A Couple of Things

First off: We found a new place to live! We have been accepted so now we just wait for moving day! I feel so so happy. It seems to be the perfect place. It is very close to a metro, has a mall close by and many other stores we frequent. It has a working fireplace, air conditioning, a pool and it is within our budget. So now I start planning THE MOVE.

Also this week I found out I passed all my quizzes with pretty good marks. Now I just need to not freak out about midterms, which are after my March break. Yay!

And now onto the main reason I am writing this post:

Lush.

I adore Lush. I remember stopping at the Byward Market store in Ottawa in 2008. I had never heard of them before and the smell coming from the shop drew me in. Over the last few years I have mostly just been buying hand creams, body scrubs and bath bombs. I wanted to try out their face cleansing products but they are expensive so I held off. Two days ago I got a good chunk of change from a family member, so I decided to finally go talk to someone at a the Lush store on St.Catherines street and see what they have for my moody skin.

9 to 5 
This is a cream that removes makeup and cleanses. After two days of use I am in love. I used to wash my face with hot water because after years of trying different face cleansers I was sick of getting rashes, pimples, blotchy skin etc. But when using hot water my face remained blotchy and very dry. I just accepted that I could never have nice bare skin. Well I was wrong. After I wash my face with 9 to 5 my skin feels amazing. No blotchyness (is that a word?), no redness...nothing. I don't even have to put a cream on afterwards as my skin remains moisturized. It is also pretty good at removing my makeup. I only use this at night.
I rub 9 to 5 on my dry face then I take a warm face cloth and wipe away. This combination seems to work for me but there are other ways to remove it. The comments section on the site is very helpful.

Aqua Marina
The woman at Lush recommended this for my dry skin. I am not too sure on it yet, it seems to be doing a good job but I don't know if it's worth the price yet. Although you don't need a lot of it, it is still expensive. I use this in the morning while I am in the shower. I like the smell and I like that it's a paste you rub on your skin. Some people prefer a lather. I haven't noticed anything special yet with it but it's only been two days.

Ocean Salt
This is an old favorite of mine. I have been using this for a couple of years now. I only use this on my body as it is a little rough for my face. It smells amazing, like showering with a margarita, and my skin is so soft after using it. It is probably the most expensive thing I have bought at Lush but it is well worth the price. I freak out when I run out. I highly recommend you buy this.

Lemony Flutter
Use this with the Ocean Salt on your feet and you will have the softest feet in the world. I got this in 2010 and I still have a lot. You only need a small amount wherever you are using this, it is quite greasy. I only use this on my hands, feet, and elbows. Great for very dry skin.

Celestial Moisturizer
I only got a sample of this because I already like the Nivea face cream I have. But so far it hasn't done anything odd to my face like some other creams have. I use this after Aqua Marina in the morning. It smells pretty good and it doesn't leave any residue on my face. The verdict is still out there on this one.

Tonight I think I am going to go buy the Eau Roma Water Toner so help keep my face moisturized during the day.

New Outlook

Today I had an experience (or feeling?) I never thought I would have. It started out as something that could have gone horribly wrong, that could have made my day a mess, but it went in the complete opposite direction.

Time for story hour children.

Today was the day with a full schedule of classes: Leave home at 6am, get home at 6pm. YAY! The morning was good, nothing exciting or horrible happened. I then went on break for 3 hours (yeah it's a joy) and I decided to get some studying in, and losing myself to the internets, and perhaps lunch. I sat down at a table that resembles a little cafe table just a bit bigger. I had my bag on it, my books, my Kobo, and lunch. There were many tables still available, and as the area was not busy I didn't feel bad for taking over this table for my needs.

About 40 minutes later this girl shows up and sits at my table...odd. She just takes over half my table. There were many other free tables but I figured she was part of the group sitting beside me doing a project. Well she wasn't. She just wanted half my table. Fine. I don't mind meeting new people...when they actually talk. So I go back to my little world and maybe 20 minutes after that another girl shows up and sits at the table beside the one we are sitting at. She starts talking to the girl who had showed up before.

 I'm in my own little world, emailing, chatting on Facebook etc, when I notice the second girl was trying to place her bag on top of my stuff, ummmm what? She then sighs and places her apparently much more important bag on the floor. Then I notice that she looks at me and starts talking to her friend, who is sitting across from me in a language other than French and English. I push it aside. BUT THEN the girlwiththeimportantbag points at me (I guess they both think I can't see them and can't deduce what they are talking about because they are being sneaky sneaky with their language) and she laughs and talks really fast to her friend who laughs.

I can see both very clearly and I knew exactly what they were talking about: The FAT girl.

I slowly look up at the girlwiththeimportantbag, stare at her without blinking then turn to the other girl who is sitting across from me and stare at her without blinking. They looked a little shocked that I would acknowledge them and what they are doing. I then lean back in my chair, pull out a chocolate bar, slowly open it and take a bite. I smile then go back to emailing and what not. They quickly bury their heads in their homework.

/end

I didn't completely realize what I had done until a little later, when I thought about it I realized that I was completely unphased by what these two strangers were saying about me. When someone would comment on me, or I would notice them looking at me and snickering I would retreat into a safe place inside, or I would confront them. People who know me know I am not a gentle person. I would then think about what had just happened all day, ruining my day and making me crabby towards everyone. Not this time folks. Not this time.

I realized that these two strangers had no effect on who I am, and would not ruin my day. For me to just sit back and smile is pretty amazing.

I hear about people doing it: They say they just had this moment where they didn't care what others thought about them anymore, and how liberating it felt. I never, ever thought I would experience that.I thought it was beyond me. I was wrong. The feeling was amazing and oh so liberating. I felt beautiful, I felt strong...I finally accepted myself.

I have had family comment on my size in a osowellmeaningmanner (yeah right) and I know there are strangers out there who have commented on my size, but to have it happen so close to my face was a first (that I can remember). Maybe I should have cried in the bathroom, got home and started some kind of crazy soup diet, and workout like crazy, then punish myself for not losing weight like so and so. But I smiled and ate a chocolate bar in their faces, I went to my next class feeling amazing, I started talking to people (I am very shy), I ate fresh ravioli for dinner, had a beer, studied a bit, and then watched some Big Bang Theory with the husband. Now I am in bed, cozy, warm and sitting beside the husband. A man who loves every single inch of me. Who tells me I am beautiful every single day. All of that is a perfect night. Much better than counting calories, or going crazy thinking about what people think about you.

Tonight I was able to stand in front of my full length mirror in my undies and smile. And did I ever smile.

Cooking: Butter Fish in Chili Yoghurt

We have a bunch of sole laying around in the freezer and the husband was craving this fish dish for awhile now. I decided to make it tonight...when I'm sick and in a terrible mood. Smart. Me in a bad mood in the kitchen is not a good mix. Unspeakable things happen.

This recipe comes from an Indian cook book we got years ago: Indian Cooking: The food and the Lifestyle.

Butterfish in Chili Yoghurt
Serves 4


2 tablespoons of vegetable or peanut oil
1 Large Onion Sliced
1 teaspoon of ginger paste (it calls for about 1inch of gingerroot but we didn't have any. If you do then finely chop it)
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1.4 teaspoon of turmeric
Pinch of ground Cinnamon
Pinch of ground Cloves
Generous 3.4 cup of plain yoghurt
1 tablespoon of flour
Small pinch of Chili Powder
Salt and Pepper
4 skinless butterfish (we used sole)
2 tablespoons of Ghee (I found this to be waaaay too much Ghee. I think about 1 teaspoon per two fish is enough)
2 fresh fat Chilies, seeded and finely chopped


Instructions

 Add the oil to a pan then saute the onions till golden brown on high heat. Once golden brown add the ginger and stir for about a minute.

Then you add the turmeric, cinnamon, and cloves to the onions. Stir in for about 30 seconds.

 Add the yoghurt and stir.

 Yoghurt, onions, and spices.

 Chop the chilies finely and place aside.

 Once the mixture has cooled a little, put it in a blender and blend until a paste forms.

 Place the flour, chili powder and salt and pepper on a plate. Take your fish and lightly dust the fillets.

 Place them in a pan on medium heat, cook for about 3 minutes (or till golden brown) on each side. Pour in some of the yoghurt sauce to reheat and then place on a plate.

Sprinkle some of the chilies on top and there you go! Serve with rice or couscous.

Cooking: Spaghetti Sauce

About once every 2 months I like to make a huge batch of spaghetti sauce. I used to make about a double batch, but since returning to school I figured I'd quadruple the batch so I can freeze the sauce and have easy dinners on the days I just don't feel like cooking.

When I moved to Montreal from the boonies I missed my moms spaghetti sauce, I used to grab whatever jars she had left and hoard it in my apartment. I figured that I should start to make my own though and after about a year of trying different sauces and combinations I finally came up with my own :)

Britney's Spaghetti Sauce (this makes a large batch)


4 Large carrots diced
4 celery sticks diced
2 medium onions diced
3-4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 1/2 bulbs of garlic
4 tablespoons Italian Seasoning
2 lbs ground pork
4 28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine


Spices to add to your taste


Ground Savory
Pepper
Crushed Chili Flakes
Oregano Leaves
Bay Leaves
Basil Leaves
Italian Seasoning




Instructions:

The diced carrots, celery and onions go into a large pot with the olive oil. I cook them on medium/high heat for about 10 minutes or until the carrots are soft.

 The garlic and Italian seasoning go into the pot and I stir them in for about 20 seconds.

I then add the ground pork and stir it in until it's all broken up.

 Once the pork is cooked I add all 4 of the tomato cans and stir. I turn the heat down to low.

 The spices get added to your taste. I keep adding as the sauce cooks until it's to my liking. I tend to add more savory and Italian seasoning than the rest. Also we like our sauce spicy so we add a lot of crushed chilies.

 Once the spices are in, I mix in the red wine. I cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes.

And here is the finished sauce. Almost all of this will be bagged up and put in the freezer!

Hanson Concert (picture heavy)

If my bestie Laura had not told me that she was going to a Hanson concert in February I would not have known they were coming. I have to be honest here and I say I am not a fan. I only know one song (take a minute and guess which one). Now, I don't hate them or anything, I can't hate them as I never listened to their music. But I am not a fan. Anyways I was waiting for the train on Thursday, stressing out about a small quiz (any small quiz feels like a final exam to me) and I texted Laura asking her what time the concert started at because the husband was going to be gone all weekend, and I wanted to hang out. She then told me to come along, she would buy my ticket, etc! I wasn't sure, I didn't want her spending the money and well I know nothing about this group. She insisted and I thought about it, ultimately I decided that although I don't know anything about the group, or any of their songs it would be nice to just go out and hang out with a really good friend. She was very excited that I agreed to go lol.

I am 25, and this was the first ever concert I ever have been to. Now it wasn't on the same scale as say an AC/DC concert but it was still my first time seeing a band (besides the little bands you get in bars) live. I was nervous because I had no clue what to expect, I don't do well in crowds, and I really don't like being around screaming fan girls (I still love ya Laura!!!!).

We arrived early and got a number (we already had our tickets) and then went to Starbucks for a bit. We had to go line up at 5 so they can line us up by number. The theater didn't open till 7 and the show didn't start till 8. So there we are in line in very cold weather for 2 hours. I froze. I froze so bad that I didn't even realize my feet were sore from standing for 2 hours straight until we got inside. Once my feet started thawing the pain was incredible. I had a bunch of blisters on my feet from a few days before so it only made it worse. But whatever, I was there to see the show and I was going to enjoy it dammit!

Almost 2 hours later I had to run to the bathroom because I was about to pass out. YAY ME! I ended up getting really sick and spent a good 30 minutes in the bathroom trying to calm my body down. I felt horrible. I felt like I was ruining Laura's night! I didn't drag her with me to the bathroom, I just told her to come find me over there or by the stairs but still, I felt really bad for getting sick. I am so sorry Laura!!!!

Overall though, despite me getting really sick, and almost passing out and my feet freezing I had a great time. It was fun to talk to people in line, it was great to see a band live (they were not horrible, just not my type of music).

Some pictures from the night (Carly Rae Jepsen was the opening act):

Crochet

When I was about 12 or so my mom attempted to get me to learn how to crochet. Well it didn't work. I am someone that likes the see results fast, have no attention span, and clumsy hands. So all that combined with "I wanna hang out with friiieeennnddddssss Mommy!!!!!", there was no way I was going to master how to crochet. On that note my brother used to knit. He got right into it, like sitting on the couch in the middle of summer knitting. It was awesome. I don't really know if he still knits, I'll have to ask him.

Well I'm 25 now, still like to see results fast, no attention span (you should see me try to pay attention after 5 minutes in class), and I swear my hands have only increased in their clumsiness. But I am really stressed out...like I have been tempted to seek help stressed out, and I am always worrying about something. I need something to keep me still, something that will be created as I sit still. I used to draw a lot but now I might draw one picture a year (if I'm around kids I will reproduce the same dragon over and over and over and over again to keep them quiet and sitting hehehe). I also want something I can take with me on the train or bus to school that takes up little room in my bag.

I have been seeing so many people post their little amigurumi creations all over Facebook and I really really want to create some for myself, and friends, and kid family members. So I asked my mom if she still had any beginner books laying around, and if I could have them. Yes, there are youtube videos and countless blogs all about how to crochet, but I need a physical book in my hands if I am going to do this.

I dunno when I will start, but I'm hoping I can start reading during my March break and then start making simple things by summer. We'll see.

I lost my way. O LOOK! Heart Arrows!!!

So apparently this thing called Valentines Day is coming up or something...I dunno. Apparently I am supposed to be a good wife (the husband likes the say WIFE in a British Accent, think Russell Crowe in Robin Hood. On that note, yes Russell Crowe you can take me away anytime. The husband wont mind at all!) and get the husband something and then he's supposed to get me something. It's one of thooooose days.

WELL we like to call it Anti-Valentines Day Day. I really hate Valentines Day, LOATHE it. I don't care that others enjoy the day. That's cool. I support your love for love day. We don't really do anything on Anti-Valentines Day Day, known as AVDD because I'm lazy and do not want to type it all out. Or Ctrl C&V it.

Anyways, as I was saying. Apparently this day is arriving. How can I tell? Ooooo just the obscene amount of hearts and red popping up everywhere at school. Also little cock heart arrows leading you to the booth of LOVE (please give us 5$ to give your love note to your love in class) that you can't miss. But you know, the arrows add to the decor! This really is not a rant, I'm giggling right now. Honestly I am.

So what do we do on this day of love or AVDD? We watch stupid movies and order out food. This year we are going apartment hunting and then going out for Indian food and lots of beer. No cards, no expensive jewelry (I'm getting sick of those peoples commercials!!), no chocolate. Well maybe chocolate but only because I like chocolate and buy it a lot so it's nothing special. The husband might get flowers though, and I DO like flowers. O, and we are doing this on the 18th.

The whole point of my post is that this day is coming up and I remembered something a few days ago about how the husband asked me out waaaaaaaaay back when I was 16 and he was 19. I just randomly thought about it while watching Dexter and then I giggled for awhile while telling the husband my memory. And then told him I would blog about it because that's what loving wives do. RIGHT?

The scene: Cloudyish day, he asks me if I want to go for a little walk (I think he wanted to get away from friends). There is a cemetery beside the school, we stop there.

The husband: So are we dating?
Me: Uhhhh.......I guess.

We then walk back to friends and announce we are now a couple.

It was pretty awesome. And would you look at that, in October of this year it will be 9 years since that "So are we dating"?

I also remembered something else. I don't know if the husband remembers this, but for me It was the moment where I thought "Hey, this could be the one". I never really believed in THE ONE before that moment but I had this surge of emotion and...peace, I guess. It was pretty incredible.

I had just failed a math test (big surprise) and was really upset. I forgot that I was meeting the husband at lunch and when I saw him coming towards me as I was walking with a friend I just wanted to run in the other direction. He was the last person I wanted to see (we were not dating yet, I may have even forgotten what his name was. WHAT? I'm bad at names ok!). So, he comes over to me and I'm trying to hide my red eyes and he asks how my day was. I just burst into tears ago and he tell him I failed me test and then he just hugged me. Out of nowhere. A hug. That 10 second hug was fucking amazing. To this day I have not forgotten it, and how I felt.

So there's my lovey dovey story for the day. Back to regular programming:

School. Ah school. I missed you but now I can't stand you. I got the homeworks and the tests and the "Sorry I'm an idiot, I have no clue what you have been talking about for the last 3 weeks" feelings. Fun.


O here are the cock heart arrows.

SexAY

Cooking: Red Lentil Curry

I have decided to try and cook more meatless meals. I noticed I was always feeling weird after eating meat, I was always miserable, bloated and felt sick. Not like I had to run to the washroom sick, just my stomach never felt right.

 Last Monday after eating some pork chops and noticing that I was once again feeling sick I decided to go to Facebook and ask for advice on cooking vegetarian meals. A lot of friends gave me good starting points and recipes to try. I did find one myself and figured since I like Indian food I might as well start by cooking Indian vegetarian food. The recipe I found was so easy, I pretty much had everything I needed :). I doubled this recipe so I can bring some to school for lunches.

This is the recipe I used:

Ingredients

• 2 cups red lentils
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons curry paste
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon ginger root, minced
• 1 (14.25 ounce) can tomato puree

I will let you go check out the directions but it really is very easy and takes about 40 min, depending on how you like your lentils cooked. I like mine a little mushy when I am doing a curry so I cook them longer. Also add as much or as little water as you want. I cooked the water down but next time I may keep some of the water to make it a little more runny.

 I let the lentils cook while I prepared the rest of the spices and onions. Well Marc cut the onions up for me :). I skim off the foam as the lentils cook.

Onions the wonderful husband diced for me. Those I fried with Ghee instead of vegetable oil.

Because I was sick this morning, Marc went out grocery shopping and one of the things I needed was the curry paste. He bought some but when I opened it we realized he had actually bought a jar of curry (didn't smell great let me tell you) so he had to run to the store for emergency curry paste. We got the hot curry paste and it really didn't make the curry all that spicy so I would add more next time.

The spices: Curry powder, Turmeric, Cumin, Chili powder, White Sugar, Curry paste, and Garlic.

 Here are the lentils with the added onions, spice mix and tomato sauce.

Couscous.

The recipe calls for salt but I never add salt. Also I would probably cook basmati rice instead of couscous next time. It was a little heavy with the lentils. As this cooks it smells great!

 The meal ready to eat. It was very filling for me so I only ate about half of my plate and over an hour later I am still really full.

Marc is usually the one who cooks the Indian food but I did this all alone and it was very tasty. Later this week I am going to try adding tofu to stir fry as well as cook this, we'll see!

O and we catsat this cutie all day. He drove our cats up the wall and me at times but he's still a cutie. Say hi to Sammy!

He decided to claim that lion key chain as his new toy.

Bringing home the BACON!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Feels good to have Friday off. The teacher moved Fridays class to Thursday morning. I'd much rather get up early and go to class than have to get up early and go to class on Friday afternoon because I live on the other end of Montreal. Sleeping in and bumming around the house makes for a much better Friday, in my books.

So two weeks down...13 (I think) left to go. Not too bad eh. But now the classes are getting harder, and this semester is all about Commercial Law and Contracts. UGH. I hate commercial law and I hate contracts. Now, we aren't getting into the nitty-gritty of each yet, that comes next year, but still it really sucks. It's like I have a mental block or something. I hear what the teacher is saying but it just wont stick in my brain and then I look at my notes and I'm like "WHAT THE CRAP DID I WRITE? Is this even ENGLISH?!" To make matters worse half the stuff comes in french so not only do I have to translate English into...simpler English, but I have to translate French to simple English. I just need to keep telling myself, "Job. Career. MONEY!"

The husband can't wait till the day I can bring home the bacon.

Besides that life is...well life. Shit happens you know. I will not go into details on my blog because I feel that it should stay within family and close friends. But I hope this year takes a turn for the better. Well in August it will for sure, and one person knows why!

What else is new. Whaaaaat else?

February 4th marks one year since my dad died. I'm glad it's on a Saturday because I honestly don't know how I will deal with that day. I suspect I will just go about business as usual, and probably have homework, but I dunno.


Oh tomorrow, since I am at home, I will be prancing around the house in heels. I MISS HEELS! OMG. There was rain and then freezing rain and then rain and then freezing temperatures. Ice EVERYWHERE! My ability to walk in flat shoes is not the best so heels on ice...yeah no go there!

Also I am going to go munch on some cheese. Because it's TASTY!






Heels.My feet crave them.