DIY Hair Treatment for Dry Scalp and Dandruff

This is going to be a super quick blog post but I wanted to just talk about something that I have experienced for the past few years since I had Jaxson. It’s definitely something postpartum but also could be hormonal or attributed to getting older. But basically I have been experiencing dandruff which is something I never used to have and also is unfortunate because my hair is dark and you can easily see when my scalp is flaky. I have tried a few different home treatments. The one I have used in the past is coconut oil and tea tree oil which I actually really love and do still sometimes use this treatment 4 times a year but I find it makes my hair very oily and no matter how much water I use I can never get out all the coconut oil. Maybe it’s just my hair type.

I found a new at home hair treatment and it actually was recommended by Jonathan from Queer Eye. It doesn’t make my hair oily and I have found more growth also from using this treatment and it is super simple to make. 2-3 ingredients at most. Apple cider vinegar has a ton of amazing health benefits. It improves digestion, helps with weight loss, can be used as a skin toner and is really good for your hair! If you mix a teaspoon of this with hot lemon water every morning it is incredibly good for your gut and you will definitely see results mixed with healthy eating and working out. It is important to get the apple cider vinegar with the “mother”. I buy Bragg’s organic, raw, unfiltered and with the mother. You can buy it from most grocery stores.

My at home scalp treatment recipe:

Fill 3/4 a 20oz glass bottle of Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar

Add 1/4 rose water. I use my own that I made from leftover roses.

Fill the rest of the bottle with distilled water.

Add a few drops essential oils such as peppermint or tea tree oil for extra benefits and nice scent.

And there you have it! Super simple and takes under 5 minutes to make if you already have all the ingredients good to go. I have noticed a definite difference since I started using it. I spray the treatment on my hair twice a week which his about the same amount of times I wash my hair. My hair has grown significantly and my scalp is a lot healthier. I only wish I would have started sooner which is why I am sharing this little tip with all of y'all . Enjoy!

Kelowna 30th Birthday Celebrations

I was quiet this weekend on my blog because I was just away on a trip to Kelowna with 9 of my close girl friends to celebrate our 30th birthdays collectively. Mine was the most recent and was a birthday gift from my husband but half of us have already turned 30 and the other half will be turning 30 before 2020. Some of us go back over 25 years to being babes in diapers and toddlers at daycare, but most of us met around the ages of 14-15 years old in high school. The fact that we are all friends still is very impressive and talk mostly every day. It’s nice to have life long friends. Some of us don’t even live in Winnipeg and have gone on to bigger and better things but we all come back together which is important. This is why we decided on a Kelowna girl’s trip for our 30th year. We started planning this forever ago, well over a year and it came upon us very quickly. This blog post will mostly be about the food and wine experiences we had as this was the majority of what we did.

Quail’s Gate Winery was my suggestion. When we decided we were going to go to Kelowna I immediately knew I wanted to go on a wine tour and go to Quail’s Gate for dinner. As we all know I am a big Jillian Harris fan and she is always talking about and visiting Quail’s Gate in her Insta stories. it’s always looked soooo pretty and inviting to me. We consulted over text and decided we would go there for our “nice dinner” of the trip. We went there for 8pm after arriving there Friday and spending the afternoon swimming, resting, catching up and of course having some drinks. We did have to wait about 20 minutes before being sat but that was okay because the restaurant is located on this beautiful vineyard on Lake Okanagan, The grounds were beautiful. Lush green vineyards, flowers, trees, fountains all overlooking aa beautiful scenic view of mountains and blue lake. Walking around was part of the experience for sure and I thoroughly recommend you go if only for the photo op. We were finally seated and everyone got right to the food and wine. I split a bottle of rosé amongst four friends and we all split the asparagus, carrots, truffle fries and I got the hen. 2 friends ordered the falafel, some ordered tuna tartare to start, 2 girls ordered the octopus. A couple others also ordered the hen and I believe there was also a fish dish as well. Everything was super delicious. The hen was juicy and on a bed of ricotta gnocchi, potatoes and brussel sprouts. The rosé was light and refreshing and accompanied my dish perfectly. We were all overall pleased with our experience a Quail’s Gate and I would definitely recommend anyone to go there. They were also filming a documentary and had the light up balloon which we were all fascinated with.

Dress from Forever 21

Hen on gnocchi and Brussel sprouts

Octopus

Falafel

Tuna Tartare

The following day we had our Sip Happens Wine Tour planned for the afternoon. We were to make 5 stops along the way stopping at a cidery, 3 wineries and one would include lunch and a brewery for our last stop. We had all collectively decided on not doing all wineries because not everyone was a fan of wine and we wanted something for everyone. We also decided we wanted to eat with our tour knowing we’d all be hungry. Our tour guide named Penny came to pick us up for 11:30 we were all waiting eagerly. She discussed with us not visiting a brewery at the end because they didn’t take reservations for whatever reason, she recommended we stop at another winery for our last stop instead and then go to a brewery that night later. We drove down Scenic Road to our first stop The Scenic Road Cidery.

Scenic Road Cidery was located down a long winding and very scenic road. There were panoramic views of the mountains and lake. We pulled up to what looked like this adorable little home on acres of apple trees. It is a family owned farm. We went into what looked like an old refurbished shack/farmhouse. It had beautiful lights twinkling on the back wall with a centre bar with cider on tap. Fridges stocked with their different ciders and picnic type foods, a backroom full of cider barrels and picnics out amongst the apple trees. The place was adorable. We tried 5 different ciders, nectarine, pear, raspberry, dry and nearly dry. The nearly dry was my favourite and I even bought one to take back and drink later. We had time for some group photos and then it was time to make our next stop. Peak Cellars where we also would be getting lunch, salads and margarita pizzas.

Nectarine cider. Very interesting and tasty

Peak Cellars Winery was very nice. It also had a nice scenic view of mountains and rows upon rows of grape vines. We probably got our best group photo inside the winery because the sun was blinding us outside and we were all every squinty. Our pours at this winery were small. looking back I now realize it was because we were also getting lunch but it did feel a little skimpy. I don’t think anyone was particularly wowed by the wine there but their Pinot Gris was delicious I will say. Lunch was margarita pizzas with a beet salad. The salad was delightful and light. Some of the greens were slightly bitter for my liking and I am not the biggest fan of red beets but the yellow beets and dressing was so good. The margarita pizza was okay. Coming from the wife of a professional chef who specializes in wood fire burned pizzas I do understand that I sometimes can have high expectations. Pizzeria Gusto’s pizzas blow theirs out of the water though you cannot even compare. Also we soon realized it was one pizza per 2 people when most of us agreed we could probably eat a whole pizza. We all agreed that despite the food and wine and good views this was not our favourite stop. I still would recommend it though we just made some other really amazing stops.

Intrigue Winery was a cute little winery right beside Peak Cellars. It didn't have the views or food but our host was extremely friendly and talkative. She talked a lot about the wines and the wine was all super delicious. We tried 5 different types a rosé, 2 whites and 2 reds. They were all great. We all agreed that the bottles needed some work though and we weren’t particularly fond of the packaging. We also appreciated our pour sizes at this spot, very generous.

Arrowleaf Cellars was for sure my favourite stop and I think everyone else would agree with me on this as well. This is the only spot we ended up buying wine. The view at this winery is 10/10 spectacular. Right on the lake, surrounded by mountains and acres of grapes. The building is modern with green picnic areas and a restaurant overlooking the lake. Our infamous candid group photo was taken here at Arrowleaf Cellars. Our tasting area was private in the basement, quiet away from the crowds and had the very best wine we had out of all the spots. This is where a few of us chipped in to have a box of wine sent to us. None of these wineries sell to Winnipeg or even Manitoba for that matter. My two bottles of rosé will be coming within the next week or 2.

Ancient Hill Winery was super cute. It was up in the hilly country side and had amazing views of the mountains and grape vines. It had super pretty gardens to walk around at and an adorable picnic area nestled amongst the trees and flowers. This one was definitely the more traditional, old school vineyard. Not modern in any whatsoever and was surrounded by antique furniture and artwork/jewelry that the wife/owner makes. Her jewelry reminded me a lot of mine. It had beautiful and authentic character and charm. This might have been my second favourite stop of the day. Our pours were very generous here but I do believe we only go 3 vs the 5 we were getting elsewhere. This could have been due to our silliness and rowdiness. The host pouring seemed nervous around us though but it’s okay because most of us were in our own world at this point. Also this was the only winery we stopped at that gave us older wines, all the other stops were 2017-2018 but I believe theirs were around 2015. A bit more aged. I would definitely recommend making a stop at this winery.

We wrapped up our wine tour, got dropped off at our airbnb. Our airbnb was fabulous. it was the penthouse of a condo right near the lake and downtown area. It had more than enough space to accommodate everyone and had indoor/outdoor pools and hot tubs. It was within walking distance of basically anything we needed. It had spectacular views of Lake Okanagan and the mountains surrounding and 2 balconies. We were very happy with our accommodations. Sunset Towers if anyone is looking for a place to stay in Kelowna. There were a lot of permanent tenants but there was also just as many people who were doing what we were doing, renting an airbnb. We knew we wanted charcuterie so we decided we would make one to eat at the airbnb after our wine tour. We used some cheeses we had bought at a couple of the spots, this cranberry, jalapeño jelly, some meats, crackers. All delicious and mostly all local. We surprisingly devoured 2 big plates of this. Which was good for myself because I did not eat much for dinner.

Homemade charcuterie. Jelly, crackers and cheeses were local

We all got ready, had a couple more drinks and decided to hit up BNA. This was the brew pub to go to. The hot spot in town especially if you like beer. By the time we got there it was probably close to 8 or 9, the line was already forming and it was just starting to get busy. I had been there one time before during the first time Jesse had competed in Gold Medal Plates in 2017 but that time it was off season and hardly anyone there so it was different seeing it this way. I don’t have any pictures of the food unfortunately but I wasn’t the biggest fan to be honest. My friend and I shared the mushroom toast and cauliflower fritters. The mushroom toast was not bad but the cauliflower fritters came in taco form which I was really surprised about because it did not say that it was a taco. They weren’t the greatest.

BNA patio

At this point in the night was when we seperated. Some girls felt too drunk and tired to go out and 2 others had already taken off to Fernando’s because they didn’t like BNA and wanted this avocado margarita that they were infamous for. The other half of the girls wanted to keep going out and go dancing. It was all the moms who stayed out partying lol I just personally felt like I needed a late night to let loose. We were away from our babies and responsibilities and although we all missed them dearly, this is what we came here for. Let loose, release, party, mom alone time. We tried to meet the 2 who had gone to Fernando’s but by the time we got there (a 20 minute walk) they had already left. Creepy dudes and bad nachos killed their night. I never witnessed it but the nachos they had ordered came in taco form for some reason. Something about Kelowna and tacos that don’t need to be tacos. When we got there and realized our friends weren’t there and they wanted to charge us $10 for cover we moved on to Oh Flannagan’s. Oh Flannagan’s was soooo much fun. There was a cover band playing 90s alternative rock and a dance floor and the place was busy. We danced a ton, some had too many drinks, one girl was given extra money from the ATM and it was overall just a fun night.

We stumbled home and the 4 of us that were left at the end of the night did a very healing and therapeutic full moon ceremony. It definitely bonded us closer together and I will never forget that night. After the full moon ceremony we stayed up talking and I did a tarot reading. We all finally called it a night around 3am. Geeze that is certainly late for this momma.

Of course I was never able to sleep in past 8am. Just that internal alarm clock and also the fact that our room we were sleeping in had this bright, big window facing the sun in the mornings. It was okay because I wasn’t there to sleep I was there to have a good time. Everyone got up and decided we wanted brunch. We talked about Oak and Cru and Krafty Kitchen and Bar but ultimately decided to go to Train Station Pub which was a short walk away. It was delicious. They had Caesars on special which I had a spicy one. I had chicken fingers and fries and scoff if you will but I needed something greasy after a night of drinking and it was the only thing that didn't have pork or beef (which I no longer eat) so I settled on that. They were super good. Some girls got salads, one girl got breakfast tacos, some got eggs benedict, one girl even got a lamb burger. Most of us that got a hearty meal enjoyed ours and I think the girls who had salads weren’t the most thrilled. I have no photos beyond most of this point except of dinner that night.

After brunch we decided to go stroll downtown and do some shopping. Kelowna’s main street Bernard is the best. Cutest stores, coffee shops, restaurants, bars, tattoo shops. Anything you can think of they have on this street. Most of us window shopped. Some bought jewelry and thrifted clothing. I picked up a Mango shaken Iced Tea from Blenz Coffee and it was good. Refreshing as the weather was greatly improving and it was turning into a beautiful sunny day. We walked along the lake walk on the way back and enjoyed the water fountains and views. We talked about doing a sunset boat tour and definitely spending the rest of the afternoon at the outdoor pool. When we got back I rested for 20 minutes and then got ready for the pool.

Dress from BooHoo

After spending some time at the pool that afternoon we got back and started on some rosé. We were trying to decide what to do for dinner. The boat idea was just a fun idea but we really wanted to get dinner. We thought maybe Cactus Club but they were ridiculously busy and had no space for us. We decided on Craft Beer Market. It was a walk up back on Bernard but we were hungry and the menu sounded good. We all got ready and walked over for our 7pm reso. They denied me a drink without 2 pieces of ID which is a thing in Vancouver. That was the first negative thing. It basically snowballed from there. 3 of us girls ordered nachos, cauliflower and lettuce wraps. We got the food and the nachos were astronomically large. We hardly even made a dent. The food was good overall. I have no complaints about the food. When it came to split up the bill was where the nightmare began. It seems like Vancouver it’s not a thing to split your bill because it seemed to be an issue everywhere we went (we paid all together at Quail’s Gate). Our server was very sweet, nice and attentive but when it came down to splitting our bill and paying it took over an hour to pay. Maybe she was new or maybe there iPad system made things more difficult but either way it took way too long to pay. It left somewhat sour taste in all of our mouths. But the food was good.

Nachos, cauliflower fritters, fries and lettuce wraps from Craft Beer Market

We headed back to the airbnb. We were all feeling pretty tired and like relaxing that evening. Half the girls snuggled up to watch the scary movie Get Out and myself and the rest went for a nighttime swim and hottuub. We all had a pretty early night that night which I think we were all grateful to get a good nights sleep before travelling home.

The next day I spent some alone time at the pool in the morning before leaving. I needed the exercise and time to myself. I was sooooo excited to get back home to Jesse and the boys I missed them incredibly and I even shed a couple little tears thinking about them. Some of the girls came to join me and the sun was out at this point reminding us of a hot summer pool day. I even got a little bit of colour on my pale winter skin. It was basically time to go from this point and we all got into some cabs and headed to the airport. We had already lost a couple girls who had left earlier and we would be dropping another off in Vancouver where her new home was so the end of our girls trip was here. We ended up eating at Monk’s in the Vancouver airport and it wasn’t too bad. I had a grilled cheese as it was the only thing that didn’t have pork or seafood. Even then it originally had ham on it but they took it off for me. You can’t go wrong with a grilled cheese. We got home early Tuesday morning and thus was the end of our birthday celebrations. We always talked about how unbelievable this was that we made it happen and how it will likely never happen again but after going on the trip I think we all decided that can’t be true and we definitely will plan another trip again in the future. It was an amazing time though and I am super happy and grateful we were able to experience that together.

Full "Flower" Moon in Scorpio

Well here we are. Another month gone by and another full moon. A full flower moon in Scorpio. This month’s full moon is known as a flower moon because in normal climates this is the time of year when everything is in bloom and flowers are starting to grow. Of course here in Winnipeg we know better not to put our flowers and plants out until AFTER May long weekend. I am travelling with some girlfriends to Kelowna this weekend to celebrate our 30th birthdays and I couldn’t imagine a better and more perfect full moon to travel during.

The moon will reach peak fullness at 4:11pm on May 18th. Friday night would be the perfect time to perform a full moon ritual. Check out my blog post on how to perform a Scorpio full moon ritual including a cleansing detox bath. Water should be included with your ritual. In the intense water sign of Scorpio. Scorpio full moons tend to be very emotional and transformational. If there is any time time to shed your old life and embrace the new, now is the perfect time. Scorpio is ruled by Pluto the planet of death, rebirth and transformation. Scorpio is usually fascinated with the darker side of life, things that are normally taboo subjects and other people would normally shy away from. Because of the full moon being in Scorpio, taboo themes may be present. Think sex scandal or a weird and morbid fascination with death. It could be a good time for sexual exploration or opening yourself up to darker subjects that have always interested you but you may have felt uncomfortable to dive into. If you are not feeling overtly sexual a good way to express yourself may be to stretch or dance instead. This moon will affect those with fixed signs, Scorpio, Taurus and Aquarius more so than other signs. However despite the emotional intensity of Scorpio we will feel a nice balance considering four signs are in earthy and grounded Taurus, including the sun. This is the perfect combination, if the sun was in any other sign, especially a water sign you would be feeling way more emotional. Truth is incredibly important to a Scorpio so now is the time to not only be honest with yourself but also with others. If there is any other time to go digging for the truth this would be it. One thing is for sure that powerful transformation will be possible. Think Phoenix from the ashes or a snake shedding her skin.

As always full moons signify endings and new beginnings. Light is shed onto things that have been hidden in the shadows and depending on what sign it is in incredible transformation. It is also a time of heightened emotions. Be cautious of your reactions because you may act or think irrationally. This is a good time to use crystals to keep you grounded, balanced and steady. Some crystals you can use are Malachite, Kyanite, Labradorite and Turquoise. Labradorite is one of my current favourites and oh so pretty so if you can get your hands on some of that you will be great. I actually have some labradorite currently up in my shop so message if you have any interest in learning more about labradorite especially if you are a Scorpio. Happy full moon friends!

Horror Women Fridays - Elvira

Cassandra Peterson aka Elvira Mistress of the Dark. Likely if you are any type of horror fan you will know about Elvira. I could also see plenty of people not having a clue which is why I am here to inform you of who this lovely and dark woman is. If you like boobs you will definitely want to read this one. Known for her petite frame but ample cleavage, her black beehive, pale skin and dark makeup, kooky personality, and valley girl California venacular. She looks wicked but her character is comical so it is a great balance. It’s funny because when you see her out of Elvira character she has bright, flaming red hair. You would never expect it if you didn’t know. She always wears her Morticia dress and her character was greatly inspired by Vampira, however she claims there is great originality to her character despite the similarities and I do have to agree with this. She also says that despite the way it looks her dress is more Vampire Lady Killers than Morticia Addams. So much similarity to Vampira however that Maila Nurmi actually sent a cease and desist because of how similar their characters were. The beginning of her movie starts as a the host of some cheesy, campy, black and white horror movie, the exact same as Vampira. The other thing I love about her and something that I can relate to is she is misjudged for her looks and the darkness that surrounds her. Men feel like they can do whatever they want because she dresses provocatively but she doesn’t take anyones shit and she doesn’t care what other people think. And she’s a really good person despite her kookiness.

Starting her career out in Vegas as a showgirl at the ripe young age of 17 with her parents permission she never looked back. She did that for a few years and even met and dated Elvis Presley during her Vegas years. She had a small role in James Bond’s Diamonds are Forever as a showgirl, did a bunch of modelling including nude modelling and then travelled abroad and was in punk rock band in Europe. She even lost her virginity to Tom Jones and claims he was so aggressive that she needed stitches. Her career really took off when she took on the TV show called Elvira’s Movie Macabre. It began in the early 80s when Maila Nurmi would not reprise her role as Vampira due to creative differences. After she auditioned the producers decided she was the perfect fit. Essentially the same as Vampira she hosted a show that aired bad B grade horror movies and added her cheesy commentary in between. Even ending the show saying “Unpleasant dreams…” which is where the crease and desist came from Maila because it is very similar to her “Bad dreams darlings…” The judge ruled in Cassandra’s favour because despite the similarities in appearance and sayings it was not the same at all. Cassandra claims that despite their similar appearance the characters are completely different.

There is a movie from the 80s called Elvira Mistress of the Dark. It is the most campy, over the top, cheesy definition of an 80s movie I have ever seen. It is not scary in any way but yet it is an instant cult classic. The basic gist of the movie is she gets fired from her acting gig for telling her boss to go f*ck himself after he sexually harasses her. While broke and looking for a new job she finds out she inherited her great aunts house and possessions. She moves to this quaint little town where everyone looks down on her because of her looks. She is inherited this cookbook which actually turns out to be a book of spells as her entire family are witch and warlocks. Big surprise. All sorts of cheesy fun happens in between but if you are into campy and cult movies you should definitely check out this one. A sequel was made in the early 2000s called Elvira’s Haunted Hills and even reprised her role once again in 2014 for the Hulu special 13 Nights of Elvira. Because of her cult status in the 80s and 90s she also starred in her own comic series, book series and even is displayed on Pinball machines everywhere. I am sure you have seen the Elvira pinball machine it is infamous. In 2016 she even made an Elvira “coffin” table book.

I decided to include Elvira mostly because of her banging body. Also because she has inspired me in a lot of ways. Like Vampira, like Morticia she is a true gothic queen and beauty. She is also a vegetarian which as we all know I appreciate greatly. She also seems so humble and nice despite being smoking hot. An interesting fact about her growing up she was burned 35% of her body due to a scalding hot water accident. She often joked that the parts you do see of her are her best parts because of how badly burned she was and receiving extensive skin graft surgery. She also talks about always being attracted to the darkness from a young age which I can definitely relate to. She made a whole persona and career out of her and she proves that weird, dark and spooky girls can be just as successful as the popular and mainstream girls.

Full Moon in Scorpio Ritual

There is a full moon in Scorpio coming up on May 18th at 4:11pm, which is Saturday coming up of this week. This is an amazing time to do a full moon ritual. Full moons are already a time where emotions and sensitivities are already heightened, it is a good time to take to ground yourself and release some of the emotions you may be feeling. There are some really ancient rituals that have been done for 1000s of years. A lot of different astrologers and healers use these types of things to help people with the difficulties of life. You can do a ritual for all kinds of different things but some popular times to commit to doing a ritual is during new moons, full moons and during the equinoxes and solstices. If you really enjoy doing them then you can start to do a ritual for other things you need in life. It can be very therapeutic. The power of manifestation is a crazy thing and that’s why these rituals are important.

The full moon will be in the water element of Scorpio. Scorpio is ruled by Pluto the planet of death, rebirth and transformation. They are arguably one of the most intense signs in the zodiac. They are highly intuitive and very sensitive/emotional. However they are very capable of appearing strong and putting up a front that they have it together a lot more than they do. They like control. There is a definite dark side to Scorpio naturally. They are attracted to the occult, death, sex, any taboo subject they generally have a great interest in. They can handle the darker side. Although they are attracted to the darkness they are not bad or evil in fact this is the kind of friend you need in your life. This is the sign you want to have either for yourself or in your life to assist you when you are going through the darker side of life. They are fiercely loyal as a fixed sign. They value their relationships almost to the point of obsessive and possessive. They can be quite jealous and sometimes paranoid. They can sometimes feel like people belong to them. They are intensely passionate in a love relationship. You never want to cross a Scorpio. Not only do they sting back hard but they will hold a grudge until the end of time. Stubborn and hard of letting things go. Their sister sign is in Taurus so if there is any time to do a full moon ritual I would say it is now because of the sun being in Taurus. This is a good time to focus on themes such as letting go of that rigid control you have on certain things, transformation, maybe you are changing and certain things are holding you back, let them go. You will get real this weekend, there is going to be no bullshit with you baring your soul, true feelings and truth. Think a snake shedding its skin to transform into something more powerful and beautiful or a phoenix rising from the ashes. I always find Scorpio full moons to be the most intense but we are lucky because the sun is still in Taurus which balances out that intensity with her serene, grounded and steady energy. I wouldn't be surprised if some crazy sex scandal was revealed.

Whereas we perform new moon rituals to set wishes and intentions for the month ahead of you, the reason we do a full moon ritual is to let go of things that no longer serve you. This could be attitudes, emotions, personal relationships, bad habits, illnesses. Anything you can think of that is negatively impacting your life. Things that have been hidden can also be revealed. Revelations and people being exposed. You can count on it for a full moon. I like to burn my full moon ritual intentions. It can be very symbolic and healing. You can also interpret the way your paper burns, so if your intentions light up instantly and burn the paper completely you have truly let go or maybe the fire fades quickly and only burns off a corner, what do you think that is telling you? Focus on the flames. For the purposes of this full moon I will also be adding an element of water to include the Scorpio symbolism. Using my bowl of water while I chant to the moon.

You have 3 days before the new moon to perform this ritual or 3 days after.

1) Gather any and all supplies that you will need for the ritual. Incense such as patchouli or You can use sage to smudge beforehand, I will be using Palo Santos as I was recently gifted some and it seems very fitting. You will need some crystals (labradorite, turquoise, malachite, clear quartz and selenite are good choices), a pen, a journal to write, a bowl to smudge in or burn intentions, a bowl of water and a white or black candle.

2) Create yourself a special alter space for all the items that you have gathered. It doesn’t matter where your alter space is, it can be any table in the house or on the floor, wherever you feel most comfortable. Decorate with items such as crystals, plants, candles, things you find outside in nature like leaves or feathers, decorative table runners, anything you can really think of that seems appropriate. For Scorpio I would add some dark elements like black candles, maybe anything spooky related

3) Start by smudging your alter space and say a little prayer. It can be along the lines of “I respect mother moon and all she does for us. I plan to release that which no longer serves me. I do this to heal myself from past traumas and to fully let go and move forward.“ Write down your past traumas and the things that we wish to let go of focus on them, meditate on them. What do you wish for your life? Can you actually picture these things happening to and for you in your life? Letting go WILL NOT work if you truly don’t believe it. It’s important to be clear on what you want. You can doodle and make your intentions “pretty” or it can be as simple as writing a list.

4) Light your candle and put your crystals in the bowl of water. You want to charge the water and cleanse yourself after burning your intentions. Use melted snow that has been charged from the moon. Hold your intentions over the other bowl and using the candle light them on fire. Like I have already said you will want to analyze how they burn, even take a picture or video to look back on later.

5) At this time you can take some time for yourself however you wish, write down your interpretations of the flame burning, further meditation, possibly a tarot reading if you do that, you can even enjoy a glass of wine. Tell the moon you love her, clean up your space and now is a good time to put your crystals in a window sill to charge under the light of the full moon. You have just completed your full moon ritual. Now can be a good time to take a detox bath. Use bath salts, flowers, crystals and maybe even a charcoal mud mask to help detoxify and destress.

I hope you guys enjoy doing this ritual and can find some peace or healing that you may be needing in life. I also hope you can take some time to appreciate all that is good in your life. Just like the oceans’ tides that ebb and flow as does the moon wax and wane and although emotions can be heightened during the full moon you will soon feel back to your normal self and ready to tackle a whole new month/moon cycle. On the 18th I will put out my Full Flower Moon in Scorpio. There is a new moon in Gemini on the 3rd of June so stay tuned for my blog post on what to expect.

9 Mother's Day Activities in Winnipeg

If you are like me sometimes you don’t always have a plan especially when it comes to celebrating yourself. Maybe you don’t like being in the spotlight or it is also easy to neglect yourself in busy day to day life. Either way I compiled a list of last minute Mother’s Day ideas away from the ever obvious dinner with family and flowers and a card. Also obvious things like dinner and Thermëa will likely require reservations from weeks ago.

1) Visit a market. In South Osborne there is a Mother’s Day Farmers Market on Kylemore that is being put on bye Farm Fresh Food Hub. There is going to be coffee, plants, flowers, baked goods, fresh organic produce and live entertainment. I am going to go to this with the boys in the morning because Jesse works in the morning. The new Crampton’s Market right near Shelmerdine’s Garden just opened up and it is stunning. I encourage everyone to go check it out. Black Market Provisions in South Osborne on the way to the Farmer’s Market is a must stop. The Lucky Girl Pop Up market at the Forks on the upper level of the market.

Farm Fresh Food Hub on Instagram

Lucky Girl Pop Up on Instagram

2) Visit a garden centre! Get everything you need for your garden this summer. Also stop and get a cute photo op with the kids or your mom. Shelmerdines and Lacoste Garden Center are my favourites.

3) Antiquing or thrifting. Check out a flea market! There is an awesome one on Mulvey and there are several good antique shops in this city. Vintage in the Village in Osborne Village, Nerman’s Books and Collectibles in South Osborne, The Old House Revival Company in the Exchange and the antique mall in the Johnson’s Terminal at the Forks are some of my favourites.

4) Brunch is always a good option and you might be able to get away with not having a reservation. Pizzeria Gusto on Academy is having a fabulous Mother’s Day brunch and I went to it last year and it is damn good. Pancake House on Pembina could also work out with no reservation. Stella’s might be good too considering all of it’s controversy recently it might be slower than usual.

5) Picnic in a park. Crescent Drive Park or St.Vital Park are good options to pack up the family and some snacks and head out to enjoy the nice weather outside. This may also give you more photos opportunity moments. If you have a good camera this is the perfect moment to practice your photography skills.

6) Take a drive to the Half Moon Cafe. It is such a lovely drive if you go all the way up Henderson highway and it is the cutest little drive inn. I sincerely urge you to make your way out there and grab an ice cream and walk along the river. if not tomorrow then definitely another day especially if you’ve never been.

7) Assiniboine Park or the new playground at Pan Am Pool. The kid park at Assiniboine Park is always a great time. It’s outdoors and free so this is any easy one that doesn't break the bank. The kids will enjoy the kid park and maybe mom could sneak everyone away to the Leo Mol Sculpture garden after the kids have played. There is also a brand new amazing playground behind Pan Am Pool on the Grant avenue side. I have been meaning to go for a while now.

8) Coffee shop date. Check out one of many amazing local coffee shops this city has to offer. Scout which is the kid friendly coffee shop in the West End. Little Sister or Parkline in South Osborne. Fools and Horses or Thom Bargen downtown and at the Forks.

9) The Forks. You can never go wrong with a classic. It will be busy likely but there’s so much to do ands so many options. Free and that cost money. Take a stroll around the property. Head to the Manitoba Children’s Museum. Check out the market and pop up events. Grab coffee or a beer at the Common. Get cinnamon buns from Tall Grass Prairie, walk over the old train bridge.

I hope all you mommas out there have the best day ever. Get spoiled, sleep in and do one if not more than one of these awesome ideas. Check out all that Winnipeg has to offer locally because we truly thrive when the weather is nice. I’m glad to give some inspiration to someone who may need it. Also a gentle reminder that motherhood does not define a woman and if this holiday is depressing or triggering for you I am sending you my love. Happy Mother’s Day!

Artwork by @bymariaandrew

Jesse's Chaîne Dinner at Pizzeria Gusto

On Sunday May 5th I was so lucky to be able to go to a very fancy and nice supper that was put on by my husband Jesse at Pizzeria Gusto. As I have already made mention in previous posts Jesse is a member of the Chaîne des Rotisseurs which is an exclusive club for chefs. The membership fee alone is pretty pricey and all the dinners and lunches they do have the best food and wine and are pretty expensive to attend. Luckily I am married to him and get to tag along. Jesse has done 4 Chaîne dinners in his career and has hosted 2 of them. One of them when he was the chef at 295 York and the other Sunday night at Pizzeria Gusto. This coming October he will have been a member for 6 years. He is excited because once he reaches 10 years his rank will change.

I invited my friend Miranda because her dad is an old and well respected chef and member of the Chaîne. She has been to several dinners and lunches and she hadn't been to an event in a long while. She is also the greatest mom to her little girl doing it all on her own and deserved a fun night out. I feel slightly intimidated by this crowd because most members are a lot older than I am, a lot fancier and of course my weird dark side that not everyone understands. It was nice to have a friend by my side so I was happy she was able to come with me. Win win for both of us.

My dress is from Killstar
Miranda’s jump-suit is from BooHoo
Hematite beaded bracelet made by me
Red lipstick - Uncensored by Fenty Beauty

The restaurant is soooo nice. if you have ever been to Pizzeria Gusto you will know what I mean. It was always nice before but ever since the renovation they did a couple years ago it’s something out of a very modern magazine I feel like. Crisp white, with succulents, greenery, marble tables, mood lighting and wood paneling to accent. It is always immaculately clean and the service is impeccable. Everyone is so nice and friendly and I always feel welcome and at ease whenever I am there.

Pizzeria Gusto is soooo pretty and the food is the best, if you have not been you must go now.

We walked in and were welcomed with glasses of Prosecco. The brand was called Giggle Water and this was probably my favourite wine of the night, not only because Prosecco is my absolute favourite, but also because of the fun name and the beautiful packaging. It also was the only wine I was able to photograph for the night as the servers were pouring for us during supper. If you are interested in what wines we had they are on the menu which I photographed. We were the first to arrive, both Miranda and I joked about our punctuality on the way there. We were not alone for long though and most of the guests started trickling in immediately after us. As most of you might know I try to eat plant based mostly and have recently made the decision to not ever eat pork or beef anymore. Chicken and eggs will quickly follow and I will do my best with real cheese. I requested a vegetarian supper which was incredibly hard because I knew what the menu was before and how good everything was going to be, but I also knew how amazing he could make my vegetarian option. But for the purposes of this blog post I will be showing the real deal veal and all and my vegetarian accommodated dishes that were just as good if not even better.

How cute is this name and the bottle? One of the only wines I was able to photograph.

Shortly after the Prosecco was passed around the hors d’oeuvres were passed out and margaritas. There was somewhat of a Mexican theme because the day was Cinco de Mayo. At one point we were standing there enjoying the hors d’oeuvres and a man walked in with a legitimate sombrero and I chuckled a little bit and then Miranda says to me “that’s my dad.” We both laughed. The margarita was a red chilli, apricot margarita with El Jimador Blanco tequila. The hors d’oeuvres were Barbacoa tacos which is smoked tri tip with chipotle, queso fresco, crispy onion and lettuce. Then there was shrimp quesadillas that were stuffed and rolled tortillas filled with barbecued shrimp, pacillo peppers, jalapeño and smoked cheeses topped with avocado, pico de gaillo and arbor chilies. There was Calamar Rellano which is squid stuffed with chorizo, corn and tomatillos braised in lime juice and tomato sauce. The final was a vegan option which I thoroughly enjoyed and was a tostada with refried beans, salsa verde and pickled cactus. It was my first time trying cactus and I was pleasantly surprised.

I am still dreaming about this margarita. I thought it was mango but come to find out apricot because they are in season which made me even more delighted. Made with El Jimador Blanco Tequila.

Barbacoa Tacos - did not try them for ethical reasons but they looked incredible and I may still be kicking myself over it. Inner conflict.
Bernard Mirlycourtois’s sombrero in the background

Shrimp quesadillas - not tried by me but heard they were delightful

Calamar Relanno - Also did not try this one but again it looked so delicious. Miranda was my taster as well and can confirm.

Vegan appetizer - The pickled cactus was a delight.

We sat down after much appetizers and mingling. Miranda got to talk to many people she’s known for most of her life so I think it was good for her to come and catch up. I got to meet her dad and others as well. We sat down and and got ready to receive the first course. The dinner was 6 courses with wine pairings for each course. All the wine was generously provided by Jim Jaworski who owns Kenaston Wine Market and knows everything to know about wine. We were given a different wine with each course, to compliment the dish we were eating.

The menu for the night. Below each dish is the wine that was paired with each course.

Everyone enjoying cocktails, appetizers and Prosecco. The members wear their Chaînes around their necks. Orange for chefs and purple for non industry members.

The first course, mine was a vegan version, which consisted of roasted cauliflower, marinated chickpeas with gazpacho and Serrano chillies. Everyone else received a crudo of fresh sea scallops from the East coast, marinated mussels, gazpacho and Serrano chillies, arugula oil and salmon caviar. I absolutely will not eat anything from the ocean anymore for multiple reasons that I won’t get into it right now so I was so happy to be fully accommodated, although most will think I am crazy for not eating the best of the best.

Vegan version

Regular version

The second course which was the same for everyone consisted of spring asparagus, horseradish, mascarpone zabaglione and moliterno pecorino. This was one of my most favourite dishes because I love asparagus and all the components made one delightful vegetarian dish.

This was both the same for myself and everyone else. Photo by Cameron Grey as I forgot to photograph this one. He photographs all the Chaîne events.

The third course for me was not vegan but it was vegetarian. Tortellini stuffed with house made ricotta, arugula, caramelized onions, mascarpone and roasted garlic. Two different types of dough, one was verde and the other negra. The verde was green because of arugula incorporated into the dough and the negra was black because of squid ink.. With the tortellini was celery root purée, sous vide lobster, boar belly and micro basil. My dish did not contain the lobster and boar belly making I vegetarian.

Vegetarian version

Regular version

The fourth course was veal tenderloin crusted with porcini mushrooms, chianti reduction, Peroni beer mustard with pine nut risotto, Brussel sprout leaves and morel and black trumpet mushrooms. Mine was vegetarian as I did not get the veal. I grew up Italian, I love veal it tastes delicious but I can’t even tell you the last time I had it because it has never sat well with me where veal has come from. Risotto is definitely one of my top favourite foods so to get an extra helping of risotto versus veal makes me a very happy girl.

Regular version

Vegetarian version

The fifth course was the salad course. It consisted of melon and prosciutto, watermelon radish, white balsamic, parmesan reggiano. Mine was veganized and did not have prosciutto. I have had a watermelon radish several times while going to these fancy dinners with Jesse and it is my absolute favourite. it is visually stunning and doesn’t have an overly pungent taste but it adds good texture and crunch to a salad.

Vegan version. How pretty is the watermelon radish? Love it.

Regular version.

The last course was dessert which was caprino cheesecake with pistachios, mint syrup, biscotti crust, basil curd and white chocolate. This was not vegan as caprino in Italian means dairy from a goat. It was vegetarian however and incredibly delicious. This was the one I forgot to get a photo of until it was already too late and its had almost been half eaten. The most beautiful cheese board was donated from Marco Deluca and from Deluca’s. This was paired with port and chianti wine. This concluded all the food for this Chaîne supper.

Dessert. Didn’t get the chance to get a photo without a bite because I was so excited to try. Yummy.

Cheese board generously given by DeLuca’s

After all the food and wine everyone enjoyed socializing. Jesse and I left not too much longer after the food was done. We had a babysitter for the night and wanted to enjoy our precious time together. We ended up going for a drive to our favourite park and then going home to bed to enjoy a nice, kidless sleep. It was a really amazing night of the best food ever. I was so happy to be accommodated for my veg side and be able to show both sides of how a night like this would go. Both vegetarian and omnivore. I am the most happy to participate in these kinds of dinners and am so happy to be married to Jesse, not only because he is an amazing human and the best husband and dad, but also because he takes me along on these amazing culinary adventures. Thank you to Miranda for coming with me as well and to all the wonderful people I met it was nice talking with you. Can’t wait for the chance to go to another one!

How many wine glasses we had at one time.

New Moon in Taurus Ritual

There are some really ancient rituals that have been done for 1000s of years. A lot of different astrologers and healers use these types of things to help people with the difficulties of life. You can do a ritual for all kinds of different things but some popular times to commit to doing a ritual is during new moons, full moons and during the equinoxes and solstices. If you really enjoy doing them then you can start to do a ritual for other things you need in life. It can be very therapeutic. The power of manifestation is a crazy thing and that’s why these rituals are important.

The new moon moves into Taurus on May 4th at 5:47pm. We set intentions for the month on the new moon to be clear and concise about what we like to achieve. The new moon in Taurus asks us to focus on stability, self love and care, the luxurious bits of life and close friends and family. Taurus season is all about grounding, stabilizing and money. Life can get crazy and feel out of control but Taurus’s are strong and steady. If anyone is emotionally stable it’s a Taurus. Put your actions towards your true desires. Taurus is earthy, grounded, stable, stubborn, romantic, loyal and has a taste for the finer things in life. Now is a good time to focus on setting intentions for your family, what sort of wealth you need to attract in your life, think abundance. Long term and attainable goals. A Taurus is likely to hoard their money so the more ways you can save the better. Focus this month on wineing and dineing with friends, lots of face masks or good self care sessions whether at the spa, getting a facial or getting those lashes. Whatever it takes for you to feel good. Set goals on your beauty and appearance if you would like to improve in that area.

You have 3 days before and 3 days after the new moon to perform this ritual.

White pillar candle - IKEA (I did not have green but you can always use white in place of any colour)
Echeveria - Both of these ones are from Safeway South Osborne but you can get them anywhere
Crystals used - Carenelian, jade, clear quartz, rose quartz, selenite wand, mango calcite wand, fluorite, fossilized sand dollar
Sage - This sage bundle is from The Forks
Ceramic bowl - Made by my momma
Abalone shell - The Forks
Handbook for the Recently Deceased - Amazon

1) Gather any and all supplies that you will need for the ritual. You can use sage to smudge beforehand, crystals you will need (kyanite, emerald, jade, carnelian or rose quartz are good choices), a journal to write, a bowl to smudge in or burn intentions, a bowl of water and a candle. If you have a green candle I would recommend using green because green, earth and Venus are all associated with Taurus.

2) Create yourself a special alter space for all the items that you have gathered. It doesn’t matter where your alter space is, it can be any table in the house or on the floor, wherever you feel most comfortable. Decorate with items such as crystals, plants, candles, things you find outside in nature like leaves or feathers, decorative table runners, anything you can really think of that seems appropriate.

3) Start by smudging your alter space and say a little prayer. It can be along the lines of “I respect mother moon and all she does for us. I take this time to set honest intentions. I manifest all that is good and bright and light. I have the power to change my future. I will let go all that no longer serves me. I am totally and completely alined spiritually. I am in tune with my higher powers. “ Write down your intentions or wishes. focus on them, meditate on them. What do you wish for your life? Can you actually picture these things happening to and for you in your life? The manifestation WILL NOT work if you truly don’t believe it. It’s important to be clear on what you want. You can doodle and make your intentions “pretty” or you can just be as simple as writing a list. Some new moon in Aries intentions would be: Try something new. Speak your truth. Conquer your fears. Break the rules. Take the lead. Do your own thing for you

4) Light your candle and put your crystals in the bowl of water. For this ritual I definitely recommend using fire and burning your intentions. You will write your intentions down into your journal. You will start off by writing down the things you want to release and what no longer serves you. You will ask for the guidance in doing this. Don’t let fear or ego hold you back any longer. Talk about what you need to let go of and how you plan to do it. Next you will write about your wishes for the next month. What do you desire above all else. This is the perfect month to focus son family, money, beauty and long term goals for all of these things. It is also a good time to focus on your mental health and stability in your life. Especially right after Aries season which mainly focused on yourself and your dreams. Now is the time to be realistic and focus on the things you truly need to accomplish in order for your dreams to manifest entirely. You will light the paper on fire and watch how the fire burns your intentions. Maybe it burns fast or maybe it fizzles out fast. After removing your crystals, use the charged crystal water to extinguish the flames by dropping the burning paper into the water. This seals your desires and puts them out into the universe. You can either bury the ashes into the earth outside (weather dependent) or you can pour them down the sink,

5) At this time you can take some time for yourself however you wish, further meditation, possibly a tarot reading if you do that, you can even enjoy a glass of wine. Tell the moon you love her, clean up your space and take the crystals to bed with you. You have just completed your new moon ritual.

I hope you guys enjoy doing this ritual and can find some peace or healing that you may be needing in life. I also hope that you manifest your deepest desires and this moon month goes exactly how you wish it to. Now is the time for action and to put forth effort into achieving your goals. Use that down to earth energy to put in the thought and effort to building your dreams, focusing on stabilizing not only yourself but relationships and financial areas of life as well. Take the time to feel beautiful and do something nice for yourself. Happy Taurus season and New Moon! It’s going to be an abundant month.

Beltane Celebrations and Ritual

Beltane has been a celebration that has been around literally thousands of years. Mostly celebrated in Gaelic countries and was one of 4 seasonal festivals. Known also as the Fire Festival, fire is an extremely important element to this festival. It is also known as May Day and you may know this day from it’s more traditionally organized religion name. Beltane is celebrating spring and the upcoming Summer, hotter months. Fiery and passionate bringing forth life and abundance. It also celebrates women’s fertility and Mother Earth’s fruitfulness. We celebrate Beltane to bring abundant harvests so this actually could be an amazing way to bring on strong and healthy crops for farmers. This celebration can get a bit raunchy and sexual on the more extreme side. A definite good time to try and make a baby if that is something you want (beware you will have an Aquarius child however). Fine tune your desires. Love is the most important. We celebrate love and our sexuality because this is how life can be created. For warmer places this is the perfect time to get your garden going and sing and dance around a fire. Obviously Winnipeg is having the worst spring ever but I am still going to make the most of it and have a fire tonight. It will likely be way tamer in comparison to most Beltane celebrations but we have 2 kids and it will just be the 4 of us. I do plan to make a flower crown and enjoy some wine later but it’s not going to be the kinky love festival that it traditionally is.

Some ways you can celebrate Beltane:

1) Have a bonfire with friends and close family. Enjoy copious amounts of wine. I usually try to preach about not overindulging especially when it comes to alcohol but in this case dooooo it.

2) Decorate your own May Pole. You can use a stick you found outside and items you have lying around the house such as ribbon, a glass and dried herbs and botanicals. I do not have ribbon so I will not be making my own May Pole. This is a good one though if you want to involve the kids.

3) Make your own flower crown and wear it. I will post a tutorial on this on my Instagram so stay tuned.

4) Lots of singing, laughter and dance.

5) Enjoy a Beltane Bath Ritual. Use Himalayan sea salt, rose petals, candles (Vanilla preferably), flowers, essential oils like Jasmine or Vanilla, rose quartz and carnelian crystals. This is a very good alternative for us Winnipeggers who a) don’t feel like getting buck wild on a Wednesday and b) don’t want to go outside in this not so nice spring weather.

6) Plant some flowers and work on your garden (again maybe not the most ideal considering this weather).

7) Do or ask for a Beltane tarot reading.

I hope I was able to illuminate y’all in some way and teach you something new. It might not be for everyone but what could be wrong about having a fire, enjoying a glass of wine and wearing a flower crown. And if you’re trying to make a baby then it is a good time to celebrate your own fertility and put it out there. Maybe tonight could be the night. Happy Beltane friends!!!

Saturn Retorgrade

Today, April 29, 2019 Saturn will go retrograde. Saturn the planet of rules, structure, responsibilities, duties. Saturn transits and retrogrades can be tough. Some call Saturn “The Lord of Karma”. He is hard and stern and people can learn some tough but valuable lessons during Saturn transits. Saturn is the 7th planet from Earth, has rings and is big and far and thus once again we have long retrograde periods and affects might not be as intense as the faster/closer moving planets. This Saturn in retrograde is 31˚ Capricorn. Capricorn is in its ruling planet when in Saturn. There will be emphasis on duties and responsibilities. These lessons can be difficult and hard to face/learn. Ultimately Saturn is very fair however. The good thing about Saturn Retrograde is that some of that internal pressure we feel on a day to day basis will be lightened. You will get a break and feel way more enabled to tackle all of the things that you have to do. This is a good time to review your commitments and responsibilities, indicate when the line has been crossed for yourself, assess whether this is something you actually want or you are just doing this to make others happy and it serves no real purpose, find ways to work more efficiently and not necessarily harder, release negative and perfectionist behaviours, and above all else believe in yourself. You can accomplish the goals and commitments you have made, you have all the tools to do this. This retrograde period will be affecting those with Cardinal signs so if you are Aries, Libra, Cancer or Capricorn this retrograde will affect you more. It will be okay though because it sounds as though things are going to lighten up a bit. Either way though there will be major emphasis on duties and responsibilities. This will actually be a very good thing especially for those who have trouble focusing on their goals and the future and those who may feel anxiety over these things. For once a retrograde period will be helping us and not hindering or making things more complicated. Use this energy in the best way possible to put in the work. The next few months will be transformative if you do.

Baby and Toddler Meals - Month of April

We gad a great month for awesome planet based eats and trying new recipes! A lot of days we have repeats meals or leftovers so I of course don’t get to document all of our meals but hopefully this can inspire some mommas out there who are trying to eat more plant based. Not all of these meals and snacks are vegan because we are not fully vegan bu i’d say for the most part it was an overall successful month of sticking to a plant based diet!

The meal I struggle with not making plant based the most is breakfast because we still love our eggs. I really want to get into making tofu scrambles but I have not attempted yet although I do have the soft tofu in my fridge waiting. In the next couple weeks we will have try a tofu scramble and definitely document it and then it will be added to next months meals.

This meal below was one of my favourites. Cheesy scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, blackberries and leftover Cinnabons from the States which my mother in law gave to us. Definitely not vegan! But still so good and a nice treat.

Apple bento box style plate - Munchkin from Amazon
Dino spoon - Skip Hop from West Coast Kids
Toddler spoon and fork - Munchkin from Amazon

Our go to breakfast on most days is plain steel cut oats, chia seeds, hemp hearts with frozen blueberries and maple syrup for some added sweetness. We have this most days in the morning and it’s always good because it is filling and super yummy and easy to make different variations to switch it up so it doesn’t feel so boring. Pictured below is more turkey bacon, blackberries, oatmeal and for Asher half a Babybel.

Pumpkin plate - Home Sense
Ceramic bowl - made by my mom

Below pictured are the steel cut oats I use. They are plain with no added sugar/carbs. I add everything else to them that I possibly can. In this variation of oatmeal I added peanut butter as well and somehow it tasted so decadent. If you were to add banana slices I feel like that would be just as good as any dessert. The steel cut oats cook really quickly which is why they are a basic staple in this house.

Pictured below is a fully plant based, vegan breakfast. Lots of yummy fruit, some coconut, dark chocolate granola made from a local company. The best part of this breakfast was rolling the banana in the granola and having that sweet, savoury, crunchy deliciousness.

Below pictured are some of Jaxson and mine favourite snacks. Boom Chicka Pop and Veggie Straws from Costco. Both come in jumbo bags and are vegan and very healthy. Whenever we need a salty fix this is our go to. Don’t judge me for how I opened these bags, I promise I am not a psychopath.

These little guys I picked up for Asher. He loves them. They are very similar to the baby cheetos that we normally use but they have better and more wholesome ingredients. I wish they came in bigger bags because these are about the size of a bag of chips and we go through them fast, which obviously creates lots of waste. I bought 2 different flavours, cheese and herb and fresh tomato. Asher absolutely loves them and Jaxson even asked for them a few times.

One of our regular go to snacks, or “lunches” when there has been two breakfast is basic, pickles, cheese and veggies. Jaxson loves this for lunch and will often request veggies over an actual meal. We use Babybel for the boys cheese snacks but aside from that they get vegan cheese. Pictured below is a plate for both Ash and Jaxson, depicting different sizes for baby and toddler and the other plate was just for Jaxson. Jaxson is a very good and confident eater, he never struggles with choking otherwise I would cut up most of his food for him as well. Every child is different of course and I thoroughly recommend cutting the food into big sized pieces for all child ages.

Lunch meals below! On the right we have cauliflower tots, grape tomatoes, blackberries and a couple potato chips we had leftover. Then to the right we have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with some cucumbers, carrots, blackberries and Teddy Grahams. I cut the crusts off with a pumpkin cookie cutter (although it really didn’t turn out that way) for the sandwich because he requested no crusts but this was the first time so I normally do not cut the crusts for him.

This lunch pictured below is from leftover vegan pizza (that I will talk about further below), the veg and fruit we had in the fridge and some Easter treats. Blackberries and tomatoes are clearly my boys favourites which makes me happy because they are amazing, healthy staples in any persons diet. I cut things long wise vs in half because this is actually to help with choking. Wider things are easier to choke on which is why I cut then lengthwise. Another baby led weaning trick.

I made this Tofurky “Italian sausage” for lunch one day and although the boys ate it I must say I do not recommend this product. It was dry and mealy and did not have any yummy or juiciness that a sausage would. Again both boys ate it but it was not theirs or my favourite. I will not buy this product again. Made with curly McCain fries and tomatoes and blackberries. Once again, cut lengthwise not in half.

All plant based dinners here this way this month. Vegan pizza, spaghetti, Mexican fried rice. Any decadent and delicious meal you can think of can become vegan. Pictured below is the vegan pizza I made. Pepperoni and cheese as per request of my toddler. I used Daiya and Earth Island cheddar and mozzarella shreds. In the future I would likely not add so much because it is not really necessary for a vegan pizza. The pepperoni slices are by Yves and they were good. Tasted like the real deal. In the future if I were to reenact this pizza I wouldn't add as much vegan cheese and I would add mushrooms and peppers.

Dalya cheddar style shreds - Safeway South Osborne
Earth Island mozzarella style shreds - Walmart Taylor avenue
Yves veggie pepperoni - Safeway South Osborne

Vegan skillet Mexican rice. Sooooo damn good and filling. For this recipe I cooked brown rice in my rice cooker with mushroom stock and water and then used homemade tomato sauce, Mexican seasoning from Costco, garlic, spinach, black beans rinsed and drained, canned corn rinsed. I did not have onions or peppers handy but if I did I would have added them. After the rice was cooked I added all the other ingredients to the skillet and then cooked for 20 minutes a 375˚ in the oven. It also made plenty of leftovers so we were able to eat this over the next few days.

Mexican fried rice with home-made cauliflower wings. Both my boys loved and gobbled this dinner up. So much so that they ate it a few days in a row. Rice on its own, rice for lunch, rice in a quesadilla. It made a good meal for many days and satisfied us in healthy and happy tummy ways. The picture to the right is chicken pot pie from Costco. Oh my goodness is it good. It is one of my guilty pleasures (not vegan :( ) and my whole family loves it. For the value with how long it lasts us I can’t help but to buy one every time we go. I am still currently looking for a plant based pot pie recipe because I made it once and it did not turn out good.

Gnocchi and “chicken” for supper this night pictured below. Basic and easy I used mainly leftovers for this dinner. Yes the gnocchi is store bought because who has time to make that??? Maybe someone without 2 kids. But it was still very tasty and both my boys loved it. These were with garlic vegan butter but you could use any sauce to go with them.

Below is pictured some of the ingredients and the turn out of our red lentil bolognese. Spaghetti essentially. The roasted garlic whipped VEGAN butter is from Black Market Provisions which is a local shop up the street from us, I have used it in multiple components of our cooking. The nutritional yeast is a basic staple in vegan cooking. It gives meals that “cheesy” taste. I use it in pasta and Italian vegan dishes to give it that rich, cheesy taste. For this recipe I soaked red lentils for 3.5 hours. Then when it was time to cook supper I put some roasted garlic whipped vegan butter in a pan and then added my lentils, spinach and our homemade tomato sauce. In the future I would add mushrooms to this recipe to make it slightly more flavourful and hearty/meaty.

Roasted garlic whipped butter - Black Market Provisions

Nutritional Yeast - Safeway Osborne Village

This last photo is a treat that we shared after a long walk over the BDI bridge. But the BDI has vegan ice cream!!!! And not only do they have vegan ice cream but they have a whole vegan menu! You can take your pick. This one we ordered was off of their new collaboration menu with Jenna Rae Cakes. Vegan cookie dough flurry. Omg it was so good and creamy. I believe the ice cream is coconut cream based but it did not taste like coconut. There really is no excuse for not having a vegan option when great options like this exist. Of course allergies are a thing but if you don’t have a coconut allergy you NEED to try this! Thank you BDI for being with the times and giving the people what they want. I love to support local so it’s nice that so many local places have vegan options, it makes it so much easier.

Stay tuned for more plant based meals next month. I will likely be adding a tofu scramble into our lives and trying some new pasta recipes. I would really like to do kale chips this month too, we will see how my boys feel about those. The goal is more plant based and less meat and dairy. I would also like to add that Beyond Meat is hitting stores this week, for sure Sobeys , Safeway and Save on Foods so get out there and try some vegan Beyond Meat Burgers, they are sooooo good and you won’t even be able to tell the difference. I can’t wait to get the Beyond Meat frankfurters. Any day that is plant based is a win in my books. I hope I can inspire any of y’all to make even one vegan meal switch. I promise eating vegan is not boring.

Pluto Retrograde

April 24, 2019 Pluto will go retrograde until October 2, 2019 when it will go direct again. This is basically 6 months of Pluto retrograde. Pluto the intense planet of death, rebirth, transformation, change, sex. This planet is the furthest in our galaxy and thus takes the longest to orbit our lovely planet. It can spend months retrograde and thus the effects will be had but will not be nearly as obvious as that of Mercury, Venus or even Jupiter retrograde, the changes are actually quite subtle. Once again, a retrograde basically means the planet appears to be moving backwards in the sky, these are usually periods of change and confusion. Again Pluto is the planet of transformation. Not easy transformation. This is not an easy ride at all. Pluto absolutely destroys and annihilates. It is somewhat scary to think because things associated with Pluto are not easy matters. It is transformational in the most intense way. But Pluto is the furthest away and the slowest so although 6 months of the year it is retrograde you would think we would all be self destructing and the world would discombobulate (maybe some of us are self destructing 6 months of the year). Whole years of our lives are spent with Pluto retrograde and likely a large amount of people will have Pluto retrograde in their natal chart. Because of the great distance of Pluto this drastically reduces the effects of this retrograde. Pluto retrograde might be brutal and brooding however. Pluto retrograde asks us to look at our darker side and our deepest most hidden desires. It also is a very good time to get more in tune with our subconscious abilities, psychic powers and intuitions. Sex, birth, death, abuse, addictions and major transformation are all themes of Pluto. Unfortunately all good things in life do come to an end and I would be thoroughly surprised to find one person who leaves this earth completely unscathed. Life is hard and the painful lessons are what teach us to become stronger and more capable. So despite some of the harder things that Pluto teaches us they are important and valuable lessons. A time of reflection on the deeper things in life. A time where your compulsions, addictions, power control, bad behaviours will either be more intense or you will finally be able to let them go. It really depends on how you are in your everyday life not during a retrograde period. The more intense your destructive behaviour, the more extreme the detoxification or withdrawal stage will be, such as going cold turkey. Or maybe you don’t have destructive behaviour and you have your shit together, well perhaps you will start exhibiting those Pluto influences more during this time. A good way to best use this period of time is to embrace transformation and change, honour your dark side, check and release any unhealthy vices/obsessions and thoroughly reconsider your self-destructive behaviours. Let go of that rigid control and let go of dead situations. Do not be afraid of the dark and unknown, rather embrace it fully. Those with cardinal signs (Libra, Capricorn, Cancer and Aries) will feel this retrograde the most. This planet is retrograde for usually half the year every year. There is nothing to fear here, I just want y’all to be informed. The planets retrograde and it is what it is.

Horror Women Fridays - Sherri Moon Zombie

In honour of the full moon today I decided to write my horror piece on the iconic Sherri Moon Zombie. With a name like that? If I ever have a daughter she will have the middle name Moon, not only because of my absolute devotion and love to our lovely Moon but also after this goddess of a freak actress. Married to Rob Zombie who is quite arguably one of my favourite horror movie directors ever, and of course one of the founding musicians of the heavy metal band White Zombie. He also has a solo music career and I am actually going to be seeing him live in concert with Marilyn Manson in August. It’s going to be super epic and I can’t wait.

Rob Zombie and his Living Dead Girl

Sherri Moon was discovered by Rob Zombie on the set of his song “Living Dead Girl” music video. They became inseparable after that and you can say that she became his muse. He puts her in every one of his movies and most woman would shy away from the roles that she plays but not only does she rock those roles but she is scary as hell and so hot at the same time.

The first Rob Zombie movie I ever saw was the Devil’s Rejects. I was 17 years old and nannying for a rich family that had every possible movie channel you could think of. I remember it vividly, the mom was a flight attendant and the dad a pilot. I would work 12 hour days 6am-6pm and the kids usually slept in until 8 or 9. She told me to make myself comfy and have a snooze until they woke up. Which I tried to do but I discovered the movie channels, and one of them just so happened to be playing The Devil’s Rejects. I watched the whole thing instead of napping and was greatly disturbed. What a messed up movie!

Devil’s Rejects

Devil’s Rejects

Otis, Baby and Captain Spaulding from Devil’s Rejects

The second Rob Zombie movie I ever saw was the remake of Halloween. Jesse and I used to watch it all the time when we were younger (we still watch it all the time) but I actually again found it greatly disturbing and wasn’t really sure if I liked it that much. I knew Jesse loved it so that’s why we always watched it. I found it too gory and too much…at the time which is laughable to me now because nothing phases me anymore in that sense. And I love the remake so much.

Now let me talk about her role in House of 1000 Corpses and Devil’s Rejects. Her character goes by Baby Firefly and she is one twisted psychopath with an ass that won’t quit. I was reading about her and apparently before she modelled or acted she wanted to do cartoon voices and if you heard her voice this would make the most absolute sense. She has a high pitched kiddy like voice. But it’s super creepy. I’m sure she emphasizes it for acting. Anyway Baby Firefly belongs to a family of demented hillbillies who stalk, play with, brutalize, terrorize, sodomize, and eventually murder everyone who comes across their path. Her brother Otis, played by Bill Mosley (who I actually met at Horror Con 2 years ago) is an even bigger freak than her. Captain Spaulding who is Baby’s father is the biggest freak of them all. But Baby definitely plays off her sexuality and desirability to manipulate people into doing what she wants and eventually killing them. Her role in House of 1000 Corpses is perfection. I actually never saw House of 1000 Corpses until after I had seen Devil’s Rejects. Devil’s Rejects is the sequel to House of 1000 Corpses. But if you plan to check out either of these movies I suggest watching House of 1000 Corpses first. They actually are all reprising their roles this fall (2019) to star in Three From Hell and I cannot wait to see what their freak family has been up to. I am counting down the days.

Baby Firefly

House of 1000 Corpses

House of 1000 Corpses

House of 1000 Corpses

House of 1000 Corpses

Three from Hell coming fall 2019

The next franchise she did was Rob Zombie’s Halloween. Rob Zombie’s Halloween is somewhat controversial because I would say half of horror fans and John Carpenter’s Halloween fans HATE Rob Zombie’s Halloween rendition. It did take me some time but I freaking love it. It’s not my favourite because you have to love and respect the classic but it is definitely in my top 25 favourite horror movies. Sherri Moon plays Michael Myers mom. Imagine being that role!!!! In horror history that is an iconic role, Satan’s mother. Her character is very sad actually and isn’t in the movie that long, but knowing serial killers and where the come from it makes the Michael Myers character so much more real and believable and I love that Rob Zombie made a back story to Michael Myers and where he came from. The sequel to Rob Zombie’s Halloween is probably my least watched out of all of her movies. It is likely because I hated it the first time I watched it. I remember thinking it was just wrong on so many levels for a Halloween movie, too supernatural. Having said that I have only seen the movie once and plan to give it another chance, tonight actually. I will let y’all know if I still hate it after watching it again lol.

Michael Myers’ momma

Love Hurts by Nazareth

Rob Zombie’s Halloween II, she reprises her role as Michael Myers mother in ghost form

One of my most absolute favourite movies ever, and probably my favourite movie with her in it is the movie Lords of Salem. Again not appreciated by horror fans. People don’t like his director creativity and the direction he takes this movies to. I have heard multiple people tell me they didn’t like this movie. It couldn’t be further from the truth for me. It is my most favourite. Lords of Salem, set in Salem, Massachusetts and depicts witches from the Salem era seeking revenge on the kin of those that burned them at the stake in the 1600s. Her character is not necessarily better than that of Baby Firefly, I prefer Baby to be honest. Having said that, Lords of Salem is my favourite Rob Zombie movie period. If your are into witchy movies this one will be for you. There is a lot of weird and dark symbolism and some pretty creepy moments.

Lords of Salem

Lords of Salem

Lords of Salem

The last movie I am going to talk about is Rob Zombie’s 31. Basically the premise of it is a group of friends travelling in an Astro Van. They stop for gas and meet a couple of weird, questionable characters. They keep on going and become ambushed by a group. The group takes them all and imprisons them. These weird renaissance characters come out and tell them they are all competing to the death against this group of clowns who are sick, sadistic, freaks. The moniker “31” comes from the date October 31st. Halloween was the day they were kidnapped. Charlie is played by Sherri Moon Zombie and the “renaissance group” places high odds on her. That is what they do, place bets on the people they kidnap and pit against their freak clowns. It is not my personal favourite out of the Zombie movie franchise but it is still enjoyable. Check it out if you’re a Rob Zombie fan and also like freaky clown movies.

Charlie from 31

31

I have followed Sherri Moon for the past few years on social media. She is an incredible animal activist and vegan. She has an amazing garden and grows a lot of her own stuff from scratch. We love and worship a vegan, activist, spooky, beautiful queen. Basically I have nothing bad to say about Sherri Moon Zombie. She is beautiful and talented but in a not so average way. Her looks are incredibly conventional, skinny, blonde haired, blue eyed, gorgeous. I’ve been wearing a t-shirt with her face plastered all over it (“free baby firefly”) and all I have gotten “Is that Farrah Fawcett?” Although they do look alike they couldn’t be further apart. I would say my favourite character she portrays is Baby and you need to see the House of 1000 Corpses franchise. Start there and you will fall in love with his movies and most importantly, her.

Sherri Moon Zombie reenacting her role as Living Dead Girl

Full 'Pink" Moon in Libra

It’s crazy how fast a month goes! I feel like we just celebrated Ostara, Ash turning 9 months and last month’s full moon. And yet here we are again. Time for another full moon to come our way and bless us with her beautiful, amazing and powerful energy. Luckily for us we basically have a repeat of last month! This full moon is known as a Pink Full Moon because of a certain type of wildflower that would bloom at this time in spring, and also for the blossoms that are starting to bloom in certain areas. Obviously in Winnipeg things are slightly more delayed as we have had one hell of a spring. But never fear because this Pink Full Moon will signify the blooming to come for us which is just as important. Nature is coming back to life!

This full moon will occur at 6:12am tomorrow morning on April 19th and it is the second, on a very rare occurrence, of back to back Libra full moons. In all my time studying astrology which has been a fairly decent amount of time I have never seen this. Last month we had a full moon in Libra at 0˚ and we are ending April’s full moon in Libra as well at 29˚ (basically the first and last degree possible this moon can in this sign for). It is rare but it can happen with the way the months and days line up. Themes from last month will likely be present. Perhaps in being reintroduced or maybe they never really left to begin with and you are going through the same things you were last month. Focusing on balance, harmony and relationships. Personal relationships, with your lover, or your family. It could be a one on one relationship that you are going to focus on. You will feel more charming and sociable and it is a good time to enjoy with friends and family. Spend it with those you care about most. Again there may be themes of balance in personal relationships that will make themselves present. It’s a good time to question whether you pull your weight in the relationships in your life. Life isn’t just about taking. Maybe you have been more selfish as of recently? I promise the more selfless you act, good karma will come towards to you. Now on the opposite end don’t do everything for someone who won’t do shit for you. Don’t let someone walk all over you because they know you don’t want to stir the pot. Balance is key. Fairness is everything to Libras.

As always with full moons emotions and sensitivities are heightened and the energy is electric. You can feel it. What is hidden will come to the light and major changes or revelations are quite possible. Explosive feelings may not be contained during this time because of all the extra sensitivities. Try to remain grounded and use this time to focus on yourself and your partner and healing. Do a full moon ritual, cleanse your crystals and enjoy the outdoors. Thursday night will make a great time for a bonfire to gaze upon our glorious full moon. The energies are shifting with Mercury having moved into Aries today and the sun officially moving into Taurus (!!) at the end of this full moon and both Saturn and Pluto will go retrograde next week. But things are going to be bright, grounded, positive, beautiful and great! Until next month, enjoy yourselves and the moon!

April Pink Full Moon in Libra Ritual - Friday the 19th

There is a full moon in Libra coming up on April 19h at 6:12am. This is the second Libra full moon in a row. You call that a “once in a blue moon” full moon, not in the traditional way but it is rare for it to happen. Perhaps lessons and fulfillments that may have begun a month ago are still carrying on. Full moons are already a time where emotions and sensitivities are already heightened, it is a good time to take to ground yourself and release some of the emotions you may be feeling.

There are some really ancient rituals that have been done for 1000s of years. A lot of different astrologers and healers use these types of things to help people with the difficulties of life. You can do a ritual for all kinds of different things but some popular times to commit to doing a ritual is during new moons, full moons and during the equinoxes and solstices. If you really enjoy doing them then you can start to do a ritual for other things you need in life. It can be very therapeutic. The power of manifestation is a crazy thing and that’s why these rituals are important.

The full moon will be in the air element of Libra. Libra is ruled by Venus the planet of love and beauty. It is a Full Pink Moon. Referred to as a pink moon because of a certain type of flower that started to bloom due to spring time. Which is somewhat laughable considering the spring we have been having. Libra also is about balance and harmony with a focus on loving relationships. As I have said already, themes from last month’s full moon may present themselves or have never really left and you are still working on them. It is a good idea to set intentions about relationships, career. Think about how your life is changing as spring progresses. There is always evolution inevitably as a human. How do you want to evolve? In what areas of life do you need healing? These are the things you will put into your intentions.

Whereas we perform new moon rituals to set wishes and intentions for the month ahead of you, the reason we do a full moon ritual is to let go of things that no longer serve you. This could be attitudes, emotions, personal relationships, bad habits, illnesses. Anything you can think of that is negatively impacting your life. I like to burn my full moon ritual intentions. It can be very symbolic and healing. You can also interpret the way your paper burns, so if your intentions light up instantly and burn the paper completely you have truly let go or maybe the fire fades quickly and only burns off a corner, what do you think that is telling you? Focus on the flames.

You have 3 days before the new moon to perform this ritual or 3 days after.

1) Gather any and all supplies that you will need for the ritual. You can use sage to smudge beforehand, crystals you will need (moonstone, clear quartz and amethyst are good choices), a journal to write, a bowl to smudge in or burn intentions, a bowl of water and a white or blue candle (white is a really good choice given it is Ostara).

2) Create yourself a special alter space for all the items that you have gathered. It doesn’t matter where your alter space is, it can be any table in the house or on the floor, wherever you feel most comfortable. Decorate with items such as crystals, plants, candles, things you find outside in nature like leaves or feathers, decorative table runners, anything you can really think of that seems appropriate.

3) Start by smudging your alter space and say a little prayer. It can be along the lines of “I respect mother moon and all she does for us. I plan to release that which no longer serves me. I do this to heal myself from past traumas and to fully let go and move forward.“ Write down your past traumas and the things that we wish to let go of focus on them, meditate on them. What do you wish for your life? Can you actually picture these things happening to and for you in your life? Letting go WILL NOT work if you truly don’t believe it. It’s important to be clear on what you want. You can doodle and make your intentions “pretty” or it can be as simple as writing a list.

4) Light your candle and put your crystals in the bowl of water. You want to charge the water and cleanse yourself after burning your intentions. Use moon water (water you leave out to charge under the moons rays, I leave mine on my window sill in a mason jar). Hold your intentions over the other bowl and using the candle light them on fire. Like I have already said you will want to analyze how they burn, even take a picture or video to look back on later.

5) At this time you can take some time for yourself however you wish, write down your interpretations of the flame burning, further meditation, possibly a tarot reading if you do that, you can even enjoy a glass of wine. Tell the moon you love her, clean up your space and now is a good time to put your crystals in a window sill to charge under the light of the full moon. You have just completed your full moon ritual.

I hope you guys enjoy doing this ritual and can find some peace or healing that you may be needing in life. I also hope you can take some time to appreciate all that is good in your life. Just like the oceans’ tides that ebb and flow as does the moon wax and wane and although emotions can be heightened during he full moon you will soon feel back to your normal self and ready to tackle a whole new month/moon cycle.

My Skin Care Routine

I am going to drop my skin care routine because I am not going to lie, I at 30 years old have never had such amazing skin. Who would have thought. For many years I relied on mostly good genetics but did absolutely not much. Just plain old soap and water. And not even every day. I am prone to occasional hormonal breakouts but nothing too crazy. I have little to no fine lines or aging spots which is also a plus. As my 30s loom I have wanted to put more effort into self care and of course taking care of my skin so for Christmas this year I asked for a gift card from Sephora so I could get some real good vegan and cruelty free products. I had heard really amazing things about Tatcha and I fell in love with their packaging immediately. I decided to purchase the day water cream and the anti-aging night cream. I also bought an eye illuminator cream. I had previous moisturizer from La Neige that I really like as well. The other parts of my skin care routine involve a good exfoliator and toner and facial masks a few times a month. Whether an actual scrub/clay mask or a Korean sheet mask, I love face masks of all types. On occasion I do like a good facial mist spray. I keep them in my gym bag or if I am travelling because it is a good refresher when you need something quick. I also just recently started getting facials. This is something I plan to get every season when our skin starts changing. I may even experiment with gua sha facials and dermaplaneing.

Basically my every day skin care routine is very basic and simple I can do it in less than 5 minutes.

Morning:

• Start with clean, dry skin.

• Use a face cloth and dampen it with Thayer’s Rose Petal Oil and Witch Hazel (I swear by this stuff, it’s cheap and the ingredients are so good) and wipe it all over your face. This is what you will use for toner.

• After the toner has soaked into my skin I use my Tatcha water cream. I always use the little spoon because it doesn’t transfer bacteria and it’s just so dang cute. It just needs a couple small little scoops.

Night:

• I use Mad Hippie exfoliating serum every other night. Take a little drop, which is enough to lather my whole face. Let that soak in, wait 10 minutes.

• Again use Thayer’s Rose Petal Oil and Witch Hazel toner. Allow to soak in for a couple minutes.

• Tatcha luminous dewy night concentrate, again using the little spoon, with a couple small scoops, massage into skin.

From Delong Lashes and Aesthetics

From Amazon

From Sephora

From Sephora

From Sephora

I usually only wear the eye illuminator if I am going out as it is tinted and I don’t need that for every day. I think in the future I will purchase an actual under eye cream from Tatcha. I try to do a face mask once a week. Whether it’s an undereye mask, or a sheet mask, or an African black soap clay mask, or a charcoal facial scrub. I plan to get quarterly facials as well as I already stated. MacKenzie from Delong Lashes and Aesthetics does my facials and I absolutely love going to see her. Sunscreen in the summer now no matter what. I know I should wear it even in the winter but I really don’t get out much. My pale skin can attest to that. I do like my pale skin. I do also like my tanned skin but I tan much more in moderation than I used to when I was younger and always use sunscreen. The last thing I use basically daily is my all over body moisturizer which is the Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula which I am sure most women have used because it is supposed to prevent and fade stretch marks. Does it work? I find it works, but also stretch marks are genetic mostly and you need to be very consistent with it. Most pregnant woman use it, but I just love it for every day use. It is so moisturizing and leaves you smelling like chocolate, and the ingredients are pretty good. I also like to use Live Clean argan oil moisturizer. I will put links to all products that I have pictured.

From Amazon

From Shopper’s Drug Mart

From Amazon

https://www.amazon.ca/Thayers-Natural-Remedies-Witch-Hazel/dp/B007HD570Q/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1NXV5PE84URH3&keywords=thayers+witch+hazel&qid=1555035923&s=gateway&sprefix=thaye%2Caps%2C182&sr=8-5

https://www.madhippie.com/collections/all-products/products/exfoliating-serum

https://www.sephora.com/ca/en/product/the-water-cream-P418218?icid2=products%20grid:p418218:product

https://www.sephora.com/ca/en/product/the-dewy-skin-cream-P441101?icid2=products%20grid:p441101:product

https://www.sephora.com/ca/en/product/the-pearl-tinted-eye-illuminating-treatment-P431423?icid2=products%20grid:p431423:product

https://www.amazon.ca/Palmers-Butter-Formula-Vitamin-Lotion/dp/B0009F3O8Q/ref=pd_sbs_0_4/138-0692160-4908166?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0009F3O8Q&pd_rd_r=61a96898-5d36-11e9-8b47-e199cf055912&pd_rd_w=CXDCC&pd_rd_wg=saXYf&pf_rd_p=5dcda75b-8643-4da3-9bb1-5c0233790500&pf_rd_r=N7WJ8J68H35FJAY64NJM&psc=1&refRID=N7WJ8J68H35FJAY64NJM

https://www.amazon.ca/Shea-Moisture-African-clarifying-moisture/dp/B01J0JQ7I0/ref=sr_1_10?crid=3Y95PG4K49N3&keywords=shea+moisture+african+black+soap&qid=1555082422&s=beauty&sprefix=shea+moisture%2Cbeauty%2C178&sr=1-10

https://www.amazon.ca/Anti-Aging-Hyaluronic-Moisturizing-Reducing-Puffiness/dp/B07NDJ1JJ5/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=29117VANWNK8X&keywords=under+eye+mask&qid=1555082498&s=beauty&sprefix=under+eye%2Cbeauty%2C177&sr=1-1-spons&psc=1

This picture is not filtered or edited.

I have been using these products for about 3.5 months now and I feel I can conclusively say these products have made an improvement on my overall skin. It’s not dry anymore or discoloured. I also feel as though my pore size became significantly smaller. I never really wore face makeup to begin with but now, never. It feels good to do something good for yourself. Everyone deserves a good skin care routine. You just need to find the right products for you.

My Athena Cup

This subject is definitely very personally related to women so if periods and womanly matters gross you out I suggest you not read this post. If you’re an adult who knows its just a bodily function and is literally part of life and nature then continue reading because if I can inform any ladies to make this switch I will be so pleased. And I feel as if it changed my life so I want to pass on this little tidbit of information.

This year my goal was to make small changes in my life to help reduce my waste and impact on destroying the planet. Some of these include eating vegan more often, making more conscious decisions and buying more expensive things but better quality, basically binging items that no longer serve me by donating to a women’s shelter, driving less (easy when it’s winter and your home with a baby and toddler), using plastic less hair products such as shampoo bars and DIY hair masks/avoiding most makeup products all together, and making sure we consume basically everything we eat, not having to throw out food. Women’s feminine hygiene products are not a sustainable option. A) they’re gross and you don’t want that in your garbage bin, or even worse I know people who flush their’s as well which is absolutely horrible for your sewage system. B) We waste so much money on buying tampons why not put the fee up front for a one to 2 time cost rather than spending 1000s of dollars on tampons in a life time. C) They are so horrible for you. The toxic chemicals that are put into tampons and then shoved up our most precious lady parts is honestly scary. Genetically modified and chemical laden cotton, bleach, high levels of dioxin!!! Yuck. You do not need these ingredients anywhere near you let alone the sensitive walls and lining of your vagina.

https://www.amazon.ca/Athena-Menstrual-Cup-Recommended-Transparent/dp/B010EB67E2/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=diva+cup&qid=1553826773&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

I use the knock off “Diva Cup” version. You can buy it on amazon and it’s half the price of the Diva Cup. I have 2 of them I bought and for the past 6 months, from when I first got my period after having Ash and during parts of my miscarriage, I have been using it and its has honestly changed my life. I I recommend the first model if you are under 30 and have not had a baby vaginally. Use the second version if you are either over 30 or have had a baby vaginally. I use the second version obviously as a 30 year old woman who has had 2 vaginal deliveries. I will post photos of how to properly fold it before inserting it as a tutorial because I think the reason why people don’t use it is because is because they are intimidated about shoving stuff up their vagina and it getting lost or not being able to get it out. You fold it like the pictures shows and you can either lie down or squat or whatever is most comfortable but only when it’s folded will it go in properly. Once you get up and move around it should open up correctly and you will hardly even feel it. It should not cause pain or discomfort. The best thing about the menstrual cup is you can leave it inside your body for 12 hours. No worries about toxic shock syndrome or all the toxic chemicals that you are inserting to your body with awful tampons that are so expensive. It literally acts like a plug and is amazing how well it works. I feel as though I am becoming more in tune with my body as well. To take it out there is a little tip that you used to grip onto and just pull. It might require getting up in there and at times can be a little messy but I promise that it is still worth it. I use regular hand soap to wash my cup after each use and also boil it usually once after my period is over. You can also buy the “Diva Wash” and use that. I have used both the Diva Wash and hand soap and they both work great. I also have a friend who uses Cetaphil to wash hers.

I highly recommend getting a menstrual cup. I promise it is well worth it and you will wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. You will also feel good about being kind to your body, the planet and your wallet. I know there are certain situations in which a menstrual cup is not ideal or just won’t work at all so in cases like these I would urge you to look for organic tampons and maybe cloth pads which I have seen in numerous different places. I will drop a couple links:

Organic tampons: https://www.amazon.ca/ECO-Naty-Organic-Applicator-Free-Digital/dp/B075G165QX/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=organic+tampons&qid=1554758543&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

Cloth menstrual pads: https://www.newmoonpads.com/index.html

Be good to your vagina ladies. After everything she goes through for us she deserves the best of the best.

Jupiter Retrograde

Jupiter retrograde starts on April 10th. Jupiter the planet of luck and expansion. This is known as the lucky planet and indicates where we will find abundance in our life and at what times of year will be luckiest for us. Because it represents expansion it has the ability to magnify already good or bad things that are happening in our lives. Not only does it magnify the good and the bad but it also has the power to show you gifts and rewards and gives you deeper clarity on the bigger picture. Jupiter will be retrograde from April 10th to August 11th which is 4 months. A lot longer than our Mercury retrogrades. Having said that Jupiter’s is not nearly as powerful or life changing and even then so, retrogrades are not a bad or worrisome time of year despite their reputation. They are more so a time to take a step back and reflect on the situations related to that planet. This Jupiter retrograde is going to be focussing on love and relationships and you may experience changes in ares of personal growth and development, success and happiness. For Jupiter these will be things like any messages or gifts you think the universe has been trying to give to you but you might not necessarily have received them yet. This is also a great time to become more open to Jupiter and what Jupiter has to offer you. Do some digging and try to see the grander vision. Let go of ego that is holding you back and blocking the bigger picture. This is also a good time to reflect on dark experiences that we have been through. Try to find the silver lining and maybe some bit of peace and healing. There is always a silver lining no matter what and Jupiter retrograde helps us to see this. Jupiter retrograde indicates to us places in our life that need improvement. What do you need to work on to be better at every aspect of your life. Not just one thing but your relationships, your career, your health. What can be improved to make you an overall happy, healthy and open minded individual. Perhaps you are experiencing an addiction or have been arrogant or ignorant towards a certain situation. Jupiter will shed light on this and you will feel like making a change for the better. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this and do not be afraid. Time and Jupiter will test you to see if you are ready and deserving of good fortune, good romance and perhaps even material wealth. But you might have to go through some deeper issues to get to that point. Trust the process and as always healing is important to grow as a person and to finally receive what is it you actually seek. It will go direct August 11th and so there will be plenty of time to process this retrograde period. It is coming though my friends so be weary of that energy shift.

Horror Women Fridays - Christina Ricci

Christina Ricci is one of my all time fave goth cult queens and child actor turned adult actor. She definitely is known for choosing unconventional acting gigs. Somewhat dark and edgy roles. She also has a really unique look with her large eyes, pointy small nose and long dark hair. She has starred in several of my all time favourite movies; The Addams Family, Sleepy Hollow, Monster and Mermaids. She also has been in a slew of other awesome but not as favourite movies. She started as a child starring along side Winona Ryder and Cher in the charming comedy about a teenage girl coming of age story with Cher as her flighty mother and Christina Ricci as her clueless little sister. My most favourite scene in that movie is when Christina Ricci and Winona Ryder get drunk on Halloween and it somewhat reminds me of a halloween movie. She also starred as a child in Casper which is just an instant 90s classic and definitely reminds me of a halloween movie. Casper who was played by every 90s girl crush, Devon Sawa, who then of course turns into a ghost and falls for Cat played by Christina Ricci. I will never forget the scene where they dance together in the most glorious haunted house you have ever seen and start floating together.

She also starred as Wednesday Addams the iconic gothic daughter of Moritcia Addams. This role just screams icon to me. Wednesday is one of my favourite characters of all time. She starred in both Addams Family and Addams Family Values but out of the two I would say her character really develops in Addams Family Values. When the nanny insists that her and Pugsley go to summer camp, to their displeasure, Wednesday ends up becoming the lead in the camp play Pocohantas and using her role to shed light on the horrible atrocities the pilgrims actually did to the Native American people. She has the most iconic line as she almost lights the annoying privileged, ignorant, air head blonde playing Pilgrim Betty, on fire:

My all time favourite Tim Burton movie is of course the gothic cinematic masterpiece Sleepy Hollow which is based on the classic tale The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Edgar Allen Poe. It is visually stunning and creepy and Christina plays the lovely Katrina who peaks the love interest of Ichabod Crane played by Johnny Depp. She makes a gorgeous blonde and she favours Winona Ryder so much, with her style, her starring alongside Johnny Depp, a natural brunette, as a blonde. Winona Ryder is another of my favourites for another time but I do love them both so much and find them in similar acting roles and styles. Watch this one if you want creepy visual effects and a tale about a headless horsemen. This is the perfect movie to watch for Halloween. Or you know, any old day lol.

I am not normally a drama movie kinda girl, I prefer to stick to horror but there are some dramas that have a semblance of horror in them and are just that damn good I need to watch. Monster is one of those movies. Based on the true story of the first female serial killer Eileen Wuornos. If you know anything about this story it’s actually really sad about what happened to her to make her turn towards killing johns. I highly recommend the movie and even watching a couple documentaries on Eileen because her life is very sad. Charlize Theron plays Eileen and won an Oscar for her role and I must say she did a damn good job. She had to gain something like 50 lbs and she certainly was not beautiful and glamorous the way she normally is. The transformation was spectacular. Christina plays Selby a somewhat naïve young girl who gets taken under Eileen’s wing and then eventually becomes her lover. She lives with her during the majority of her killing spree and ends up turning her over to the police and testifying in court, when she becomes implicated in her crimes. The movie is dark and sad and twisted and is definitely on my top favourites. If you are into true crime and serial killers definitely add this one to your list.

Back to horror, she starred as the lead in the Werewolf movie called Cursed. I was on such a Werewolf kick at the time in my teens. Ginger Snaps and Cursed were my favourite movies. I wanted to be a werewolf and vampire so badly when I was younger. They still are some of my favourites. Although Cursed is a little bit more cheesy than Ginger Snaps it is still good. She stars alongside Joshua Hartnett and gets mysteriously bitten by a large dog and then changes start to happen to her. Eventually it ends up being an all out werewolf battle at the full moon. A lot of people might not be into werewolf movies but if you are be sure to check out this one

Christina Ricci dropped a bunch of weigh to star in another drama called Black Snake Moan, starring alongside Justin Timberlake and Samuel L. Jackson. The movie is pretty cheesy and she plays a nymphomaniac whose boyfriend goes off to war and she basically goes on a bender, fucks a bunch of people and then gets left for dead on the side of the road. Samuel L. Jackson’s character finds her, nurses her back to health and then wants to rid her of her inner demons (nymphomania). While the whole world is judging her you come to find out the reason she acts out sexually is because she was abused as a child, big shocker. Anyway as I said the movie is pretty cheesy but she looks hot as hell and if you want to just stare at her body for a couple hours then this is definitely the movie to do it.

She stars in a bunch of other famous and great movies and tv shows. A lot that I have seen and some that I haven’t. Some honourable mentions are Now and Then, Buffalo ‘66, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Bless the Child, Prozac Nation, Pumpkin, Penelope and The Lizzie Borden Chronicles. I would love for her to star in another amazing horror movie or reprise some long ago role. I will finish this blog post with a picture of her posing as the matriarch of the Addams Family, Morticia Addams. I dare say she may even look better than the original, although don’t quote me on that. Another great reason for my love of Christina Ricci is she is so damn cute. Petite little thing with that unconventional beauty. If all else you should watch her films to gaze upon her lovely face. I will also leave this by saying that tonight my sister in law is coming over around 9pm so we can go see the remake of Pet Semetary. I am so excited as this is yet again another favourite of mine and Stephen King is a whole other story when it comes to my interests. He is my all time favourite author and has made some of my favourite books that have eventually become classic horror movies. I was thinking of making a top 50 list of favourite horror movies and books. Let me know is this something that would interest y’all.

New Moon in Aries Ritual

There are some really ancient rituals that have been done for 1000s of years. A lot of different astrologers and healers use these types of things to help people with the difficulties of life. You can do a ritual for all kinds of different things but some popular times to commit to doing a ritual is during new moons, full moons and during the equinoxes and solstices. If you really enjoy doing them then you can start to do a ritual for other things you need in life. It can be very therapeutic. The power of manifestation is a crazy thing and that’s why these rituals are important.

The new moon moves into Aries on April 3rd at 10:18pm. We set intentions for the month on the new moon to be clear and concise about what we like to achieve. The new moon in Aries asks us to focus on ambition, drive and action. Aries season is all about putting yourself first. Put your actions towards your true desires. Aries is fiery, dynamic and electric. You need to practice the most self-love

You have 3 days before and 3 days after the new moon to perform this ritual.

1) Gather any and all supplies that you will need for the ritual. You can use sage to smudge beforehand, crystals you will need (moonstone, aventurine, carnelian, or clear quartz are good choices), a journal to write, a bowl to smudge in or burn intentions, a bowl of water and a candle. If you have a red candle I would recommend using red because red, fiery and Mars are all associated with Aries.

2) Create yourself a special alter space for all the items that you have gathered. It doesn’t matter where your alter space is, it can be any table in the house or on the floor, wherever you feel most comfortable. Decorate with items such as crystals, plants, candles, things you find outside in nature like leaves or feathers, decorative table runners, anything you can really think of that seems appropriate.

3) Start by smudging your alter space and say a little prayer. It can be along the lines of “I respect mother moon and all she does for us. I take this time to set honest intentions. I manifest all that is good and bright and light. I have the power to change my future. I will let go all that no longer serves me. I am totally and completely alined spiritually. I am in tune with my higher powers. “ Write down your intentions or wishes. focus on them, meditate on them. What do you wish for your life? Can you actually picture these things happening to and for you in your life? The manifestation WILL NOT work if you truly don’t believe it. It’s important to be clear on what you want. You can doodle and make your intentions “pretty” or you can just be as simple as writing a list. Some new moon in Aries intentions would be: Try something new. Speak your truth. Conquer your fears. Break the rules. Take the lead. Do your own thing for you

4) Light your candle and put your crystals in the bowl of water. For this ritual I definitely recommend using fire and burning your intentions. You will write your intentions down into your journal. You will start off by writing down the things you want to release and what no longer serves you. You will ask for the guidance in doing this. Don’t let fear or ego hold you back any longer. Talk about what you need to let go of and how you plan to do it. Next you will write about your wishes for the next month. What do you desire above all else. This is the perfect month to focus solely on your needs rather than everybody else’s needs. Especially right after Pisces season with the all encompassing emotions I am sure we have all been feeling. You will light the paper on fire and watch how the fire burns your intentions. Maybe it burns fast or maybe it fizzles out fast. After removing your crystals, use the charged crystal water to extinguish the flames by dropping the burning paper into the water. This seals your desires and puts them out into the universe. You can either bury the ashes into the earth outside (weather dependent) or you can pour them down the sink,

5) At this time you can take some time for yourself however you wish, further meditation, possibly a tarot reading if you do that, you can even enjoy a glass of wine. Tell the moon you love her, clean up your space and take the crystals to bed with you. You have just completed your new moon ritual.

I hope you guys enjoy doing this ritual and can find some peace or healing that you may be needing in life. I also hope that you manifest your deepest desires and this moon month goes exactly how you wish it to. Now is the time for action and to put forth effort into achieving your goals. Use that dynamic spark