Today is an awesome day for three reasons.
First, not only is it the start of a new week, but it’s the start of a new month as well – that’s like a clean slate / fresh beginning double whammy. Love it. In addition too that, July brings with it a handful of really exciting changes/events for me, all of which I’ll share with you the closer the dates get. And I know I keep saying that, but I don’t want to jump ahead of myself and mention things too early, and it’s not my fault time goes by so slowly…
Second, the first day of July means it’s Canada Day for us Canucks. Cue BBQ’s, fireworks, and a day off.
Third, June being a thing of the past means I can finally share some of my monthly favorites with you guys. I’ve got some food, beauty, and other miscellaneous loves to share, so let’s get crackin’…
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. food .
Maybe it’s the warmer weather, or maybe it’s the fact that they’re just freakin’ delicious, but I’ve been obsessed with frozen bananas lately. Not in smoothies, just straight up on their own – right out of the freezer.
If you let them thaw for a few minutes, they become so creamy – we’re talking a perfect melt-in-your-mouth alternative to banana soft serve on those days where you’re feeling too lazy to whip out the blender (read: every day for me). What I do is take a few ripe bananas (it’s important that they’re just starting to spot – you don’t want them too green or too brown), peel them, slice them up into small pieces, throw them into a plastic bag, and stick them in the freezer.
The next day (or in a few hours if you’re really impatient)? You’ve got yourself a perfectly creamy bite-sized snack. I’m not even kidding when I say I’m seriously addicted to these suckers – I go through them like nobody’s business. And speaking of which…
Ketchup Popchips. These things are amazing dangerous. I’m sorry to all my non-Canadian readers since this variety is only available in Canada, but it’s nice to finally have something up here that isn’t available anywhere else – I can’t help but rub it in a little 😉 Especially because… holy.wow are these ever good – think light, crispy fries with ketchup that are basically impossible to put down. Again, completely smitten.
And because no day/life/favorites list would be complete without chocolate, say hello to my newest love…
Alter Eco’s Dark Mint chocolate. There’s really nothing to say about this bar other than… daaaaaaaaaamn. If you’re a big fan of mint chocolate, then I can’t recommend this one enough. It’s so smooth, just sweet enough, and has a delightfully subtle crunch from all the sugary mint crystals in it. Newest pantry staple, for sure.
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. beauty .
It makes me sad to admit this, but June wasn’t all that exciting on the beauty front (I walked out of Sephora without buying anything, remember?). I mean, I did fall in love with a couple of new nail polishes…
Essie’s Full Steam Ahead
Essie’s Sunday Funday
… but other than that? I’ve mostly been sticking to the tried-and-true and keeping things pretty simple. Summer = heat = sweat = minimal things I can tolerate on my face. Actually, would you guys be interested in a post featuring my favorite summer beauty products and the routine I follow? Let me know in the comments and I can start working on it!
Anywho, despite all that, I’ve still got a few noteworthy things to share with you guys (thank goodness). First up, the foundation that I’m currently crushing on big time…
Revlon’s Colorstay liquid foundation. I’ve been using BB cream for the past little while, but my skin has been giving me some issues lately, which is requiring a little more coverage than BB cream can offer. Despite being a drugstore brand, this foundation is easily one of my favorites. It offers really great coverage while being lightweight enough so that you barely realize that you’re wearing anything. It lasts pretty much all day without melting off (as long as you set it with a powder), and gives a really nice velvety finish to your skin that doesn’t end up making you look greasy or oily as the day goes on. And the best part? It’s super affordable. If you’re looking for a new foundation, I can’t recommend this one enough.
Speaking of new, after years of being loyal to NARS’ Laguna, I’ve finally picked up a new bronzer…
Tarte’s Matte Bronzer in Park Avenue Princess. I professed my love for Tarte’s Amazonian clay blushes in my May favorites post, and I’m professing my love for their bronzer in this one. Long-lasting, easy to blend, and free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and fragrances – a perfect way to add a sun-kissed glow to your face.
And guys… Beauty Blender. I’m serious. This will change your life.
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. odds and ends .
This probably won’t come as a surprise, but…
Candy Crush. Part of me wants to tell you to avoid this game at all costs because of how much of your life it will steal from you; but the other part of me wants to encourage you to play it because it’s so.dang.fun. Never mind that it’ll drive you crazy at times. Never mind that you’ll want to toss your phone around in frustration. Never mind that it’ll get you to hate chocolate. The feeling of accomplishment that you get when you pass a level that you’ve been working on for days? Priceless.
This next one is a bit of a surprise, mostly because I picked it up on a whim and didn’t expect to like it as much as I do…
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. Inspired by Celtic legends of deadly, flesh-eating water horses that emerge from the ocean to wreak havoc on the mainland, The Scorpio Races is an unlikely love story surrounding Kate “Puck” Connelly and Sean Kendrick – two orphans competing in the Scorpio Races. The Scorpio Races are held on the beaches of Thisby every November. Racers mount the backs of the deadly capaill uisce and hope not only to be the first to cross the finish line, but to finish alive. Sean is a seasoned veteran of the races, with 4 wins under his belt, while Puck is an unwilling and unexperienced participant. Both have everything riding on the races (Puck to save her family, Sean to earn his freedom), but there can only be one winner…
I really enjoyed this book. It was the first time I encountered this myth in any novel, and I have to admit that it was a nice change from all the vampire/werewolf/dystopian subject matter that seems to be popular in the YA genre these days. It was an easy and interesting read, told from alternating point-of-view of both characters to add a nice depth to the story thanks to their contrasting personalities. I definitely recommend picking this one up.
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. blog .
June was a month of waiting, which was both annoying and exciting at the same time. Lots of decisions made about the future, coupled with lots of time spent waiting for them to come to fruition. Sigh. In any case, here are a few notable happenings from the past month…
- Cryptic secrets 😉
- Two new recipes! One for a simple low-fat banana bread and the other for rice krispie energy bites, the latter of which was also accepted by Foodgawker. Squee!!
- Keeping with the foodie theme, I shared a collection of my favorite snacks, as well as a completely honest WIAW.
- The reason for the latter? Coming clean about the fear of being judged as disordered simply for wanting to live a healthy life. I also opened up about feeling like I was in limbo at the moment… hence the whole “waiting for things to happen” ordeal.
- Made a goal to dry brush every day in July. So far so good.
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Here’s to a freaking awesome July!
What’s your favorite brand/type of chocolate? Plain? Dark? With nuts? With fruit? With filling?…
What are you currently reading or what did you last read? I’m always looking for new books!
Anything exciting happen in June? Any big plans for July?
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Ohhhh Girlie… I would gladly mail/trade you ANY flavor(s) of Popchips if you would send me some of those ketchup ones!!!!!!:-)
You had me at “subtle crunch from the sugary mint crystals.” Those damn ketchup chips don’t hurt either. I’m actually got an upcoming vacation scheduled for Canada, and you can bet I’m finding those lovelies. I’m hoping they have dill pickle flavor too.
Still uber curious to hear the big news….
Dieing to try the Beauty Blender – I’m also on lookout for a new bronzer!
I’ve always used Too Faced brand of bronzers, but the last one I picked up was way to orangish for my skin tone.
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happy canada day! i’ll be celebrating us day in two more days! 😉
i’m a little addicted to essie nail polish. guess i should paint my nails for the celebration.
and as much as it pains me to say it, i’ve fallen for candy crush, too. though i don’t think i’d have the drive to work on a level for DAYS. ugh.
I love mint and chocolate together, so I need to try that chocolate bar! Right now my favourite brand of chocolate is Giddy Yoyo – they’re a local company here in Ontario and they’re totally nut free! Also organic, vegan, and pay 20% beyond fair trade, which is pretty awesome.
Right now I’m reading the second book in the Game of Thrones series. I can barely put it down!
Hope you had a good Canada Day girl! 🙂
Ooo! I’m going to have to keep my eyes open for Giddy Yoyo… I seriously hope they sell their products here in AB!
I would love to see a post on your summer beauty regime…especially since anything I do is basically just a trial and error sort of thing! Please, teach me your ways!! 😉 And yeah, thanks for reminding me that I need to start pestering you about those cryptic secrets…oh yeah, the email assault is ON! Lol
Hope you had a great day off…and got your hands on some ears…of corn that is! 😉
currently wearing the same purple Essie shade! and i do that with bananas too! nomnom
candy crush = addicting, amazing, and awful at the same time! currently reading secret life of bees, omnivore’s dilemma and the mixed up files (childhood classic!) for kid’s book club. favorite chocolate is plain old dark.
you’re posts always make me have an intense urge to get my nails done!!!
I am absolutely in love with that purpley nail polish. That color is my favorite…so, naturally, I NEED it for my nails!
That said, I would be interested in a post about your summer beauty favorites. I like to pretend that I’m stylish and knowledgeable about that stuff, but really, when your job is nannying, there isn’t much time or reason to look cute. So a post like that would help me live vicariously through you! 🙂
you make me so jealous with those ketchup pop chips, why oh why doesn’t the usa have them. come on country, get your act together! and funny story, hate bananas but love them frozen. its a texture thing.
Hey now… you guys have enough loot that we don’t get up here. It’s only fair 😛
I do that with bananas too! They are so creamy and refreshing when frozen. And I’m also too lazy to take whip out the blender more often than not.
I’m going to Canada next month so I will definitely need to check out those ketchup Popchips! My family used to love the regular ol’ ketchup potato chips but those look like an awesome alternative!
I am obsessed with frozen bananas too. I peel them, cut them in half, and put sucker sticks in them and pop them into the freezer. They are perfect for after a run. Also, I looove Popchips. I am obsessed with the Salt and Vinegar kind. But I have never seen the Ketchup kind. They sound wonderful. I’ll have to make my friend bring some back next time she goes to Canada.
I’ve been wanting to make those frozen banana pops! Have you ever tried coating them in chocolate and crushed cereal and/or nuts?
Not yet, but now I will 😉 I’ve bought chocolate covered bananas from Trader Joe’s, but I haven’t made my own. I’d like to find a way to make it a chocolate peanut butter combo. I am a huge fan of peanut butter and banana sandwiches (heavy on the PB).
I love your monthly favourites posts! I officially have to find myself both the mint chocolate and the ketchup chips! I remember when. I was a kid I would always have such a hard tie deciding between salt&vinegar, dill pickle or ketchup chips….because I loved all three. The ONLY chocolate I liked as a child was mint aero the rest I never liked. I love frozen bananas, but I like to sprinkle cocoa on them hehe 🙂
Some great June favorites! Congrats on the foodgawker thing! So exciting. I’ve never submitted anything to a site like that before, so I’m not sure what it entails, but it sounds like a huge accomplishment! Those rice krispie treats look soooo good so I’m not surprised at all. And you gotta stop being so cryptic with us! Haha
It seems like the only way I eat bananas anymore is frozen. They are so yummy and I love using them for smoothies or like you said soft serve!
I am a huge fan of mint chocolate- it’s One of my favourites! I love Amedei chocolate- they don’t have a lot of mint though- but their truffles more than make up for that 😉 I also love chocolate with hazelnuts or coconut- or why not both 🙂 I really can’t wait to find out your cryptic secrets! I have a new internship this July with a refugee advocacy firm- very humbled for the opportunity. Also have a new love interest (I know- waaay too fast- it’s just what happened) My fishing venture was very short lived this month as papa quickly realised that no one who is undergoing chemotherapy should be hauling tons of fish onto a boat! Was hard for him to admit. I hope July is wonderful for you Amanda, lots of love Sophia
You always find the best nail polish! I’m LOVING all things cold these days. Seriously, even things that aren’t ever supposed to be cold. What can I say, it’s summer in Alabama. That said, I’m totally trying your frozen bananas! Can’t wait to hear about your exciting news!
I honestly couldn’t imagine summers in Alabama. We’ve been having a bit of a hot spell here and I’m finding it hard enough to deal with that… and that’s only Canadian summer! I’d probably end up wanting to jump into my fridge every time I opened it down there…
Ha! A good fan and AC are a definite must! Although, I’m not sure I could handle Canadian winters. So, I guess there’s a trade-off. 🙂
Love those nail polish colors! One of my deciding factors when it comes to nail polish is their name. Sunday Funday would definitely qualify as a buy for me! 😉
I love to eat bananas this way as well! It hasmade me eeat a lot less ice cream this summer.
Oh, hey, thanks for reminding me about the dry brushing… I hope I can find my brush between when I get home at 8 or so and when I go to bed! 😉
First of all, you have something else that America doesn’t: Aero Bars! I’m sorry, Hershey, but you just don’t compare. *sniff*
I love aerated Hershey kisses (milk chocolate) I also love dark chocolate
I’m reading the Bible and a lot of Calvin and Hobbes/The Far Side comics
I went to Quebec and Montreal in June, and I am training for a half marathon now 😀