Need a fresh playlist for the New Year? My December Soundtrack is full of so many new musical discoveries! I was in a a pretty chill, happy mood last month — this is great music to help you work, think and create. Some highlights include MØ‘s Kamikaze, Mount Dreams‘s Home, and Jaakko Eino Kalevi‘s Everything Nice. Stream this 60 minute soundtrack wherever you are, right from this post!
Hosting a New Years Eve or holiday party, and need a last minute idea to kick your decor up a notch? Add a thoughtful touch to your soirée with my DIY Mistletoe-Inspired Wine Charms! They’re cute, easy and inexpensive to create — all you need is seasonal greenery and berries, hoop earrings and copper wire in various colours. And the best part is that you can make them in less than an hour, for about $20! These wine charms are a fun way to help guests keep track of their drinks at a cocktail party, and they can also take them home as a keepsake and dry them. And if you’re hosting a New Years Eve Party, they may also come in handy at midnight!
I really love sangria. I love it so much that sometimes my girlfriends and I are referred to as The Sangria Sisters — and I’m not mad at it! I also like to eat (and drink) as seasonally as possible, so I created this holiday sangria recipe inspired by seasonal flavours, Gatsby glam, and New Years Eve bubbly. Traditional sangria gets a luxurious makeover in my Sparkling Pomegranate Cranberry Sangria — I’m swapping wine for bubbles, and infusing the recipe with flavours of pomegranate, cranberry, orange, and ginger, plus a healthy splash of Grand Marnier to send it over the top. Enjoy this sangria at your holiday parties, or to ring in the New Year, because as the great F. Scott Fitzgerald said, “Too much of anything is bad, but too much Champagne is just right.” Cheers!
I believe that if you’re going to treat yourself, you can nourish yourself at the same time — so this year I’m putting a whole food spin on traditional holiday sweets. These are my kind of treats — the ones you feel really good about indulging in (sometimes I even have them with my morning coffee!). Next time you’re looking for a quick, no-bake, holiday party treat, try my Dark Chocolate Raspberry Energy Bites! They’re a healthier alternative to traditional holiday truffles or rich, chocolate-based desserts. They’re also vegan and free of gluten and refined sugar — perfect for parties where guests have food sensitivities and allergies. You can whip these festive little bites up in just 10 minutes, and keep them on-hand for last-minute guests, holiday gatherings, or all for yourself!
My November Soundtrack is an easy going playlist with upbeat, feel good vibes. I still have the Big Grams (Big Boi + Phantogram) album on heavy rotation, and I’ve discovered so many new artists this month! A few standout tracks include Open Your Eyes by School of Seven Bells, DIIV‘s Dopamine and Oh Cecilia by Born Ruffians (which apparently didn’t make the cut on their last album!). There are also a couple of new tracks from some of my favourite artists — ODESZA, Beach House and Toro y Moi. Check it out if you’re in need of some fresh tunes (you can stream it live right from this post)!
Fall flavours are great and all, but this week I needed to switch things up — I was craving something light, fresh and colourful! Today I’m sharing the recipe for my Tangled Thai Salad — a simple, healthy salad overflowing with veggies and plant-based protein (including the best Ginger Peanut Sauce, ever). I love to make a big salad for dinner when I feel like I need a some extra nourishment, and the extremely brown landscape in Calgary lately has left me craving come colour! My recipe is a crowd pleaser — I’ve served it for many girl dinners (for those of you who are new, I have dinner with my college girlfriends every week!). I also share my tips for making your salad look pretty when you’re serving it as a main course — because we eat with our eyes first, right?!
My October Soundtrack is a pretty eclectic mix! I’ve discovered a ton of new music this month from all different genres. One standout is the debut album from Big Grams (Big Boi + Phantogram) — it’s some of the best hip-hip I’ve heard in awhile. Another favourite is the hauntingly simple track Downtown by Majical Cloudz. And, I also stumbled on a really cool, stripped down (but upbeat) remix of Tom Petty’s Won’t Back Down. Overall this is a pretty chill, feel good playlist — perfect for the last days of fall.