Favourites: MAY MAY MAY

May have been a great month so far - moved back home and kept myself busy this whole month! What made me happy this month?

1. Toronto

It's so weird that I wanted to leave home so f*(&ing badly when I was back in high school. Biggest mistake - never felt more comfortable than being in my own neighbourhood that I grew up in and the city that I know so well. It's so nice and relaxing just moving back home - only two more years left in university and then I can settle back into the city!

2. Banana Spinach Smoothie

Find the recipe here! I blogged about it earlier this month and it's my easy, go-to recipe for most days!

3. WARM & SUNNY WEATHER

We got snow back in April and then we got tons of rain in the beginning of May...Susan hates rain. I'm a walker - I love walking everywhere and rain really does ruin my parade. So, it's so nice that the last two weeks of May was just sunshine and comfortable weather.

4. Numi Tea

Organic tea that is perfectly prepared - even the tea bag doesn't have harmful chemicals! I love the bold and rich quality of Numi Tea. Pricey, but each tea bag can be re-steeped and still taste amazing. Happy I discovered this brand a few months ago and of course, I went overboard and bought two boxes of 100 tea bags on Amazon.

5. Food

Relating back to the first point....being back in Toronto gives me this wide selection of amazing food. I love the small, local restaurants, bakeries, and cafes around. I love trying new bites and my food is my biggest weakness to my paycheques.

Overall, I've been really happy to settle back home for the summer. Enjoying it as it lasts!

<3

Susan

Life: March Favourites

March went by very quickly - I was swamped with papers, presentation, and group projects. Spent most of my days in the library and at my desk, I really don't have too many favourites this month. 

ALSO, I have this very annoying cough for the last week that doesn't seem to be getting better or worse...and the doctor said "you can't do anything about it, just let it be." Cool, I sound like a broken train for however long this cough decides to stay.

Sooo, back to my 3 favourites in March:

1. Consonant Skin Perfecting Body Scrub (Tangerine) - This scrub is probably one of the best body scrubs I have ever used for the cold season. A mix of salt and sugar with rich thick oils, it leaves my skin feeling moisturized after I step out of the shower. I hope they never discontinue this scrub in the future...I mean, what will my skin do when it's feeling like a sahara desert?

2. Avocados - As a broke university student...avocados are pricey. But, they've been on sale for 4 for $5 throughout this month at my grocery store, so I've been having them throughout March. Perfect to mash up to become a dip/spread, great for sandwiches, and great to just eat on its own as a snack. I hope my supermarket never raises the price on avocados - if they don't, my life will be complete.

3. Better Food Choices - Just as I stated on my New Years Resolutions, I've been pretty good at making this slow transition with my eating habits. Joyous Health and Megan Telpner has been a great source to help kick start my change! 

I hope y'all have a great April start - winter is finally winding down and the weather is warming up!

<3

Susan

Favourites: Blog Roll!

I've been LOVING bloglovin'. It's just so easy to scroll through the website and find blogs about anything and everything. I was able to discover some awesome blogs the past month and of course, I had to follow them.

Here are few of my favourite blogs that I've found the last few weeks:

1. Tattoologist

2. Sally's Baking Addiction 

3. A Beautiful Mess

4. Joy the Baker

5. Annie Eats

Tons of food blogs this month - very good recipes had popped up on the bloglovin' popular posts section and it became my addiction to go on daily! 

I hope y'all check these blogs out! They are definitely worth the read.

<3

Susan 

Favourites: Goodbye July, Hello August

Dark Horse Espresso Bar in Toronto (Queen West location)

I have my arms wide open for August. Having summer school come to an end for me last week was a great relief and I still can't believe that pretty much burned up 3 months out of the 4 of my summer. With today being August 1, I've decided to make it a productive month. But, before I jump onto that, I would love to share what I've found myself loving in the month of JULY. For the 7th month of the year, I have 7 things that I absolutely loved: 

1. Where can I begin with dark chocolate? I always find myself purchasing a new bar of dark chocolate every couple of days. It was not friendly to my wallet, but my tummy (and PMS) was surely a happy one. I always ended up buying the Lindt Excellence brand of dark chocolate since it was the most closely and readily available around me. My most favourite ones must be the Intense Mint (that contains 47% of dark cocoa)and the one that is straight up 90% dark cocoa.

2. Water with lemon, more lemon, and some lime. Just trying to make things a little different for me as I tried to just pass my summer courses, my daily consumption of lemon slices in my water became an addiction. And to make things even fancier, adding a slide of lime made all the difference. In fact, drinking warm lemon water is a great way to kick start for your day!

3.Getting toned with PILATES and YOGA.I really didn't do much in between the days that I didn't have any class. This summer I began running - I haven't done this type of running since high school phys ed. class. I found out my heart was really weak and after running just two blocks, it would be the most uncomfortable pain in my chest. I know, I know - it should get better after a while. But, with so many pilates/yoga studios all around Toronto, I took advantage and did many of the studio's intro. offers. Now, it's a regular practice of mine - probably find me at the mat for at least 4-5 days a week. 

4. The lovely green fruit. Avocados have always been a great favourite of mine and it has re-entered my life again on a consistent basis. I just love eating it with my sandwiches and burgers...mmmm. Fun fact - during the first year of university, how I became great friends with my current boyfriend was through splitting an avocado every night. I know - we're weird. But, it was great to find someone who was willing to eat an avocado straight up with you on a regular (almost daily, but not yet) consistent basis.

5. As much as I am a tea lover, I found myself crawling back for iced coffee for the warm weather. Dark horse espresso has several locations throughout Toronto and I always find myself near one of their locations. They got me HOOKED on their iced mocha with soy! And they recently implemented a point system that you can bank up! That is definitely bringing me back! 

6. Smelling good is always a nice thing to do for yourself and to those hanging around you. Tocca Giulietta was the one scent that I used all month. I actually own the rollerball for it, so it was easy to carry it around with me when I need to quickly re-apply it. It's a very light scent - I promise, it won't be overwhelming. I don't think I'll be changing this scent any time soon either.  

7. Having slow days, the only person to get me through was Bon Iver. An american indie band/singer, his tunes get me through the days. The two albums I been listening to nonstop - For Emma, Forever Ago and Bon Iver (self titled album) - are both around 30 minutes long. Great to listen to when I was taking a study break, getting ready for bed, or just internet surfing. 

Tons of food favourites - kind of expected from me! But, July has been a bumpy ride for me. Can't wait to see what August has for me. 

Talk to y'all soon,

-Susan 

Tea: My All-Time Favourites!

Three years ago, I was addicted to coffee - but I kicked the habit to the curb when I was introduced to tea. Don't get me wrong, but the smell of coffee is probably still one of my favourite scents ever...but, drinking tea was like entering a whole new world.

Over the last three years, I may have accumulated too much of it ... may it be loose or bagged, I had to put myself on a ban. I knew it was nearly impossible for me to finish all the tea that I had if I continued to buy more all the time - even though I'm almost a daily drinker and a regular host for tea parties. But!...my tea obsession is not over. Purchasing is just on a break - but, my love for it is still going strong!

I have looked through my stash and made a list of the teas that I would most likely re-purchase or have re-purchased in the past. It's definitely worth a mention and share with internet world!

(Classic) Earl Grey Tea

How can you not like earl grey tea? It's a classic tea that is perfect with milk (or soy!) and sugar. It is also a great tea to drink straight with a slice of lemon on a chilly night. One of my favourites is from an independent loose leaf tea shop in Toronto - Tealish sells the blend that is just perfect! But, if you're just walking down your local grocery store, I find Twinings Earl Grey to be a great classic bagged tea; it is also perfect for baking! 

If you want to experiment with Earl Grey Tea and a twist, give these a try:

• Earl Grey Cream
• Lady Grey

Rooibos de Provence by David's Tea

Rooibos tea is a herb from South Africa. This type of tea will give you a boost of natural energy and has tons of health benefits associated with it as well! This particular blend has a strong scent of lavender, which really drew me into this tea at first. This tea is perfectly fine being served straight and it is also perfect when you add a spoonful of honey and milk/soy into your cup. A definite must try tea!

Pumpkin Chai Tea by David's Tea

One of David's Tea annual fall collection tea, which always have me running to the store during the autumn months to make sure I have stocked up for the year. Go to a store between September and December, take a sniff - thank me later. 

Sleepytime Vanilla by Celestial Seasonings 

A chamomile tea that is marketed to help you wind down and end your day. I wasn't too big of a fan of their original sleepytime tea, but with the added vanilla - it made it my favourite night tea. With no caffeine, it's a perfect tea to be enjoyed without disrupting your sleep cycle. 

What are some of your favourite teas? Share in the comment below!

-Susan