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?
I don’t even have any ideas as to what is going on for you in July but whatever it is sounds fabulous! Can’t wait to hear all about it! 🙂
I’m SO with you on the frozen bananas! They have been my go to nighttime snack. So perfect in the hot months. And I’m telling you – get that coconut butter on there and let it harden a bit. pure heaven.
I just started reading Beautiful Ruins and I love it! I definitely recommend it!
My birthday is this month so clearly it’s my fav month EVA… until next year when I hit the big 3-0!
Yay for exciting things to come! I’m glad you’re making changes and doing things for yourself! Big changes are always the nervous – but good nervous – feeling! And I am purposely not telling you what level I’m on because I am SO embarrassed by the fact I spend hours and hours a day playing this… But I can’t get past this level. It always comes down to one small jelly. ONE jelly. UGH. I think it’s the gamer in me and the fact I can’t say the level out of pure embarrassment. Idk. LOL.
As for chocolate… I’ll eat anything if it’s dark, dark, dark. If I had to choose a favorite… It’s probably be Dark Chocolate with Almonds… Maybe? Yeah, this is too hard.
I can’t even tell you how many times the one jelly thing has happened to me – pure evil. Right now I’m waiting to complete another set of quests, and the downtime has been intolerable 🙁 Feels like something is missing from my life.
Even though I’m sad that June is over, mostly because it means summer is that much closer to being over, I’m excited that it’s July, my favorite month! My big plan for this month is to celebrate my 21st birthday at the end of the month–I’m still planning where to eat/drink and what I want but I’m excited to finally be 21. I’m also excited for the 4th of July, going to a vegan food festival this weekend and just soaking up the warm weather.
Frozen bananas have been my obsession lately too! I’ve been blending them up into banana ice cream for breakfast for the past two weeks and I love eating them straight from the freezer too. Frozen grapes are another favorite of mine at the moment–they’re just so refreshing!
Happy Canada Day you lovely girl! I’ve been obsessed with frozen bananas too. I seriously can have 3 or more a day! Crazy! Loving you Essie polish! It’s so gorgeous!
I’m pretty sure that my banana numbers are somewhere up there too 😳 And let’s not even talk about the apples…
Amen to a new month!! Fresh starts are always welcomed! I’m a plain dark chocolate lover, the darker the better. Occasionally I will get wild and get flavored chocolates with orange or chili..but normally just dark dark dark!! Nothing crazy planned for my month other than FRYING in Washington. Holy hell where did this HEAT come from!?! It’s going to be 90 today and I am such a wimp.
Yayy I always love your monthly favorites posts!
My favorite chocolate is dark chocolate, although I do love a good mint chocolate. I used to be obsessed with Endangered Species mint dark chocolate squares. Therefore, I neeeeed to try this alter ego chocolate!
I’m currently reading ‘Where’d You Go, Bernadette’ which is okay so far. It’s one of those quick read type of books for when you’re not in the mood to do any heavy thinking. A good summer novel.
Happy Canada Day!!
Happy Canada Day! There’s something like 3000 fireworks going up tonight, I’m excited. 🙂 I’ve been looking for a new book for what seems like foreeeever, so I think I will definitely give that one a try. Favourite chocolate…just one?! Hah. Dark chocolate with hazelnuts, hands down. Have a great day!
I recently tried Nars’ blush at Sephora and fell in love with it. But it’s so expensive I can’t bring myself to purchase it. I’m on the hunt for a similar drugstore one.
NYX has some really great blushes (Peach is one of my favorites). It can be a little harder to find, but I think Ulta has them down in the States.
I need to try that banana trick. And I still need to try frozen grapes. Maybe you can bring those ketchup pop chips to HLS! 😉
I’ve really got to get that beauty blender. It sounds so amazing!
I love Black’s organic dark chocolate…so good! Nothing too exciting happening in July for me, but August will be a more eventful month! 😉
LOVE that Revlon foundation. You’re so right – it’s the best foundation I’ve tried yet (and trust me, I’ve tried a lot). And now that I’ve found my perfect foundation I need to buy that Beauty Blender!
I do the same thing with my naners, they’re great for future smoothies! I have a beauty blender too and love it, good stuff.
My favorite is dark chocolate with almonds, yum.
I just finished The Fault in Our Stars and it was very well written. Not a happy book but it evokes deep thought and I enjoyed it.
Happy Canada Day to you! Enjoy your day off.
Question…can you wash the Beauty blender? Is it just for one-time use? Sorry, I’m beauty-product ignorant.
Nope, you can definitely wash it and reuse it! Most people recommend changing it out eery 3 or 4 months, but you could probably extend that if you take good care of it. I just use a regular facial cleanser to wash mine – it gets the makeup out really well, and I use the stuff on my face so I might as well use it on my tools 😉
Ketchup popchops have my name all over them. I’m really glad to hear you are enjoying those and enjoying the new month. July is my favorite month because it’s my birthday month but also the month I started running in 2010. It always is just a good month for me.
Have you every tried frozen grapes??? They are wonderful! I’ll have to try bananas.
I love all chocolate. Caramel and sea salt make them great and if it’s in ice cream or Gelato… well that is just the best!
I have, and yes they’re amazing <3 It helps when they're frozen, too, because it's not as easy to go through a 2 lb bag like I do when they're fresh 😯
I love this post 🙂 It’s always fun to reflect.
My favourite chocolate is milk with fruit and nuts. Probably the worst kind for me but it’s amazing. Or chocolate orange, yum.
I’m currently reading The Hunger Games. IT IS AMAZING.
x
That chocolate!! I need to find it ASAP 🙂 As for July, lots of exciting things to come that I am going to have to be cryptic about at the moment… if only blogs weren’t so public, I’d love to share some exciting things with the world but alas, I have to keep it secret from a few. Can’t wait until your July announcements!
😆 Isn’t that the worst? I’ve been biting my tongue for the past month and it’s seriously starting to get annoying. I hate being cryptic, but at the same time I really, really want to share, so I can’t help but toss those little teasers out there 🙄
I totally agree on loving the fact that it’s Monday, and first day of the month…clean slate is amazing.
I’m totally a dark chocolate girl. I LOVE ghiradelli dark chocolate squares with raspberry filling. I am not allowed to keep them in the house or I indulge in all of them, at once.
Biggest thing this month for me is my first 70.3 in 13 days!
Mmm I love all chocolate but my favourite would have to be dark chocolate w/sea salt, it will change your life haha….I’m on a nutrition kick with books lately so I’, reading Eat to Live by Dr. Fuhrman and liking it so far.
Happy Canada Day 🙂
I’ve got some perfect brown spotty bananas for freezing! I’m going to try your frozen banana treat!
I love July as well! So much fun and the summer atmoshphere is in full swing. I’ve never had frozen bananas just by themselves, I have ad frozen grapes, though, which are the bomb diggity ;).
Ahh those nail colors=love <3! I also am looking into getting a brush for dry brushing. Loved your article about it chica 🙂
I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s loving the taste of frozen bananas. I actually made mini “sandwiches” the other day with PB in the middle of two banana slices. THAT was delicious. Happy day off!
I just bought a huge bunch of bananas that are about to start browning. Doing that, stat.
Mmm chocolate 🙂 I’ve recently been loving dark chocolate surrounding things like blueberries and cherries. Stick them in the freezer and you have a delicious and cool treat 😉 reading wise, i’ve been on a sarah jio kick recently but i found a bunch of stuff i want to check out from the library this weekend so i need to request those stat!
Happy Canada Day! 😀
I’m currently reading “Bergdorf Blondes.” It’s hilarious.
You just HAVE to rub in those ketchup Pop Chips a little more, don’t you?? 😉 Haha, but you are right. It is only fair that you have something super tasty that we do not have here in the States.
Happy Canada Day!! 🙂
I can’t wait to hear what you have to say! It’s hard keeping things a secret- I’m the worst. So I give you props for not spilling just yet. June flew by. I feel like it just began. That always happens in the summer and I hate it. Once August hits I’ll be so down in the dumps. Candy crush is so addicting except I’m STILL stuck on 65 and have been for a week straight. I don’t get it!
You’ve got me addicted to Candy Crush now hehe! I always had it on my phone but never played it that much…now I can’t get enough of it! It’s so frustrating when you just can’t get through a level.
My favourite chocolate is probably milk; filled – praline filling is always my go to! To be honest I love them all though ahha, apart from alcoholic chocolates yack.
Frozen bananas are delicious! I love frozen grapes too..they’re so moreish, I literally thing I could get through a 1kg bag of them all by myself!
Something that’s also really good with frozen bananas–sandwich some nut butter between two slices of banana, and freeze that way. So. Good.
The Scorpio Races (or at least, your summary of it) reminds me a lot of the Hunger Games, despite its non-dystopian status. Just in the competing for survival aspect. It sounds really interesting!
It’s actually a really great read 😀 And Puck is eerily similar to Katniss now that you mention it – both really headstrong and independent. And I -need- to try those nut butter sandwiches… I just bought a huge batch of bananas that I’ll be freezing this week, so you better believe it’s gonna happen 😀
I’m a milk chocolate gal all the way. I try to be fancy and like dark chocolate because it’s “gourmet” and “healthy” and “antioxidant-packed” but I will always choose milk over dark! Happy July and Happy Canada Day <3.
I love dark chocolate! Dark chocolate pomegranates are my fave! Yum yum yum 😀 I just finished reading Silver Linings Playbook and I really liked it. Nothing really exciting happened in June, but I’m going to Costa Rica for work in a little under 3 weeks and I have a birthday at the very end of the month!
Ok so first: “would you guys be interested in a post featuring my favorite summer beauty products and the routine I follow?” YES PLEASE. and now that that’s been settled, yay for july! i agree, there’s really nothing better than the sense of a fresh start/ clean slate. Love it. and as for chocolate- my all time favorite bar is chocolove’s dark chocolate with orange peel, but my all time favorite chocolate non-bar, if you will, is chocolate dipped orange peels. i could eat those forever and still want more. Happy Canada Day!! Glad to see your week is off to a great start!
Hope you’re able to get some more BBQing in today love! I’m curious about that book now, I adore anything to do with Celtic legends or culture…I actually have a book of Celtic names that I randomly read through once in a while, despite the fact that it’s impossible to actually pronounce most of them 😉 I’m almost finished with Divergent, and now I have to start looking for the sequel, I really enjoyed it!
Favourite chocolate? You ask tough questions…chocolate and pb is the obvious answer, but chocolate and mint is pretty good too. Or chocolate and caramel. Or chocolate and sea salt. Can I just say all the chocolate?
Fiiiiine – you can say all the chocolate, but only because I <3 you. And the sequel to Divergent is really good as well... Did you develop a crush on Four too? 😉
How could you not? :-p
Happy Canada Day, Amanda! What’s not to like about another occasion to celebrate?!
Sigh, I’m still jealous of you being able to get Essie’s Sunday Funday. Yes, I even asked a shop assistant if they could order the colour for me but to no avail.
I just picked up – or rather: downloaded – “Gold” by Chris Cleave. Little Bee was an amazing read and this one’s great so far, too. While I don’t have a list of favourite authors if I had one Cleave would make it to it for sure.
I prefer dark chocolate bars. Mint + chocolate is another favourite combination of mine though I’ve been on a chili + chocolate kick lately. One thing I don’t like, though, are filled bars. Lindt has those dark chocolate (chili) mousse filled bars but … not for me.
No big plans for July yet though I’ll be preparing things for my sister’s wedding. I’m excited already!
Awwr that’s really a shame about the Essie 🙁 Maaaaybe we should talk about doing a little blogger exchange 😀 And I was crazy about filled chocolate when I was younger, but I can’t really handle it anymore – the syrup is just too cloying.
Happy Canada Day! Save some of those popchips for me; they sound so yummy. As for books, I just finished Cutting for Stone. It can be a bit graphic, but it was overall pretty good.
I totally want to try a frozen banana and mint dark chocolate. This post made me hungry! July is my absolute favorite month. So happy it’s finally here 🙂
The Sunday-funday color by Essie rocks! Reds are my favorite nail colors anyway – I am pretty boring with that, and this one is especially pretty.
I also fell in love with frozen nana bites this winter (strange – I know), I drizzle some peanut butter and cacao powder on top… mhmh heaven! Oh and btw frozen red grapes are my newest snack addiction.
Happy Canada Day!
Do you use the Beauty blender + Amazonian Clay foundation? I love that stuff and been using it for well over a year now (when I decide to wear foundation, that is). I’m interested in the beauty blender in combo with it 🙂
Love your faves post, as always 🙂
I’ve actually never tried the Amazonian clay foundation, but I’ve heard really great things about it. Should I pick some up the next time I’m in Sephora? 😉 But seeing as it’s a liquid, I’d definitely try out the beauty blender with it – I didn’t really want to believe that it would make that much of a difference at first, but holy.wow does it ever. I don’t think I could ever go back to putting on my makeup without it.
Yeah, I love their foundation. I don’t wear it every day, but when I do I really enjoy it. It’s very silky and smooth. I don’t think it’s better than my fave (Laura Mercier), but out of the chemical free varieties I’ve tried, this one takes the cake. Everything I try from Tarte I end up loving!!
I’m going to put that brush in my Sephora order! weeee
Ah I’m excited for July to start for the both of us :)! For me that has a lot to do with going to London, attending a wedding there, spending times with family & friends and just soaking up British summer- can’t wait! I’m so with you about frozen bananas- the only better is adding in some nut butter & choc chips to the mix! I’m not usually one for healthifying desserts but this really does taste a lot like ice cream. And on the topic of dessert, a bar of quality chocolate does the trick for me. Favorite brand is hands-down Lindt for me…as for flavor, I am loving their Madagascar & 70% varieties.
Happy Canada Day, Amanda 🙂
I need to get my hands on frozen banana, really. I am not a fan of ice cold stuff, but you really made me craving this 🙂
I have and love both these Essie colors!!
And believe it or not, after your post on Friday I headed out and bought a Dry Brusher. Feels so good and I can not wait to see how it makes me feel and look in the long term.
Happy Monday!!
Woo! You did it 😀 It does feel pretty amazing, eh? I’m 4 days in and already seeing some positive changes… so here’s hoping I don’t fall off the wagon. I’ll try to remind us 😉
Happy Canada day love!
I almosttt did my monthly favorites today too, but decided to do it tomorrow.
I’m also loving the beauty blender, it gives the most flawless finish to foundation, I just can’t get enough!
And now I’d really like to find that dark chocolate, because who can hate that stuff;)