DIY Spoon Ring!

Hello folks!

The other night I embarked on an adventure of sorts. Now before there's too much suspense, I'll just tell you! ;) I made spoon rings!! (Duh by the title, hahah).

My one friend Jenna loves this Craft Show that comes to town, and a few years ago she bought these awesome spoon rings! I loved them! Then a while later I started to see them pop up all over Pinterest with DIY's. I pinned it roughly two years ago and never did it. Classic.

Anyway, Saturday night rolls around and I'm looking for something to do...other than watch movies online...because as great as that is, I feel lazy after a while - no it's just great. Moving forward....I decided to change up my regular routine of watching TV and decided to do something useful with my time. It's about time! So here is le tutorial:

So, it's pretty simple. Just measure your finger with a piece of paper and then cut that fancy spoon/fork. You can cut the edges in a bit too if you like. Luckily I have a lovely father who used his bandsaw (or something) to cut it for me, but you really only need a small metal cutter. 

Now's the potentially hard part. If you decide not to read all the instructions on the blog then it will probably be harder...not from personal experience or anything....

MAKE SURE YOU USE A SOFT METAL!! I feel like they should have specified this more on the blog, so I'm capitalizing it now so it's not missed. If you decide to use a hard stainless steel, it will bend about as easily as a 95 year-old Luddite. For your sanity, use a soft spoon. You can easily tell by how difficult it is to bend with your hand at first. 

Next, grab some pliers (or two) to hold and bend the spoon into a nice circle. This may take some time, so be a little patient. Or in my case, get a strong man to com help you if the struggle is real. Make sure it's a good fit to your finger and adjust if necessary.

Then all you have to do is use some sand paper on it and scrub-a-dub-dub until it's soft. The pliers might have made a few marks on your lovely ring (but that just gives it character), so nows the time to sand those away.

Here's how mine turned out!!

See my papa working so hard! He's a good one. :)

And there you have it! Spoon rings are awesome! Go make one! Just make sure to follow my advice above.

Ciao!

Lo

Summer Bucket List Part 1

Something that I've been thinking about recently is what makes me happy and fulfilled. And I found out a big part of that is goals and doing things I've always wanted to try - not that they have to be really big things (like skydiving...still yet to be done!) but either way, that is what makes me happy and content with my life.

Tone It Up came out with the idea of a #createyoursummer bucket list. So I got to it. I put it on Instagram, but could only fit like 5 or 6 things in the picture.

Side Note: a fun fact about me is that I love lists! I love putting all my ideas down and being able to organize and check them off....at least ideally - I won't talk about how little much actually gets done off them usually. But anyway! Naturally a summer bucket list is the best idea. It's the ultimate Try-It-Tuesday! ;)

So here it is in (almost) all it's glory. My 51 item summer bucket list [I left 2 out ;)] :

1. Road Trip
                             

2. Skinny Dipping
                  

3. Campfire and S'mores
    

4. Outdoor Amusement Park (which makes me wish I lived in Utah by Lagoon - seriously so fun!)
                                               

5. Camping
                                                  

6. Sparklers on Canada Day
                             

7. Beach Day - Sandcastle making is a must.
                   

8. Concert
                 

Backstreet Boys: Check

9. Half Marathon - *SeaWheeze*
      

10. Boating on the lake....anyone have a boat?? I'll make you cookies!
       

Plus I've always wanted to learn to wakeboard! So seriously...someone let me know if you have a boat!

11. Pool Party
                             

How sweet would it be to put glowsticks in the bottom of a pool!?

12. Hike
                                             

13. Make fresh Lemonade
   
                                                                   Recipe here.

14. Buy fresh flowers - I'm sure you know how much I love flowers as seen here, here, and here.

15. Buy flowers for someone else
                                       

16. Drive-In-Theatre

   
         Does anyone know of one? I pretty sure there isn't one in the city, but I'm willing to travel ;)

17. Shakespeare in the Park
   

18. Tie-Dye

19. Movies on the Square
                                

20. Stargaze
                                                   

21. BBQ
              

22. Bowling (preferably glow-in-the-dark)
                    

23. Volunteer (Mustard Seed anyone??)
            

24. Read "Classic Love Stories"

25. Beach Volleyball
                                            

Sorry to leave you hanging, but PART 2 will come out very soon! Keep your eyes peeled! ;)

HAPPY SUMMER!!!

xoxo,

Lo

Weddings & my Favourite Five

Hello my lovely people!!

This week is pretty crazy for me - 3 finals (2 today and 1 Thursday) and my sisters wedding (which includes a bridal shower Wednesday, a bachelorette Thursday, the wedding Friday, and the reception Saturday). Oh and my other sister Sadie (the one who lives in korea) is coming home today!!! I'm a little worried about how well I'll do on my Thursday final....

Anyway!! This post will be short and sweet...and wedding themed! :)

Favourite Engagement Picture:

I mostly like the flowers in her hair. :)

Favourite Reception Area:

I love the light colours and lights! It's so elegant. 

Favourite Bouquet:

SO bright and pretty!!

Favourite Men's Outfit:

He is looking finnnne in that suit! I seriously love it when a guy is in a nice, well-fitted suit. So attractive.

Favourite Hair:

I don't know what it is, but I LOVE lots of flowers in hair for weddings. It's a must for me. :)

Love you all,

Lo

Try-It-Tuesday: Healthy Crunch Wrap Supreme!

So I realize that today is not actually Tuesday, but these things happen, right? I'd like to think that I was sooo busy with my super exciting and eventful life, but actually yesterday I just went to school, did some laundry, did some church stuff, hung out with an old friend, and "studied" (as in a tried...and got distracted by Pinterest....classic). Anyway, clearly I need some more self-control. Although not having dessert for 6 months definitely takes some of that...so I don't feel too bad. I plan on studying a lot today though, and not that I've written that for all the internet world to see, I have to!

So today I was looking on Pinterest for some hip flexor stretches (more on that later, because my mind is BLOWN!) and my stomach started growling, when I remembered this amazing recipe I tried about a year ago. It's a DIY Crunch Wrap Supreme.

The one from Taco Bell actually isn't that bad calorically speaking. It comes in at a whopping 540 calories, with 7g of saturated fat, "0g" trans fats, 1210mg sodium, 71g carbs, 6g sugar, and 16g protein. So yeah, it's tasty, but is it worth it when you can make your own healthier version at home!? Of course not you guys!! 

The recipe that I found called for sour cream, flour tortillas, taco seasoning (which actually isn't all that good for you), and ground beef. Ground beef is not bad (although the more lean, the better), but I had some shredded chicken that I figured would take less time to make, and would be healthier. Win-win!

My tweaked version of this uses healthier subsitutes so you can feel better about your choices...how cliche does that sound?? But for real. You'll be healthier and probably can have 2 if you really wanted, without the effects on nasty chemicals and such! :) 

So, this is what you need:

(2 Servings)

2 large tortillas*

1/2 can shredded cooked chicken

4 tsp taco seasoning (homemade is wayy better for you!)

2 dollops Non-fat plain Greek Yogurt

1/4-1/2 cup shredded cheese

shredded Lettuce

diced Tomatoes

* I would've preferred a whole wheat tortilla, but my mom just bought these spinach pesto ones that are about 140 cals/serving, so I figured I could use it too.

**If you want more of a crunch, the other recipe calls for tortilla chips. I opted out, but if you find organic or gluten free ones, those would be a healthy substitute! They have some great ones at Costco!

Step 1: Add chicken to skillet with taco seasoning, just to heat and mix. Cook on medium for about 2 minutes, stirring regularly.

Step 2: Assemble all ingredients! This representation was a classic case of "Lauren's eyes are bigger than her stomach", but that just means leftovers, which is a win in my books.

Step 3: Put the tortilla in the microwave for 10 seconds to heat it enough that it will bend easy. Lay the tortilla out, and place shredded chicken, cheese, a dollop of greek yogurt, and top with tomatoes and lettuce. If you want to add the chips, add them after the cheese and chicken.

Step 4: Fold as the photo above shows, folding one edge up towards the centre and repeating in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Fold so that there is no hole in the middle. The original recipe says that if there is though (like the first time I made it), add a piece of tortilla to the centre.

Step 5: Pour grapseed or olive oil in a pan and cook on each side for 3 minutes on medium-low.

Step 6: Enjoy! It's SUPER delicious!!

love, 

Lo

A Late Favourite Five. :)

HELLO BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE! Thanks for stopping by! I quickly just want to thank everyone who has read my post on loving yourself/body and being kind to it and to others. It's my most popular post yet! It makes me so happy that people care about what I have to say and are getting something from it! You guys are the best!!

Now onto the business of the day. But not really business - it's actually fun! My favourite five of the week!! Woo!


Favourite Knowledge:

Seriously! Do it!

Favourite New Band:

TWIN FORKS! I went to see Phillip Phillips last night and they were the openers. Blew my mind. So talented. Plus I talked to them briefly after and they were super chill and genuine - very grateful for their fans. They've only been around for about a year, but I expect them to get big soon. Check em out!!

Favourite Snack Idea:

What, what!? Homemade fruit roll ups!! It's like my childhood!

Favourite Escape:

Currently we're having a second winter. Not cool mother nature. So I like to dream of places like this:

I'd be down for Bermuda. 

Favourite Quote:

I think most of us have heard some variation of this before, but it's true. Celebrate the little successes. And when things are less than ideal, think about how you're growing. :)

Love you guys!

Lo

Nutella Hot Cocoa!

Happy Tuesday my friends!!

So remember when I wrote up a bucket list for winter?! #5 was to make 5 different types of hot cocoa.

So naturally, I procrastinated.

Until this weekend! I finally went onto Pinterest and looked up homemade hot cocoa. I saw one Nutella flavoured, and my decision was made.

Its a super easy and quick recipe. You could probably even make it in the microwave, but I made it on the stove. Don't want to lose any of those nutrients by cooking it in the microwave, right??

SO! This is what you need to do! 

Get some milk, Nutella, and Vanilla. See! So easy!

You can use regular cow's milk, almond milk, soy milk, or whatever you want. I'd like to think I'm being health conscious with this drink (Nutella has nuts = protein and almond milk = protein, right...?), but really the sugar content from the Nutella takes away any chance of being healthy. So, go with whichever milk you'd like. 

For ONE Serving:

1 cup Milk

2 tbsp Nutella 

1/2 tsp Vanilla (or more, if you like)

Set your saucepan on medium-low and add 1/4 cup of milk and Nutella. Whisk until combined. Then add the rest of the milk and heat to your preferred temperature.

Then you can have your hot cocoa as picture above, or go all out and have marshmallows and some whipped cream. Your choice. 

This was mine. Go big or go home, right?

*It's important to give yourself treats, so you don't make yourself crazy from withdrawals. 

Hope you're staying warm! Love you guys!

xoxo,

Lo