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vertically inclined

heyitsbex · July 10, 2020 · Leave a Comment

When I was younger, I spent a great deal of time hanging around the hockey arenas at the local community centre. This place was great, so much to do. There was even a Little Rock climbing arena in it. Every so often my mom would splurge and take us. I remember LOVING it.

Fondly remembering these times, I put ‘go rock climbing (even if its just in a gym)’ on my beloved 29×30 list. It was probably the one thing I was most excited for. Then the good old COVID-19 pandemic hit and everything shut down. I basically wrote this one off as no way, no how is it going to happen.

My ninja sister however, had other plans. As Alberta slowly began reopening, she began planning little surprise adventure dates to check off the last few items on my list. Which brought us to Vertically Inclined, a local climbing place in Edmonton.

We began with a quick lesson on how to use the belay mechanisms and the lingo for climbers. The fella who worked there was extremely kind, quite hilarious, and very patient as we learned how to operate the ropes.

It was so great seeing Anthony try rock-climbing for the first time. He had so much fun and was so brave!

Overall, it was just as much fun as I remembered it being as a kid, and that’s another thing to check off the 29×30 list! It’s quite the work out and really tests your upper body strength. I could totally see myself making it a regular sporting activity. Maybe one day I’ll try climbing in the mountains… it just may pop up on a future birthday list!

Have you ever gone rock climbing? I’d love to hear your favourite places to climb!

DIY macrame garden parties

heyitsbex · June 26, 2020 · Leave a Comment

Anybody who knows me knows I’m always up for trying a new craft. In the last few years, macrame has made a come back, so it automatically piqued my interest. Then, a friend I knew back home, Natalie Renae, published a macrame how-to book called Macrame at Home. Not only was it super cool to buy a book where I knew the author, it was also amazing to see a fellow creative thrive.

Photo from @Natalie_Renae on Instagram

Macrame at Home is filled with unique projects for you to try, ranging from plant hangers to an adorable floor pouf. Filled with light and airy photography, the entire book aesthetic is stunning. I highly recommend checking it out!

Me, being the natural procrastinator that I am, couldn’t decide on a project to choose. Finally, I put ‘Complete a piece from Natalie’s book’ on my 29 x 30 list, so procrastination would not triumph! Granted, it still did. My birthday is only a few weeks away, and I still hadn’t made a piece. Enter Jesslyn. Queen of sisters and a key supporter in my list ambitions. Throwing me way off, she planned a surprise Macrame Garden Party before July had even started!

Not only was it so much fun to finally create a piece from Modern Macrame, it was amazing to have my closest people join me! Not to mention, my sister’s backyard party decor was stunning! Seriously, she’s the best sister on the planet.

If you’re in the Toronto area, Natalie occasionally hosts Macrame Workshops, where you can learn to create your own works of art! Otherwise, I highly recommend checking out her book Modern Macrame. She’s even releasing a new book in the coming months called Statement Macrame, if you’re looking for a bigger challenge and wanting to make your own large-scale statement piece.

Photo from @Natalie_Renae on Instagram

What type of things do you create? Or have you ever written a book? I’d love to hear about them!

walking in a winter wonderland

heyitsbex · March 16, 2020 · Leave a Comment

I’ve been in Alberta for five winters now. I moved out here at the beginning of December. It was met with endless commentary of how silly I was to move out west during the frigid Edmonton winters. What I’ve learned since being here though, is that Winter in Alberta is equal to cottage country in Ontario during summer. There is an endless amount of winter activities to enjoy just a short trip away in the majestic mountain range of the Rockies.

One particular winter activity I had yet to partake in was snowshoeing. Naturally, I put it on my 29 x 30 list! Now, I love a good hike in the summer, especially in the mountains. Would it be as fun on snowshoes in the cold winter? For Christmas this year, my mom gifted Mathew, myself, my sister and brother-in-law a weekend getaway to Golden, BC. It was the perfect location to try out a pair of snowshoes!

It was absolutely magical. The snow was falling. The scenery was stunning. And snowshoeing was surprisingly hard! It was quite the workout trekking through the forest.

Taking in the mountains through the trees is a unique perspective and provides endless adventure.

Overall, I loved going snowshoeing! I’d go again in a heartbeat. It’s also a nice alternative to get out and enjoy the mountains without having to spend the small fortune it costs to get a lift ticket.

10/10 would recommend.

Where is your favourite place to go snowshoeing? What other winter activities would you recommend?

10 things i learned from 90 days of whole30

heyitsbex · March 1, 2020 · Leave a Comment

Complete a whole 90 – in other words, eat whole30 for 90 days. It was an ambitious thing to put on my 29 x 30 list, but I was convinced I could do it. I also knew that whole30 tends to be the only eating plan that actually helps me control my weight.

Here’s what I know about myself. I have absolutely no self-control. If there’s a box of ice cream in the freezer, I’m eating the entire thing within two days. So whole30 is the perfect solution – for me. It matches my needs and my personality type by strictly cutting things out. It also isn’t that far of a stretch from what I eat normally, it just removes the junk food I can’t quit.

What is whole30? If you haven’t heard of it, I highly suggest checking out the book, Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom or whole30.com. The basic premise is you eat whole foods and ingredients for 30 days and cut all the extra crap out. No added sugars. No preservatives. No processed carbs. No baked goods. No alcohol. Again, the strict rules are a challenge at first, but for me, I need the set box to work within. Whole foods. I can do that.

To be honest, these past three months weren’t as hard as I thought they would be. I was so determined and I knew if I didn’t do these 90 days, there wasn’t going to be another 90 day window I could achieve the level of strict eating required before my birthday (which would mean I wouldn’t be able to check it off my 29×30 list). Some might say a little insane because I did whole30 throughout the Christmas season. Not a single baked good was consumed, and no Christmas stuffing either. That might have been the hardest part.

So what did I learn? Man, so much! Here’s a list of 10 things I learned or that contributed to my success:

  1. There are weird unnecessary ingredients in so many things. It should not be allowed. Take for instance, coconut milk. Rooster brand has a bunch of extra chemicals, but only costs $1. Another brand, has simply coconut extract and water, and costs double at $2. For me, now that I am aware of the chemicals, this is a cost I’m willing to accept.
  2. This barbecue sauce is the single greatest barbecue sauce. Never will I ever buy another barbecue sauce with chemicals and sugar again. It’s great to grill chicken in and to adapt into a spicy cashew nut chicken sauce. I had a mason jar filled in my fridge from the day I discovered it until now.
  3. Fruit is a powerful cooking ingredient. I started adding pineapples to many beef dishes. Adds a natural sweetness and makes everything so delicious.
  4. Having Mathew live with me helped significantly. I was already in a routine of coming home and making dinner. I strongly believe this was a huge factor in my success. It’s really hard to cook for just one person. Be kind to yourself if you’re in that situation.
  5. Blueberry larabars were a lifesaver. I get anxious in certain situations where I exert myself if I feel like I don’t have enough food. Keeping a larabar in my soccer bag or for after OrangeTheory made all the difference and prevented me from stopping for something quick.
  6. Salsa is a good makeshift salad dressing. It’s far easier to find a whole30 compliant salsa in Canada than it is to find a whole30 salad dressing. I opted for salsa a few times and it was quite tasty.
  7. There’s finally a breakfast meat that is whole30 compliant in Canada! I’m so grateful Maple Leaf came out with this all natural 25% reduced sodium bacon that has absolutely no added sugar! It is the only breakfast meat I can find in Canada that is whole30 compliant. Literally every other sausage, bacon, pea meal bacon has added sugar or crap in it. I ate so much bacon in these 90 days and I’ve never felt healthier.
  8. It’s easier to adapt recipes to be whole and natural than you would think. Take for example my mango curry chicken. We used to use the VH Mango Curry sauce that is loaded with crap. Now, I make the exact same dish with a bag of frozen mangos, a tablespoon or two of curry powder and a can of coconut milk. I’d argue the whole version tastes significantly better!
  9. People are more willing to support you than you could imagine. Make sure you talk to your people about what you’re doing. Help them understand. I may have the best family in the world, but they accommodated my diet restrictions and adjusted our entire Christmas dinner. My brother quite often ensured our Sunday dinners were whole30 for me. Mathew has been so willing to eat what I prepare. The only adjustments I made is he gets pasta if I have zucchini noodles, or actual rice if I’m eating cauliflower rice.
  10. It’s important to follow the program, but living life always wins in the end. In times where life happens, BE KIND to yourself! There were a few times where the oil at a restaurant was probably not going to be compliant. I could either get caught up in this and throw my whole90 out the window, or recognize that my boyfriend’s boss is only going to retire once (hopefully!). It’s more important to share that moment with my people than it is to beat myself up about the fact my vegetables were probably cooked in an oil blend. Does this mean I didn’t do a whole90? Absolutely not. I firmly believe I achieved my goal – not to mention I’ve never been healthier, more muscular, and I’m back to my weight I was when when I was 22. The key is to save this mentality for unavoidable times and changing your lifestyle to complement your eating habits.

Overall, I am so proud of myself for sticking it out for 90 days. I’m so happy with my body, how I look, but more importantly how I feel. The added consciousness of what I’m consuming and how it affects me has changed my life. I believe the 90 days led to a true lifestyle change, not just a 30 day experiment. I’m excited to splurge once in a blue moon, but I’m pretty sure this way of eating is here to stay! Stay tuned and I’ll share some of my favourite whole30 meals.

Have you ever completed a whole30? What’s your must-share tip or recipe?

Handmade christmas tree.

heyitsbex · December 19, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Christmas is one of my favourite times of year – not for the gifts; that’s actually my least favourite part. Rather, I adore the homeyness a Christmas tree brings to a space. Twinkle lights are also my jam. I have them up all year round in my bedroom, but Christmas is an excuse to hang them all through the house.

This year I put “make a new Christmas tree theme” on my 29×30 list. I’ve had the same red and gold theme for almost 10 years; it was time for a change.

I had an idea while I was travelling through Thailand to use a simple theme. Wooden beads and twine. I had been gifted a crocheted twine snowflake and loved how it looked against the white twinkle lights and deep green tree (ironically, the twine never even made it into the Christmas Tree decoratings!)

As December neared, I started to research different homemade ornament ideas. I didn’t want to spend a ton of money and wanted to keep to my theme as much as possible. Joke was on me though cause between beads and puffy paint, I’m sure I spent a lot more money than planned. The first set of ornaments I made were dried out oranges. These turned out so much more wonderful than I imagined they would be. The way the lights shined through the translucent dried orange pulp was stunning.

My theme developed a little to include more neutral colours, some browns, and a splash of colour with some salt-dough ornaments painted like sugar cookies and fancy “gingerbread” snowflakes (read: cinnamon ornaments) iced with “royal icing” (read: glitter puffy paint). I’ve been obsessed with watching sugar cookie decorating videos on Facebook for the better part of a year, so naturally I took the opportunity to “practice” with a slightly different medium.

After all the ornaments were created I felt I needed some more garland so I opted for the old fashion popcorn and cranberry strings! This was my first time making them, but it was so relaxing and festive to string popcorn and watch the latest instalment of ‘A Christmas Prince’!

Some of the inspiration for these ornaments included:

  • DIY dried citrus ornaments
  • these DIY wood bead snowflake ornaments
  • these sugar cookies and these ones
  • and these super easy homemade cinnamon ornaments

Overall, I’m so happy with how my tree turned out this year. I think I’ll keep it for next year!

Do you have any handmade ornaments on your tree or any other Christmas traditions? Share your favourites with me!

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