So this morning I made a lovely smoothie which was filling compared to the juice and required less veggies and fruit! I added melon, orange, mint and ginger mixed with coconut water. It was so delicious and it made quite a lot. Later on I had some peppermint tea and then made another veggie smoothie to have before I went out for the day.

It was gross!!

I added celery, carrots, mint and coconut water which turned out to be disgusting. I knocked it back as to not waste the previous veggies but decided to make a hot tea to take with me to the festival.

On my way back from the festival j bought a mixed berry smoothie as a 'treat' to myself for the horrible one I had made and enjoyed it that evening. I also made the decision to cut my 10 day detox/fast down to 7 days which means I finish on Wednesday as opposed to Saturday (the day of my birthday celebrations). Going on a night out after not eating for 10 days isn't wise (as Erin pointed out and set me straight). So a week it is.

You know what this means- Only 3 more days to go 😆

FYI - It took an awful lot of willpower to be surrounded by delicious food truck smells at the festival and ignore it. GO WILLPOWER!

Inspired by the documentary 'Fat, Sick and nearly dead', I set out to try a 10 day juice fast in order to reboot my body and cleanse it from the inside out! Yea a lot of people's first thoughts are that its a diet, a drastic measure to be healthy or whatever else you can think of. But for me this is BY NO MEANS a diet or a way of shedding weight because to be honest I don't need to lose weight. I have healthy lifestyle with plenty of good food and daily exercise but this juice fast is something I want to do for myself. I am blogging about it for myself and for the people who are interested in following my experience with this. I am not looking for nasty comments about it.

Anyway.... With that out of the way... Here was Day 1 for me!

Having purchased tonnes of fruit and veggies from the veggie shop down the street (so handy) yesterday, I was prepared to start my fast today starting with making a massive hug of juice to sip on during the day. I planned to make a different jug of juice every day with different ingredients and sip on water and herbal trade inbetween.

Today I juiced carrots, celery, ginger, oranges, apples, kale and mint which was pretty much. A mix of everything I had. I put it in a jug and set it in the fridge. I had s green tea for breakfast, a few glasses of juice during the day and peppermint tea before work. At work I sipped on tonnes of water and finally finished the jug of juice before bed along with some peppermint tea. Needless to say I anticipated a few wakes in the night for loo runs but hey that's a cleanse for ya.

Tmro I plan to make another jug of juice and repeat the same thing with maybe having a seperate squash/sweet potato/carrot juice for dinner. The funny thing was when I purchased more veggies today the cashier with an astounded look on his face said to me 'I'm assuming this is for smoothies or something' and laughed. I will be their best customer this week.

In terms of how I feel, I feel lighter obviously because I haven't eaten solid foods but a little weak. The first three days are the hardest they say, so let's push on and do this ! I will be finished the detox the wknd of my birthday which is perfect

Over and out x

It was Amy's idea to go to Seattle over Labor Day long weekend and having missed than chance last time I was in Vancouver, I jumped at my second chance. Little did we know we would end up at an international festival and have the best weekend! 

We were invited to stay at a couch hosts apartment while he was out of town and so after arriving from the bus terminal we headed straight to his place. The apartment was right downtown by the space needle which was ideal. We dropped our bags and headed out towards the waterfront and Pike Place where we wandered through the cool markets and queued for 10 minutes for have a coffee from the first ever Starbucks.

Later that night we changed, had some wine and went to Capitol Hill for a night on the town. We started with some Mexican food and a beer before we checked out some of the bars and getting refused for not having our passports. The response from security was ridiculous 'YOU ARE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA'. Yes Sir we'r aware of that, no need to be an asshole about it! So after a massive detour back home to grab our passports, we continued the night out making our way from bar to bar until we lost each other and I ended up making a whole group of friends who I went for a midnight meal with and back to their place to meet their dog. Random nights are the best. 

The next morning with fussy heads we got ourselves ready and had fish and chips for breakfast on our way to my friend Jason's place in the Uni district, who was happy to have us to stay for the second night. Jason and Hannah kindly met us and showed us around the University of Washington and the streets of the Uni district which was awesome. We soon left for downtown to attend the Bumbershoot festival which we had just heard about the day before and spontaneously bought tickets while drinking Alaskan beer. As you do, right? 

At Bumbershoot we got so much free stuff, ate amazing food and got to see Hozier, Kris Orlowski, Ellie Goulding and Brandon Flowers perform on the main stage up close, before ending the night at a massive silent disco at the EMP museum. We danced around to trance/dubstep with headphones on, roaring at a silent DJ on the decks. The moment you took your headphones off it was hilarious. I danced until my feet hurt. 

On our last day we did some shopping in the uni district and came across a Ln Arians shop called 'Earthbound' with locations all around America. It was super super cheap and sold clothes and crafts from Bali and India. Soon after we said or goodbyes and took the bus downtown in time for Amy's bus. I spent the afternoon at the EMP museum learning about Nirvana, Jimmy Hendrix etc and then got to meet up with my old buddy Jeff who took me around the city to see Gasworks Park and The Fremont Troll before taking me to enjoy the best Carribean sandwhich of my life! Such an awesome day! I would go back in a heartbeat.

Thanks to everyone who made it super special and fun! We'll be back 😍

So yesterday I wrote a post about my day shopping and researching cosmetics and body products that vouch to be cruelty free. I shopped at my favourite store LUSH which I ashamedly just started shopping at. - but am addicted for life now! The thing is I never really wear make up unless I go out (and even at that I wear very little especially when travelling), or go to work and so because of my job I decided to buy Jane Iredale 'The skin care make up' Glow time BB Cream which is completely cruelty free and actually treats yours skin as its on. It can last for days and days if you never took it off and still look flawless.

To add to my BB Cream, I threw away all my old make up, even full products, to start again guilt free. I came across ELF (Eyes Face Lips cosmetics) yesterday at Old Navy and today I have tried all the products as I was preparing myself for work.

-After my BB Cream I used three shades of the shimmer ELF eyeshadow ($13) which went on so nice and gave a lovely natural glow. The pallet had so many nice colours to chose from.

-Next I chose the eyebrow kit ($6) which even the cashier yesterday raved about, and I used the gel with the precision brush (included) and the brown brow shadow which filled in my brows so naturally and didn't look like I'd drawn them on like the way a lot of people's end up. lol

I then used the LUSH mascara which comes in a lovely dainty little bottle and is only $18. It was so smooth to put on and wasn't sticky or didn't make my lashes clump together. You can really tell the difference between products with chemicals and ones with only natural ingredients. I loved this mascara more than a lot I have used over the past few years.

Lastly I swept a pink shade of the ELF blush ($10) across the apples of my cheeks and applied the LUSH 'Latte' lip tint which I absolutely love. The lip tint and the eyeshadow a complimented each other with their shimmering autumn tones and the overall look was so natural but very elegant at the same time

I'm not one to 'cake' on the make up, and so applying products to my skin like this without feeling like I have make up on at all, is so refreshing. My skin feels light and the products mixed and matched perfectly together. ELF have brushes and make up setting mist etc available amongst many other products so I am going to go in search of them on my next shopping outing.

Comment below with any questions or let me know what you think if you have used any of their products.

So today whilst putting on my make up for work, I had the urge to throw every inch of my crappy old make up (I never splurge on makeup especially when travelling) and revamp my make up bag with guilt free, cruelty free products. With an idea of some brands in mind, I headed to Sephora where I did some research and then decided to head into Lush which I love. Knowing Lush are independent and not owned by a parent company who test on animals, I felt good paying that few extra dollars to support their efforts and even support charity.

I had purchased some lip tint from them before which I absolutely love and so I decided to purchase some mascara, another shade of lip tint, a face and body mask and at the counter I opted for the 'charity pot' body lotion which meant that all the money goes to the many charities they support. (Makes me love them more). To top it all off, at the counter the lovely girl gave me a few samples of things I'd tried in store, and big samples of I must say!

I was disappointed by the extortionate prices in Sephora and couldn't bring myself to pay $64 for a Naked eyeshadow pallet. Lucky I didn't, because while I was shopping at Old Navy I came across an eye shadow pallet which I hesitantly picked up, assuming it was like all the other brands who test on animals and sell products cheaply. Nevertheless I just had a glance on the back and noticed the brand E.L.F and their three symbols 1- Charity 2-Recyclable 3- No Animal Testing. I couldn't believe it. The prices were amazing and the products looked great and to make things even better the universe provided me with 30% off the prices at the till. The eyeshadow pallet was $13, the eyebrow kit was $5 and the blush pallet was $10. Bargain and supporting a great effort in the fight against animal testing. How relieved was I not to have spent $64 on the earlier pallet.

Currently E.L.F (Eyes Lips Face) is available in 17 countries in many stores but not in the UK and Ireland as far as I can see. But don't fear because you can purchase products online on this website

www.eyeslipsfacecom

(so handy, so affordable and so guilt free)

Apart from make up and body products I did manage to get myself some nice printed chinos for winter, a few nice tops, a pair of moccasin style shoes and an amazing pair of Timberland winter boots almost half price in Winners (North Americas version of TK Maxx). Such a great day shopping and I felt even less guilt because it's my birthday in two weeks.

One last thing before I sign off, I am using Jane Iredale make up right now which I purchase from work at a staff discount and is completely cruelty free and is the best make up I've ever used. It is known as the skincare make up because it treats your skin as its on as opposed to clogging the pores and doesn't look 'cakey' at all. Everything is pure and natural in it and they have so many products on their website. I am using the full coverage BB cream and am due to buy the Compact powder which is pure pigment with no fillers like most make up powders ie. Talcum power etc.very little needs to be used and it leaves your skin looking amazing. It is used after people have cosmetic surgery because it helps to heal the skin at the same time as looking naturally beautiful. If you want to check out Jane Iredale online look here:

Www.Janeiredale.com

This isn't something I normally blog about purely because skincare and make up don't generally have much to do with my travels. I'm rarely ever looking after my skin or wearing make up when I travel but when I'm settled down, I find myself in more of a routine and have time to experiment. Through my job as a Spa Therapist at one of Vancouvers best spas, I got to take these amazing products home to test out.

The best thing about the spa I work at, is that unlike many mainstream spas, we offer a range of products all of which are chemical free, paraben free, hypoallergenic and so on. Sacred nature is the most organic out of all the brands we carry and it is fully plant based consisting of buriti oil (from the tree of life in Brazil), butterfly bush extract (from the tree of youth in Africa, organic orange water, jojoba oil and Shea butter. As you can imagine, the scent of the products is to die for and the results are matching.

The containers and packaging are all recyclable and the products are even made in Italy in a facility that uses 100% renewable energy.

I've only been using this product a day and I'm already in love with it. They smell delicious, are completely guilt free and they make my skin feel amazing. The texture of the products is so luxurious and so natural at the same time. Like many skincare brands out there, these products are in a medium price range, ranging between $40- $80 each for 50-200ml size, but u like many of the rest, this brand has an incredible philosophy of bringing sustainability, holistic skincare and organic ingredients together to create beautiful results.

Sacred Nature- [Comfort Zone]

'We seek to promote a holistic, healthy and sustainable lifestyle based in science and strengthened by passion'

I would highly recommend this brand to everyone :) if only I could capture the scent and share it here :)

It's hard to recall all of the things I managed to get up to during my 10 days off work and having known this would be the case, I'm glad I wrote them down. I won't bore you with the details although I will admit that the details aren't boring in the slightest, rather adventurous if you ask me. 

My one goal for my ten days off was not to waste time, and that I promise I kept! Each and every day I got up as if I had work (earlier than 12pm though obviously) and made a plan for myself. The best thing was that I had just joined YYoga for unlimited classes for a month so I would find myself dedicated to my practice every day, even twice a day, in a row! I turned yoga crazy! 

I hiked 15kms through Lower Seymour National Park and did the gruelling steps up Grouse Grind! I saw outdoor movies, caught up with new friends, bumped into old friends (or rather chased down the bike path by a friend screaming your name.. that's you Kara lol) went out for delicious meals, had my hair done (brighter for the summer eh), biked all day long, gone on random road trips, gone on dates, gone out partying, worked hard on my tan and even got invited  to a delicious feast with friends. 

It seemed like the time went so fast, with all my daily adventures but it was a perfect amount of time to ease into vancouver life happily and freely, content with my self in the present moment. Every moment! Going back to work for me wasn't a chore, neither are Monday blues- because I'm off Monday's, but even Tuesday's don't phase me. I am lucky to work for amazing people in a calm, peaceful environment doing what I love to do. Next step is moving into my new Houseshare this weekend! 

Watch this space y'all x

Peace xx

It was just recently that I came across my dream bike on Craigslist and decided to purchase it to make life easier and more fun. It would also be pretty handy to get to and from work once I move (2 weeks and counting)! I purchased a blue cruiser which was perfect for city and beach biking but not so much or hilly terrain which was fine! The day I bought it, I looped around Vancouvers Sea wall via the epic bike trail and stopped at third beach for a day of sun baking and fun with friends! To top it off, I got a key for the Rogers building (where I work) to store my bike when I work during the day there!

It was just a fluke that I started my job just in time for a paid week off. My bosses use this week to go on vacation and take time out from work so I guess I joined at an ideal time! My plan for the week off is lots of beaches, lots of scenery, lots of yoga and lots of hiking! And of course hanging out with my beautiful friends here! Erin and I headed to Lower Symour Consevation park for a hike which Erin decided was at least 15kms. We hiked up and down and all around to the point of going off trail and eventually finding our way back on the trail. The woods were amazing and it was so nice to be out of tribe city in nature for a bit! The next plan is to do gruelling Grouse Grind, Lynn Canyon, Mt Seymour and maybe even get over to vancouver Island or up to whistler.

I have been taking advantage oft $40 unlimited yoga classes at Y Yoga here in the city and have been to a few power classes and some warm Yin classes! Power Yoga was something I tried, to get strong and feel good and peaceful at the same time and having been to two different teachers here in the city, I am In love with Power Yoga. I have also stated teaching a class of my own in Stanley Park on Sunday's which is great :) Anyway I will write a blog once my week of adventure is up and I'm sure I'll have lots to write about!

Ciao

As I enter the third week of my new life in Vancouver I can't help but feel like I've been here a lot longer! I've been working full time at an amazing spa downtown with the best co workers and my social life here couldn't be better. The thing about vancouver is there is always something to do. Free or not, there is something for everyone! 

Me and my new friends have been taking advantage of the free outdoor movies at Canada Place and Second Beach every week and I have had a few crazy nights out since I've been here too! Since moving to American Backpackers, I have a new addition to the group, Fran from Germany! She makes me laugh because she is a pastry chef at the convention centre here in the city and whenever she finishes a shift, she takes home treats for me. Knowing how much I love eggs, I regularly return home to find boiled eggs sat on my bed, bags of fresh baked goodies and even fresh berry panacotta. My life is complete... Although I may not be able to fit my clothes for much longer.

Through couchsurfing groups and mutual friends, I have met so many cool people and recently met a Romanian guy (Christian) who grew up 10 minutes away from me back in Ireland and is living only a few minutes walk away from me here in west end! 

My love for Vancouver grows stronger everyday and my zest for life has expanded since meeting these inspiring souls from Canada and all over the world! Just this weekend we went to watch the celebration of lights down by the beach followed by drinks at my new local 'Score on Davie', further followed by a blurry evening at Numbers club! The evening was such a success that when returning to Score the next day for some Sunday Caesars (Canadian version of a Bloody Mary and also a very acquired taste), the bouncers and staff shouted 'Jadeeeeee', to which everyone laughed! No doubt I'll be at this place more often since I'll be moving only a few streets away from it!

On that note, it's only a couple of weeks until I move into my new place and only one working week until I get a paid week off! Todd and I drove out of town to Squamish on Sunday for a nature walk and some craft beer. It was my first time out of town since I arrived and it was awesome! The scenery never ceases to amaze me here! 

Life in Van is going very smoothly and I've even got my first pay cheque- that makes everything real right :) Summer days keep on rolling by and I feel complete. Peace out x

Arriving in Vancouver was pretty crazy considering all the stuff I had with me. I was moving here after all so it didn't compare with any of my other trips. I had a couch surfing host lined up called Daniel who I was stoked to meet and I had directions to his place from he airport. When I arrived I took the skytrain and even a free ticket from a guy who accidentally bought two, and then took the bus to Dans street. I waited in McDs until he was back home from an outdoor movie and then I met him and two girls staying at his place too, Celia and Ali.

The apartment was in an amazing location right in Westend and looking over the beach. I couldn't have been in a better place to begin my life in Vancouver. I appreciated being invited to stay here by Dan, who was incredibly helpful and very funny the entire time! (Now We'r neighbours! On my second day I had landed an interview at a top spa downtown, known city wide for their philosophies on wellness, eco friendly products, 5* unique spa treatments and wholey organic products. Both Toby and Victoria were instantly likeable and we had the exact same outlook on life and same theories. I knew form the beginning this was the place for me. I was lucky enough to get a second interview (practical interview for spa therapists) which in turn landed me the full time job right in the heart of downtown. Dan joked that every time I came home I would have more and more progress on my new life here which seemed to be happening very smoothly for me.

During the time couchsurfing I had gone out to Facebook group events such as the outdoor movie downtown and net heaps of new people, had been house hunting on a budget and training for my new job as well as exploring the city by foot every day. I had also taken up running and regular exercise in the parks. I now had time and places to do yoga and meditation outdoor and be in nature even within a city. Within a week I had met up with some friends I had made on Facebook groups ie Todd and Erin, such as IEC meet ups, Couchsurfing Vancouver and Vancouver meet ups. And Dominic, Emerson, Luke, Hugo etc at the outdoor movie screening of 'Despicable Me'! It was easy peesy to meet people. I had also landed myself a cheap room in the heart of Westend (rare) complete with swimming pool and sauna in the building. My room was furnished with a massive balcony and the rent included all bills. My new flat mates seemed really cool but I would have to stay in a hostel until I could move in Aug 15th. The flat was in an amazing area eighth downtown but in a lush tree lined street which seemed so quaint and neighbourhood like even being so close to the happenin areas! That was the thing about Westend, You have Davie and Robson filled with bars and shops etc and either side you have streets that seem so country like they make you forget toure actually in the heart of a city. It was ideal! As if things could have gone smoother, I found a hostel (American Backpackers) which was around the corner from work downtown and was only $60 a week in comparison to $45 a night at some of the main hostels.

I had also met some lovely people at Dans place who were couchsurfing too, a lovely Aussie couple Mindy and Tom, Christelle from France and Zoran from Croatia. We all headed out together to an awesome bar on Davie for some drinks for our last night together.

There are so many areas in Vancouver and I had instantly loved Westend because of its proximity to downtown, the beaches and Stanley Park but never thought I could afford to live here. I had been to Kitsilano area for their street festival with Erin which was awesome and Was indeed a very 'yuppie' neighbourhood as I had heard from locals. North Van, East Van and Mt Pleasant sounded nice too but even though I hadn't sussed them out I didn't want to be too far from work as I planned to bike there even during the winter. (Biking in the rain long distance didn't sound too appealing). Finding my place on Barclay and Broughton only a few streets from awesome Robson st and Davie st on the other side, I couldn't have been in a better location. Aug 15th couldn't come quick enough. I had so many plans for moving in and decorating my new place and balcony complete with plants, hammock and herb pots. I am now a westender

Vancouver has so many events and so much to do even on a budget. Since arriving I have been to two outdoor movies (Canada Place and Stanley Park both screen), Khatsalano street festival in Kitsilano, various bars in Gastown/Westend and in and around the beaches and Stanley Park. I am yet to get out further from downtown to the beaches ie Wreck beach (nudist),Spanish beach and Jericho beach. I am due to live here for at least two years so it was inevitable that I will get to these places sooner or later. Vancouver to me, felt instantly like home and I couldn't believe I could live somewhere so much and feel so settled so soon! They say whatever is meant for you won't pass you and everything happens for a reason both of which I strongly believe. As a write this, sat in the sun on the beach overlooking the shimmering water dotted with boats and lined with trees, I couldn't ask for a better life right now.

Everyone come visit me :)