We’re home from Christmas in November at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge and tonight I’m recapping our experience! What is Christmas in November, you ask? Basically, it’s a giant meeting of people who love all the same things I love — great food, wine, entertainment and seasonal inspiration. This past weekend we cooked with celebrity chefs, learned about holiday decor from industry experts, came away with tons of culinary inspiration and tasted wine from all over the world. Sounds like a good time, right? Now, imagine that experience set in a charming, rustic lodge, overlooking a serene mountain lake in a picturesque National Park. That, my friends, is what Christmas in November at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge is all about! I’m sharing every detail of our trip — including the accommodations, the food, and drink, the lodge, the spa, the setting, the sessions, the after parties, who we met and what I wore! Come along with us to Jasper, Alberta on this festive retreat nestled in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and let’s kick off the holiday season in style!
Life
Maybe I’m just getting older, but — wait, who am I kidding? Girls nights in are way better than girls nights out, am I right?! Give me a room full of my closest friends, some great wine and snacks, gorgeous blooms, cozy threads (and comfy pants!), good reads and a toasty fire — I’ll take that over going out any day! To celebrate the joy of staying in, Rebecca Dawn Design and I teamed this month up to share some inspiration for A Cozy Girls Night In — a snapshot of everything home decor, entertaining, flower and casual style we’re loving this autumn!
With everyone leading such busy lives, there’s truly nothing I cherish more than spending quality time with family and friends. Since there’s usually not a lot going on in November, I think it’s the perfect opportunity to reconnect with your girlfriends before the holiday hustle. Fall back with us on this gorgeous November evening where we’re chatting casual entertaining infused with a few thoughtful touches to make your next girls night in a memorable one!
APPLE PIE STEEL CUT OATS WITH CANDIED MAPLE PECANS
I’m back with some beautiful, orchard-fresh Ambrosia apples, a new recipe and a grateful, renewed mindset! Happy belated Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers, I hope you all enjoyed a weekend full of family, friends, delicious food and a few good drinks. It’s been a week since my last post because I decided to take this weekend off from blogging. It was a combination of events that led me to decide another unplugged weekend was exactly what I needed (nothing serious, but I definitely needed the time away!). I’ll get more into that later in this post — but for now, let’s get to chatting about this recipe!
My Apple Pie Steel Cut Oats with Candied Maple Pecans is inspired by comfort food, holiday flavours and warming, autumnal spices. They’re a simple, delicious way to celebrate fall’s freshly harvested apples and they can be on your table in less than 45 minutes. Who says you can’t indulge an apple pie craving to start your day? This powerhouse breakfast bowl is free of dairy, gluten and refined sugar — and bursting with natural sweetness, spices and wholesome nutrition. And yes, it really does taste just like apple pie! Throw on your coziest sweater and let’s make an apple pie inspired dish that you can eat for breakfast — all week long!
A MINI MOUNTAIN GETAWAY
If you’ve been following along on social media, you may have read or heard a few times how exhausted I was feeling at the end of last week. There are some incredibly exciting things happening behind the scenes right now that can’t wait to share with you soon — but it’s been a ton of work getting them off the ground! I’ve mentioned previously that I’m a major workaholic (I absolutely love what I do!) and sometimes it can get the better of me. I’m definitely more mindful of it these days since balance is something I seem to be constantly pursuing. It can be really difficult for me to step away from my work — especially since I find myself really getting in a groove creatively and wanting to keep up the momentum. But, as I’ve also mentioned previously, I need to remember that while consistency is important in producing great creative work, so is taking care of myself so I can stay inspired and not completely burn out (which I was on the verge of last week). I’m sure many of you fellow creatives can relate!
So, I took this weekend to rejuvenate and rescheduled every commitment I had. Friday evening we grabbed sushi and wine at our favourite place (Kabuku downtown if any of you Calgarians are wondering), gave each other massages set to spa music and went to bed before midnight (yes I know, we’re old). Saturday I chatted with my oldest friend on the phone for 2 hours, caught up on some housework, blog work and basic R&R. I’m talking skipping my daily HIIT workout and doing research for upcoming projects and content from bed with a big cup of freshly ground, french pressed coffee and a big messy bun — and not getting out of my pyjamas until I took an amazing, 45 minute shower (I actually had time to wash my hair!). I even did a face mask, which I used to do every Sunday evening, but sadly haven’t had the energy for lately. On Sunday, we decided to make the most of this beautiful, early autumn weather and head west towards the Rocky Mountains for a wine picnic. I hope you enjoy coming along with us in this photo diary of our Mini Mountain Getaway!
I’ve been dreaming this post up since I first started blogging here at JustineCelina — and I’m elated to finally be able to share it with you today! Typically, people associate the mountains with wildflowers, but our Canadian prairies are brimming with wildflowers and gorgeous natural foliage, too. Rebecca loves to create foraged arrangements and bouquets whenever she travels, so I was excited to explore the prairies with her in search of some inspiring ingredients for our Foraged Prairie Wildflower Bouquet!
Come along with us today as we forage the lush prairies of Wheatland County near my childhood home in rural Alberta and Rebecca creates this absolutely stunning, no cost bouquet. She also shares her expert prairie foraging tips and guidelines to inspire your next weekend adventure!
If you would have told me a year ago that I’d be creating a blog post about my fitness routine, I would have said you were crazy! Well my friends, that’s exactly what’s happening today — I’m sharing a workout routine that I’m proud to report I’ve been sticking with 6 days per week since February. As someone who’s consistently prioritized almost everything over my fitness for years, I’m so excited to finally have found something that works for me. If you have 15 just free minutes most days and the desire to workout anywhere without any equipment, you can do these workouts too. Did anyone else resolve to work on their fitness this year? Since we’re halfway into 2016, I thought it would be the perfect time to check in and share how I’m working towards my goals. I’m also chatting about my new HIIT training gear — because who doesn’t like to sweat in style?
Nike Free TR Focus FlyKnit Women’s Training Shoes | adidas Run Supernova X Women’s Bra | Nike Balance Women’s Tank | Under Armour Studio Mirror Block Women’s Crop Tights
AL FRESCO SUMMER DINING INSPIRATION
One of my favourite things about summer is spending time in the serenity of country and getting outside. I welcome any chance to dine al fresco (meaning: in the open air) and today I’m walking you through how I pulled together this unique outdoor dinner party on a budget. This earthy, upscale celebration is inspired by the Easy Vegan White Mushroom Pizzas on the Grill I created for The Food Bloggers of Canada to celebrate outdoor summer entertaining!
Tonight I’m sharing my insider tips for creating and styling memorable gatherings — from my favourite sources for inexpensive entertaining essentials, to foraging for unique pieces in the prairies, to a simple copper-themed DIY. I also chat about the gorgeous (but budget friendly) Rebecca Dawn Design florals, inspired by the wild beauty of our Canadian summers. In the true spirit of al fresco dining I invite you to bring the inside out and join me for a glass of Sauvignon Blanc on a gorgeous summer evening among the swaying grass and tall trees!