Sunday 29 September 2013

Baking: Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies


So the days are getting shorter and the air is getting colder. What's better at warming you up than cookies?

These cookies are super easy to make and the ingredients are easy to find! My family and my friends love these cookies whenever I make them on special, or not so special, occasions.

So let's get started!

INGREDIENTS ♪


1. 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
*Note: My house only had salted butter when I was making the cookies. If that is your case too, skip the salt.*
2. 1/2 cup granulated sugar
3. 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
4. 1 teaspoon salt
5. 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
6. 2 large eggs
7. 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
8. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
9. 2 cups semisweet and/or milk chocolate chips


♪ TIME TO BAKE ♪


Step 1
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2
Whisk up your butter until it's light and fluffy. Then mix in the two sugars until the mixture is even. Finally, add the salt, vanilla and eggs. 


Step 3
In a separate container, whisk together the flour and baking soda.


Step 4
Combine the two mixture and stir until even.


Step 5
MIX IN THE CHOCOLATE CHIPS, YUMMERS!


Step 6
Scoop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto your baking pan. Make sure you put a layer of wax paper on your pan first!



Step 7
Slide your pan into the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes!


Step 8
Let your cookies cool down for 2 minutes on the pan, then transfer them to cooling racks to cool completely!


Step 9
Enjoy!!!

So there we have it! A delicious and simple recipe for chocolate chip cookies! I'm pretty sure you could get anyone to forgive you for something just by giving them some of these, haha.

Let me know in the comments if you try them out and make sure to tell me what you think!

See you next Sunday! xx

Sunday 22 September 2013

❋ My Autumn Essentials: 2013 ❋


Helloo again my lovely readers! So, it's finally my favourite time of the year: Autumn! I just love the whole cozy atmosphere happening in this season and how it's the perfect balance between summer and winter. In fact, I love autumn so much that I'm writing this post out in my garden with a cup of steaming green tea. Anyways... because it's the first day of autumn, let's talk autumn essentials!


Candles

Like you probably already know, I love candles. I've been obsessed with candles in the summer, so naturally, my obsession with candles become downright unhealthy during autumn and winter. I literally went out to Ikea yesterday and accidentally bought 3 candles. Here are the scents I'm going to be obsessing over this autumn:

1. Stress Relief Eucalyptus Spearmint from Bath and Body Works
2. Strawberry from Bath and Body Works
3.  'Some sort of Swedish berry?' or 'The Red One' from Ikea 
4. Green Apple (?) from Ikea
5. Cinnamon from Ikea


Fluffy Slippers

Emphasis on 'fluffy'. I've pretty much been constantly wearing slippers all the time recently because of all the dust from our basement renovations. But now that the air is becoming cooler, I was finally able to take out my new and extremely fluffy slippers from Costco. They're on my feet from the second I enter my house to the second I leave it and I am loving these slippers!


Deep and Rich Nail Polish

Throughout the year, you will pretty much never see me wearing dark nail polish on my finger nails. Unless it's autumn of course. Then I'll only be wearing dark nail polish. I just find that is captures the coziness and classiness (?) of this season perfectly and goes so well with the amber and golden leaves outside.
Here are the colours I've been loving:
1. Blue My Mind by OPI
2. Devilish by Revlon
3. Gold Coin by Revlon
4. Red Velvet by Sally Hansen
5. Camouflage by Rimmel London


Beanies

Beanies can make just about any outfit look cute. Wearing a super formal blazer and collared shirt? Add a beanie. Cute. Wearing a sweater and leggings? Add a beanie. Cute. Wearing a comfortable and baggy t-shirt that shouldn't even be seen in public? Add a beanie. Cute. Anyways, you get the point. And what better time is there for beanies than Autumn?


Infinity Scarves

Infinity scarves can tie together any outfit. I don't know about you (but I'm feeling twenty two?), but I'm usually in denial about winter coming and summer leaving so I refuse to pack away my tank tops. Some of them can go pretty low in the chest area but these scarves keep you warm and still looking cute. I love adding winter and summer looks together during the fall season!


Leggings and Hoodies

Now that school has started, waking up early is just not one of those things that I look forward too, which is essentially quite sad because I'm a morning person as opposed to a night person. Sometimes, I stay up super late doing homework and the last thing I want to do in the morning is stand around in my pyjamas and find a cute outfit. I feel like you can never go wrong by pairing a hoodie with a pair of leggings. It looks super laid back and casual with your hoodie, but the leggings take away any possibilities of having a 'sloppy' look. Not to mention that it's super warm for the chilly autumn breeze.


Cardigans

Any warm cardigan will take you far. Once again, for those lazy days, finding any plain shirt to wear is fine as long as you have a printed cardigan to balance it out. They're also super cozy but not too warm for those classrooms that always seem to have bipolar temperature.


Cozy Blankets

When I finally got the opportunity to redesign my own room, it really wasn't hard for me to find a theme. I just have a never ending love for bright, open and cozy rooms, so naturally, as winter arrives, the amount of blankets, pillows and rugs pile up in my room. It's especially great to cuddle up in a cozy corner and listen to some relaxing music when you have to work late nights on homework and projects.

Don't forget to leave a comment below if you want me to do a room tour! :)


Top Knot

So, let's be honest. Sometimes, I'm drowning in homework and don't get to wash my hair as often as I would like to and I have yet to invest in a dry shampoo. I can also predict that I will slowly become more and more lazy to look presentable in school so I might as well start off with a neat(-ish) top knot at the beginning of the year that will slowly morph into a messy bun in April. Be sure to let my know if you want a tutorial from this former ballerina ;)


Boots

It's actually kind of sad how excited I was to get my boots out. I just love how they can tie a whole look together! My flat heeled ones are super comfy and give my outfits a clean and laid back look while my high heeled ones easily dress up my outfit on those icky outfit days. I find that boots are an essential in general for a girl, not just for the fall.


Overall, my go to outfit during the fall season is a nice comfy sweater, an infinity scarf, a beanie, a pair of leggings and a comfortable pair of boots! I hope you all have an amazing time enjoying what is left of your outdoor time, unless you live somewhere super warm. If that's the case, feel free to visit us in Canada, haha.

So my next post was written out two weeks ago, but I never had time to publish it. This week, I'm going to Leadership Camp as a leader and I am ecstatic to scare those grade 9's, haha. That naturally means that I won't have time to prepare a post for Sunday, so I will finally be publishing that one.
Hint: It involves something delicious and sweet.

What are your autumn essentials?

What is your favourite part of autumn?

Leave your answers below because I love love loveee reading and replying to all your comments!

I'll see you next Sunday! xx




Sunday 15 September 2013

Bloglovin + New Layout!


Ooooo, extra post this week, haha. So I've decided to finally create a bloglovin account!

Follow me here and I'll follow you back! ♥

I also just found a new theme for my blog and played around with everything!

Make sure you leave me comments telling me what you think about my new layout! :)

That's it, and I'll see you later! ♥

Liebster Award ♥



Helloooo beautiful people!

First off, I've decided to change my post dates to Sundays so I can't procrastinate and end up drowning in homework on Mondays.

Second...

So something super cool just happened...

Lola's Little Wonders nominated me for the Liebster Award!


You may ask, what in the world is the Liebster Award?

It's just another way to make friends in the blogger community. Mainly, you must provide your readers with 11 random facts about yourself and answer 11 questions from the blogger who nominated you. Then in return, you must nominate 11 bloggers that you love and ask them 11 questions! So let's do dis.


♥ MY 11 FACTS 

1. I went into anaphylactic shock at the beginning of the year, but the doctors can't figure out what I'm allergic to.

2. I'm in an intensive program at school called International Baccalaureate (IB), which means I'm drowning in homework everyday. Yet I still love high school.

3. Autumn is my favourite season since because it's no too hot, nor cold and not too humid nor dry. A plus is that I have an obsession with scarves, boots, sweaters and beanies.

4. I care more about what other people think of me than I'd like to.

5. I have an unhealthy obsession with YouTube.

6. One of my favourite memories was going stargazing on a quiet beach when we were camping and spotting different constellations. I've never had better mosquito bites.

7. I always want to decorate my room, but I don't want to waste money on it, haha.

8. I am legitimately still waiting for my Hogwarts acceptance letter. Actually, my sister just told me on Wednesday that our school has a toilet that has "Flush twice for Hogwarts" written on it and I'm seriously considering.

9. I can't stand people killing anything. I literally make my parents take spiders outside instead of killing them because I see everything as equal beings. That sounded really intense, haha.

10. I didn't say a single word until I turned 2 years old. And then I wouldn't shut up.

11. I don't actually play the games on my phone much, I mostly use my phone for surfing the Internet.


♥ MY 11 ANSWERS ♥

1. Favourite song of the moment?
The first two that come to me are Let Her Go by Passenger and Wings by Macklemore, which is funny because I don't listen to the two songs that often. It's just that the songs are so well written that I always have to stop everything I'm doing when the song comes up to just listen and feel.

2. What's the first thing you do when you wake up?
Brush my teeth and wash my face so I can feel refreshed and awake :)

3. Bags or Shoes?
Shoes!!!

4. You've got £10 to spend on one beauty product, what do you buy?
Don't really use beauty products, haha. Maybe a good bottle of nail polish? Does that count? If not, concealer? Haha...

5. Who is your role model?
My grandma <3

6. Favourite high street shop?
Does Zara count? o.0

7. Do you live by any mottos or mantras?
Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to dance in the rain.

8. What beauty product can you not live without?
Concealer, I have really bad acne problems.

9. What was your first word as a baby?
My parents claim that I started talking in full on sentences...
10. What is your favourite blog to read?
Definitely Zoella's blog! <3

11. What is your best blogging tip to give new bloggers?
Blog about whatever comes to your mind and don't try to copy other bloggers. Mainly, be yourself. Cheesy, but true.


WHO I'M TAGGING ♥

1. Connie
2. Claudie
3. Jessica
4. Miki & Casey
5. Joyce
6. Ashley
7. Katie
8. Faye
9. Claudia
10. Sarah
11. Holly


♥ MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU ♥

1. Favourite artist(s) at the moment?
2. What is the best book you've ever read?
3. What is your autumn essential?
4. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
5. Do you have nay weird talents?
6. What is/was your least favourite subject at school?
7. Funniest joke you know?
8. Chocolates or sweets?
9. What are you most excited for right now?
10. What is one food you will never be sick of?
11. Why did you decide to start a blog?


So that's it! All 44 items done. It took so much longer than I thought it would, but it was definitely super fun finding all these amazing blogs I tagged.

I hope you guys enjoyed all the facts that I have shared with you! I'll see you next Sunday! Byeee xx

Monday 9 September 2013

August Favourites 2013 ♥


So we're finally into the first week of September, and I gotta say, autumn is my favourite season. But enough talk about September because this post is about.... AUGUST FAVOURITES! So let's get started!

♥FASHION♥


Aldo Sandals
I bought these gladiator sandals last summer at Aldo and they have been my go to shoes even this year. I brought these on my Europe trip with me since I packed mostly dresses for the trip and running shoes just wouldn't work with them. These were surprisingly comfortable for the long days we spent walking around Paris, Rome and Venice (oh, and Vatican). The best part is how these sandals are a rustic nude colour so they literally match everything!


Forever XXI Tank
This muscle tank (?) was one of my proudest purchases of the month. I am obsessed with The Amazing Spider-man so when I saw this shirt at Forever 21, I grabbed it and never looked back. I mean, Andrew Garfield, come on. The arm holes are cut so that everything up to the bottom of your ribs show though, so I always pair these with a cute bandeau.


American Eagle Gym Shorts
Like I mentioned with the sandals, I have been wearing dresses non stop in August. My dance shorts have pretty much saved my life on many occasions. I bought these at American Eagle for dance class, and never knew that they would also save me from flashing a bunch of French and Italians, haha. So, I would definitely recommend buying a pair of short and tight shorts to wear under skirts and dresses!


Cardigan
This cardigan was the only long sleeve I brought to Europe and it was the perfect choice. The colours pretty much matched with all my dresses and the cardigan itself was super warm and comfy. I can't tell you exactly where I got it from though, since it was a gift from my cousin. But choose the perfect cardigan, and it will bring you far...

BEAUTY♥


Baby Lips by Maybelline
In the summer, people are big about protecting their skin from the sun. What we fail to remember is that our lips can be sun-burnt as well. My Baby Lips come with SPF 15 ensuring that through long days out in the sun, my lips won't come out peeled and disgusting. And the slight tint is just another plus!


Neutrogena's Moisture with SPF 30 (oil-free)
Speaking of skin protection... In the summer, even if I'm not going to be outside all day, I always make sure to put on  in the morning. The SPF and oil-free combined has contributed in eliminating most of my acne problem so I definitely recommend this, or any other oil-free SPF lotion for the summer!


L'Oreal True Match Concealer (Light/Medium)
This one is exciting! In July, my beauty favourites have never actually included any beauty products. The day we left for Europe, we had to make a quick run to Loblaws, so my sister and I decided to grab a concealer and give it a try. I can tell that it makes a huge difference. It make you look much healthier since it takes away your dark circles and it definitely helped hide most of my acne for our Europe photos!

FOOD♥


 French Food
My food favourites are going to be quite vague since I ate 30 amazing meals in August. The first one is French food. It's definitely different from North America. They use less oil and maintain the original taste of the food instead of layering on salt, pepper and herbs.


Italian Food
My favourite food is pasta. Pasta in Italy. Need I say more? I never got sick of eating pasta for at least one meal each day in Italy. And the pizza there is amazing. It met all my expectations and more for what I expected out of food in Italy. Don't even get me started on the gelatoes.


Water
Strangest food favourite, probably, but  when you make a trip to Europe, you will never appreciate water more. Each bottle is around $3.50 Canadian, the same price as a glass of wine. And it doesn't help that you walk all day either. So needless to say, I love water.

RANDOM♥

♪MUSIC♪


1. Beside You by 5 Seconds of Summer (x)
So, I kind of have an obsession for the opening band of One Direction. They write their own music, each play an instrument and are amazing at singing. I play drums, their drummer is super cool and everything's just great. I can't exactly explain why this song is so good, but just click on the link and go listen for yourself!

2. How To Be A Heartbreaker by Marina And The Diamonds (x)
If you ever need to dance, this is the song. I can't not sing along to this, trust me. My friends and I sang this song once all through our field trip at the War Museum. This song will brighten my mood no matter what and I recommend for you to be prepared when you watch the music video, haha.

3.  The Lucky One by Taylor Swift (x)
There's so many different opinions on this song and Taylor Swift herself, but listening to the lyrics truly explain what fame is. It's just one of those songs that manage to actually provoke thoughts and feelings in my opinion and cred to Taylor for this extremely well written song.

4. Let Her Go by Passenger (x)
Passenger's voice is super unique so you may like it and you may not. At the beginning, I was kinda iffy about this song, but my love for it has only grown. I love my upbeat songs, but at the end of the day, relaxing and soft songs always end up winning me over.

♥TRUE RANDOMNESS♥


Gu Family Book
I have never cried harder in a Korean Drama. You can watch this with English subtitles on viki.com, so give it a chance if you've never watched Korean Dramas before. This one definitely beats most of the dramas on TV in Canada. The drama is about a boy who is born half nine-tailed wolf (mythological creature) and half human who struggles to find a balance and keep his pure human nature. It makes you laugh, cry and bite your nails all pretty much in the same episode. Every episode. Watch it and you won't regret it.


Canon PowerShot Camera
As soon as I heard that I was going to Europe, I made it my mission to record the whole trip. This camera stayed in my hands for the entire 10 days we were there. You can see my first video here, but my formatting and YouTube's formatting are different so keep in mind that I will be posting an HD and unstretched version sometime in the far future after I finish editing my Rome and Venice videos.


Notebooks
This is one of my many notebooks. I found that writing down my ideas and plans have helped so much in eliminating stress and organizing ideas. I even keep a notebook for future blog post ideas and brainstorming, so make a suggestion in the comments and it will be recorded.

So that's that! August is finally over and I will be loving September.

Make sure to leave comments letting me know if this post was helpful to you, or if you even have a request for a future post!

I'll see you next Monday! Byeee xx