Fashion | Gearing Up For Winter With SOREL

As a Canadian girl who loves to be outdoors and does a lot of skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing in the winter to keep active, I need boots that can keep me warm and dry and that are also durable enough to live up to my adventurous lifestyle. That's why I love SOREL.

www.sorelfootwear.ca

SOREL was founded in Canada in 1962 and it has since become popular all over the world. I think SOREL's popularity is due in large part to the fact that its products are fashion-forward while also being very practical. I've had many winter boots over the years that look nice but as soon as the snow touches them, the material gets soaking wet, causing my feet to become wet and cold. Likewise I've had rubber boots that keep the water out, but don't look very appealing. SOREL however, combines fancy materials and craftsmanship with insulated waterproof rubber or suede to create a unique boot that I can feel stylish and confident in while also staying warm and dry.

With my birthday and Christmas both soon approaching, I have a couple of SOREL products on my wish list.

I'm loving the Conquest Carly Short Boot (bonus points since it has my name!) I like how versatile this boot is. It's great for both Fall and Winter conditions. These can be worn while doing errands around town but they also have some traction so I can wear them to the slopes! The Conquest Carly comes in a number of styles and colours so there's sure to be something to suit everyone. Plus, who wouldn't want to wear the same boot as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire!? Unfortunately, my choice of colour, Autumn Bronze, is sold out online. So I've been running around trying to find a store with these in stock in my size. If anyone knows where I can find these in the Toronto area pleeeeease let me know! 

Also on my wish list is the Nakiska Slide Slipper in Dark Earth Curry, or Incense. The wool lining paired with the outer suede makes these slippers perfect for staying cozy and stylish all year round. 

My boyfriend has been hinting that he needs some new slippers as well. I love the men's Falcon Ridge Slipper in Marsh or Bark. Who knows, maybe there will be a pair waiting for Matt under the tree this year! 

What's your favourite SOREL product? Will you be sporting them this winter? 

Recipes | Granola

I love breakfast! I could eat breakfast all day long. One of my favourite breakfast foods is granola. I love to mix it with yogurt, or sometimes just pour some milk over it and eat it like cereal. 

My problem though, is that I have a lot of allergies. I'm really allergic to nuts/peanuts, so that means I have a hard time finding a granola I can eat in the grocery store. That's why I usually make my own. This way I can put in it what I want and it's a much healthier alternative. 

I don't really have a set recipe that I follow. I just use whatever I want and put in as much or as little as I want. This recipe is a guideline and all measurements are approximate. 

I usually cut the recipe in half and make two batches so I can have two different flavours of granola. This time I made one with honey, cranberries, and slivered almonds and the second with maple syrup, sultanas, and almond slices. 

Sometimes I also like to add in some flax or chia seeds as well. In this case, the oatmeal I used contained oat bran, wheat bran, and flax seeds so I didn't have to add any extra.

Granola

Ingredients:

• 4 cups oats (not quick cook)
• 3 cups seeds/nuts (of your choice)
• 2/3 cup oil
• 2/3 cup maple syrup or honey
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• a pinch or two of nutmeg 
• a pinch or two of ginger
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup dried fruit (of your choice)

(This makes quite a large batch - 10-12 servings. So cut the recipe in half if you want less).

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

In a bowl, mix the oats and the nuts/seeds. Add in the oil and the honey/maple syrup. Stir to combine. 

Mix in the salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. 

Add in the vanilla and mix well. 

Pour onto a baking sheet covered in parchment paper and spread out evenly. 

Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes. 

Make sure to stir the granola every 10 minutes so it cooks evenly and doesn't burn. 

Add in the dried fruit for the last 5-10 minutes of the baking time. 

Lifestyle | 7 Fun Date Ideas for Fall

As mentioned in my previous post, my favourite time of the year is definitely Fall. I just love how beautiful the scenery is, how it's not too hot but not too cold, and how I can wear all the over-sized knitwear that has been stored in the back of my closet all summer. 

Since my boyfriend works a very hectic schedule, it's hard to fit in any time for the two of us to spend together, so I thought I'd try to come up with a few simple date ideas that we could enjoy this season. 

7 Fall Date Ideas:

• Grab a pumpkin spice latte and a freshly baked pumpkin muffin and go for a hike. There's always lots of trails around to explore and it's a great way to enjoy the colourful leaves.

• Head to a Farmer's Market and buy a few gourds and homemade crafts to decorate your home. Don't forget to grab a hot apple cider to sip on while you walk around!

• Curl up on the couch and watch TV. Lots of new series start in the Fall, so find one that you both like and watch it together. This can then become a weekly thing!

• Carve pumpkins! Try coming up with a creative idea instead of the typical scary face. You could each carve your own, or work on one together. 

• Enjoy a meal at an outdoor cafe before it gets too cold to sit outside. Order butternut squash or sweet potato soup to keep you warm and a pumpkin ale to stick to the Autumn theme. 

• Pick some apples at a local orchard or buy some at the Farmer's Market and spend an afternoon baking a home-made apple pie. Then why not make it a romantic night by sitting on a blanket under the stars and sharing your pie by candlelight. 

• If you're into sports, then go to a football or hockey game. Or, if you can't afford it, buy a six-pack, order in some pizza and wings, and just enjoy a relaxing evening at home watching the game on your big screen.

What are some of your favourite things to do in the Fall? Have any Autumn-inspired date ideas you'd like to share? Leave them in the comments! 

Lifestyle | Indian Summer

My favourite season is definitely autumn! Although in Canada, it doesn't seem to last that long, only 2 months, if that, it is certainly the 2 best months of the year. The temperature is perfect - warm with a cool breeze, the landscape is beautiful with all the leaves changing colour, and let's not forget about pumpkin flavoured everything! As soon as the season started, my Instagram was filled with pictures of Starbucks coffee cups with the description "first #pumpkinspicelatte of the year".

The past week however has been absolutely gorgeous. We've had some perfect Fall days and also a few days where summer seems to have made another appearance.

Last weekend was one of these perfect autumn days and my boyfriend and I decided to take a walk along the boardwalk down at the Scarborough Beaches. I had made some pumpkin cupcakes (recipe to follow in another post) and we went and grabbed some pumpkin spice lattes and headed down to the beach. I'm a beach gal through and through. I grew up on the beach and have lived there the majority of my life, but I had never been to the Beaches in Toronto. I was absolutely shocked to discover such a breathtakingly beautiful place in the city. There is something so romantic about walking hand-in-hand with the man of your dreams along the waterfront in the middle of autumn. I couldn't have asked for a better date. Just the simplicity of it all - staring out at the endless lake until the water meets the horizon, feeling the cool breeze as your man holds you close to keep you warm and just enjoying a meaningful conversation - it was perfect.

Yesterday was another beautiful day, this time it felt like summer (I think it was about 20 degrees). I'm staying at my boyfriend's house for a few weeks and since he was away working a 15+ hour day and I had nothing to do, I jumped at the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful weather. I packed up my book and my notebook, grabbed a Starbucks, and headed back down the beach. There's nothing I enjoy more than just laying at the beach, by myself, relaxing and spending some quality time with my own thoughts. It's so peaceful and just allows me time to de-stress and remind myself what's important in life. I spent about 3 hours just sitting by the water, thinking.

I know some people find going for walks to be extremely boring, but now is the perfect time to get outside before winter hits and we all want to spend the next 6 months curled up on the sofa. There's so many beautiful places to discover. I suggest everyone spend some time, whether it be by yourself, with your boyfriend, your best friend, your mom, whoever, and just take a stroll outside and enjoy the beautiful weather while it's still around :)

Fashion | A Day of Hiking with River Island and Little Odd Forest

Last week my sister and I decided to take a mid-week, 3 day camping trip before she started back at work. The weather called for thunderstorms for the duration of our trip, but luckily we were blessed with temperatures above 30 degrees. We went to Arrowhead Provincial Park in Huntsville and spent our days hiking a bunch of trails in Arrowhead and Algonquin and discovering some waterfalls. 

As soon as I heard 'hiking', I knew exactly what to wear! These denim overalls (known as 'dungarees' if you're from the UK) were the perfect hiking companion. They're so comfortable and flexible and paired with a crop top form Primark meant I got a nice breeze to my midriff so I didn't over-heat while spending the day walking in the scorching sun. 

What I love most about these overalls is how they bring out my inner child. I just felt so young and carefree while wearing them. It brought back memories of me splashing in puddles as a little kid. 

My favourite part of this outfit though has to be this adorable fox backpack from Little Odd Forest. Although a little on the pricey side, it's well worth it. It's fairly big so it fit everything I brought along for my trip very nicely (towel, bikini, sunscreen, bug spray, water bottle, snacks, camera). It also has a built in laptop holder which makes this cute little guy a perfect friend for school.