spring look.
