SWEET. BABY. JESUS.

I really don’t need to write anything else down. This post could literally just say sweet baby jesus and that is all the description you would need. Except I love you guys, and you deserve more care and attention than just three words. I just wanted to make sure you know how serious I am about these bao/taco/crack creations made by local Vancouver geniuses, Bao Down.

So what are these stunning creations? Take an asian steamed bun, make it a bit flatter. TACO BUN. That’s right friends, steamed taco buns. (Okay that is definitely not what they are actually called but its the best way I can describe their amazingness. Taco. BUN.) Aight so you got your steamed taco bun thing. Top that with the freaking best ingredients ever, and you have absolute magic. 

I want you guys to get the best possible experience when you go to Bao Down, so ima tell you my fave 3 buns to get:

1. YVR –> holy GOD. Bao Down team, you nailed this SO hard. There is a reason I order the YVR every single time (except today when I took these pics because you were sold out and I was really sad about it… just saying 🙁 ) Think seared albacore tuna, avocado, and bacon.
2. Bao Chika Bao Bao!! –> Okay first off the name. YES. Whoever made that up I need to marry. Second, so yummy. Lemon grass and garlic FREE RANGE & LOCAL chicken. I like my chickens free, and I like em’ local. Bonus points fo sho.
3. Jaws –> Om nom nom nom. Vietnamese catfish crusted in coconut shreds. Yes, coconut shreds. Sign me up for all of this right now. Just amazing. 

Alright so it is pretty obvious how I feel about Bao Down. Basically, if you live in Vancouver and haven’t been yet. Go. Just do it. You will thank me, I promise 🙂 In Beyonce’s wise words…. Bao Down bitches.  😛

PS: Thank you to the kind people at Bao Down for running after me down the block when I forgot my iPhone at the restaurant. I literally would have started having panic attacks and severe separation anxiety had me and my sweet baby (yes, I am still talking about my phone) been separated any longer. 😉 haha

x,

Hey guys! How was your weekend?? Did you spend a your time lazing about in the sun like me? I sure as hell hope you did. And if you did, you neeeeed to go and check out the white sundresses at Urban Outfitters right now. Seriously those guys are killing it lately. I almost bought two last time I was there, but then I decided I should probably be an adult and not purchase two ridiculously similar dresses haha.

What do you guys think of this outfit? Will you be wearing any long white sundresses this summer? Comment below!

x,

Today’s post is dedicated to something so simple yet so vital. Not only is it good for our overall health but for our survival too. Water. If you and water are not already besties, become friends right now.

What motivated me to talk about something as simple and “boring” (it’s not actually boring its really freaking awesome if you ask me, which is why I cleverly put the word in quotations 😉 ) as water was the sheer amount of absolute crap drinks that are sold. There are tons of energy drinks, “fruit juices” that contain a whopping 10% of actual fruit juice in them, sport drinks that promise to enhance your performance, and beverages that are supposed to curb hunger. I could go on forever but I will spare you the pain. These drinks really are completely unnecessary. They are filled with chemicals that you nor I can actually pronounce, and are literally packed with refined sugars. Basically what I am trying to say is you don’t need to buy these things. They are a waste of money and calories. 

Which brings me to my main point…. here are my TOP 5 FAVE REASONS TO DRINK LOTS OF WATER!!! (these are my favourite reasons, obvi there are far too many to actually list.)

1) Water makes your skin look FAB by preventing excess moisture loss! Also dehydration makes you look like a prune, and nobody wants to look like a prune.

2) Helps energize your muscles! That is right my friends, you don’t need a sugar-and-chemical-filled energy drink to help get you moving. Water will do it for you! It is especially important to drink water while you are getting your fitness on.

3) Water will boost your productivity! Yasssss. Love this. I find just having a nice cool glass of water while I am working keeps me alert, focused, and productive.

4) Calorie control. Having a big glass of water before a meal will make you feel less hungry when you start eating, and help avoid overeating when you are super hungry and have low blood sugar levels.

5) Digestion! Drinking water is a great way to make sure your insides stay healthy, if you catch my drift. 

As you can see water does really awesome stuff for your body, but it isn’t necessarily the most exciting thing to drink. What I like to do to spice up my water is drink it with copious amounts of lemon, frozen cranberries, and cinnamon! Soooooooooooo good. Learn about my classic hot lemon, ginger, and water cold-cure by clicking here. 

So yes! Make your water exciting so you can be sure to drink as much as possible throughout the day. I always have a massive mason jar on me wherever I go that is filled with water, lemon, and cinnamon. Just having it on you will encourage you to drink it 🙂 (<— seriously such a good trick.)

Hope you guys found this post helpful! Start downing that water like it’s first year university and you just discovered there was a free keg in your dorm. (Or…. like you really like water….. ehem.) Okay that is really enough out of me for one day. KBYE <3

x,

Each summer I like to write down what I want to do for the following few months. The simple action of writing it down is enough to make me actually do the things I want to do. So today, I decided I would share that summer bucket list with you so we can compare and contrast! With this post I hope to inspire you to set yourself up for a summer of fun in the sun. 😀

Hereeeee we gooo!!

CLIMB MOUNTAINS

I ski down them, so why shouldnt I hike up them? That is the fun of mountains when they are not covered in snow! There is something about climbing to the top of a mountain and looking at the gorgeous view that is just so rewarding. It feels like you conquered it!

LEARN TO… SAIL

Learn to sail a boat! Why? Sailing is betchy. It is something I feel like I should already know how to do but for some unfathomable reason I don’t know how haha. And being out on the ocean is one of my favourite things to do, so hell yea I want to learn to sail!

READ

Read at LEAST 6 new books (I mean come on…. I will be spending my weekends lazing in the sun if I am being real so I should be reading!!) It is really important to me that I am always learning and continuing my education throughout my entire life, so this is a great way to do that! <— post on always learning coming soon 🙂

TRAVEL LOCAL

Travel… locally! One of the things I love most about living in Vancouver is the gorgeous summer. And the best part about it is getting outdoors and exploring it! And really not just Vancouver. I am talking about beautiful British Columbia. Basically my goal is to explore as much as possible, and see places I have never traveled before. This can be applicable no matter where you live. There are so many places that we never take the time to explore and discover… so get out and travel local!

NO TV

Honestly such a waste of time. I can literally think of a million better things you could do after a long day of work to wind down, that are far better for you than rotting infront of the tv. Instead of watching tv, try things like: going for a walk, meeting a friend for drinks, relaxing on a patio, going for a swim… anything! That being said I do love to relax infront of my favourite shows once and while. How I make sure it stays at a reasonable amount is only letting myself only watch 2 shows at once, and keep it to 2 episodes a week. This way I still get my TV indulgence and it is guilt-free. My favourites (both will be forever and always so don’t judge me cuz if you are a judge wudgy you can gtfo right now lol) are Keeping Up With The Kardashians and Top Gear. Yup, pretty much opposite ends of the spectrum, but thats how I roll. Diverse tastes ftw. 😉

COOK

Okay so I think by now it is obvious to you guys that I LOVE food and I LOVE cooking. If you read my blog on the reg (which you should cuz Skinny Belle is awesome if I do say so myself hehe :P) you will know I am in hot, steamy, and passionate relationship with food. I dream about it, I talk about it all the time, and I think about it when I am doing pretty much everything. The reason this is on my summer bucket list is because I want to expand my knowledge of cooking. I would like to challenge myself to go outside my comfort zone and start creating some things that are a little more complex! And obviously when they are killer recipes I will share them with you guys. Friends who eat together stay together. You feel me?!

All I can say is I am SO stoked for this summer! In my opinion it has already began, so let the fun times begin. Can’t wait to spend time having fun in the sun with the people I love most 🙂

NOW TELL ME FRIENDS! What do you guys want to do this summer? Do any of our summer plans match up or are yours way different? Comment below <3

x,

Hi guys! Okay so last ski photos for a while here. Today was my final day skiing up Whistler (Canada) for the season and oh my lorddddd was it great! If you can’t tell by my huge smile, I was pretty stoked about the day. But now it is time to put my skis away for a few months, and start getting my fitness on in other ways!

Do any of you have seasonal fitness preferences? Comment below! <3

x,