Category: Travel

cinco de mayo

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since i do a lot of travelling for work i’m often stuck eating a lot of crappy chain food or food court finds. every now and again i get really lucky when my coworkers are locals in the province we’re visiting and can make some really great food suggestions for me. it makes a work trip feel way less “worky” and i get to sneak in an amazing meal that i otherwise wouldn’t have been able to experience.

fortunately this was the case on my most recent work trip. my coworkers had planned one very fabulous dinner for us weeks in advance (as soon as they found out we were coming actually). so after an incredibly long (13 hours to be precise) work day, we all attempted to freshen up and head down to the Distillery District in Toronto for a little taste of Mexico

and let me tell you, was it ever worth it. i happen to love mexican and have a hard time finding really good mexican food in my home city. this place definitely made the cut. the food was incredibly flavourful and there was plenty of options to chose from. (i say that mainly because i don’t eat red meat or chicken and had zero problem finding something to eat). one of my favourite aspects is the fact that they make fresh guacamole right at your table. to me that’s the epitome of good mexican.

between two people we shared Baja fish tacos, the “Gobernador” taco (a combination of Lobster and Shrimp) and the “Vuelve a la Vida El Catrin ” ceviche (a mixed seafood ceviche). We also took the liberty of tasting the other treats our coworkers had ordered which were equally as delicious. and we left completely stuffed and blissfully happy.

so next time you’re in the 6, head down to the Distillery District, go to El Catrin, and order a ton of amazing food. if you’re looking for other Mexican finds in Canada, Escondite in Montreal, ACE Mercado in Ottawa and Cuchillo in Vancouver are a few more of my favorites

enjoy!

xx-aboutthesmallthings

edited

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i know i’ve mentioned before my dislike of packing. i’m really no good at it. i always forget something or decide once i’m there that the outfit i absolutely need to wear is the one i left at home. the worst packing experience for me though is when i combine a work trip with a personal one. remembering to pack enough outfits for both components while not overpacking is like playing an annoying game of luggage tetris.

since i do take these combined trips fairly often, i’ve come up with the basics that have to come with me no matter what. i then build from there. that way, at least, i have a solid outfit foundation each time.

my travel go to’s?

  1. My favorite distressed skinny jeans (i picked up a pair of Sevens at a crazy discount- i live in them now)
  2. converse
  3. a pair of amazing heels (Michael Kors London Open Toe in this case)
  4. my makeup essentials
  5. plain t’s (you can never go wrong with a great basic t shirt)
  6. at least 1 dress (you never know when you’re going to need to dress up a bit)
  7. for my summer trips my vintage levi’s always make the cut

What are your travel musts?

xx-abouthesmallthings

baby it’s cold outside

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i am not the biggest winter fan, even less so after coming back from a beach vacation. coming back to snow and slush isn’t quite the same as watching the ocean get closer and closer as a plane begins its decent into a warm climate. the return to winter comes with many challenges- winter boots, winter jackets, impending snow storms and the worst- the ever so fun back from vacation cold.

i just returned back from the sun to all of the above with the worst of the worst snow storm and a nagging sniffle threatening to turn cold at any minute

so what did i do? i retaliated that’s what! by making the world’s fastest, simplest and most delicious chicken soup

anyone who says making soup is time consuming has never tried this recipe- it’s 10 minutes of prep time and 30 minutes of cook time

the result? delicious and comforting homemade chicken soup!

Ingredients

  1. Chicken breasts (for a small portion like the one i made last night, i used two boneless chicken breasts)
  2. 5 carrots
  3. 4 celery stalks
  4. Half an onion
  5. 3 cloves of garlic
  6. Salt and pepper to taste
  7. Enough water to cover all ingredients and create the broth

Recipe

  1. Roughly chop the onion, carrots and celery and put aside
  2. Fill a medium size pot with water, add salt, and bring to a boil
  3. Chop your chicken into mid size cubes (if you’re using chicken with the bones, don’t cut anything off the bone, leave them in as it adds more flavour)
  4. Once the water begins to boil, turn the heat on your burner down and add your chicken. Simmer for 7 minutes until the chicken is cooked through
  5. Add your vegetables to the water (including your garlic) and the salt and pepper to taste
  6. Leave your soup simmering for 30 minutes
  7. Voila! Soup!

**You can make any kind of soup pasta or rice if you’d like a carb with your meal, otherwise the chopped vegetables taste delicious on their own with the chicken and the soup

xx- aboutthesmallthings

finishing touches

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accessories are easily my favorite part of an outfit

they can turn an everyday black dress or jeans and a t shirt into a dynamic and interesting look

that’s why my main investments always go into the pieces i can use to juj up my look- shoes, handbags and jewelry (although the jewelry component is nearly always fun costume pieces. one day i’ll invest in some great real pieces, but that’s for later on in my fashion life)

to date, my best costume jewelry finds have actually (believe it or not) come from forever 21 and macy’s. if you’re going to buy fun pieces that don’t have a very long shelf life, it’s better to keep the budget under $25 to avoid feeling guilty about buying a neon choker or spiked double ring. if you’re looking for something a bit more expensive looking J Crew in recent years has had really good costume pieces to chose from

so why the focus on the accessories you might ask? it ties back to my packing nightmares. i finished packing 90% of my suitcase last weekend, panicked, and have been adding more pieces here and there throughout the week. it went from a strategic battlefield to unplanned warfare. instead of pulling everything out and starting over from scratch, i took note of a few key pieces i was planning to bring with me and substituted fear with accessories. that way, if i did forget anything too crucial i know that i can wear a basic look with some great jewelry to give myself the look i was hoping for

so wish me luck and fingers crossed to having a week filled with the perfectly improvised vacation looks

xx-aboutthesmallthings

vacation essentials

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i am not a good packer. i’ve evolved from throwing everything into a suitcase, to packing strategically in outfits, and yet i’m still always over packed. most of the time, i travel to places that have at least 1 mall or pharmacy to be able to replace anything i’ve inevitably forgetten. not this time. this time, there are no malls, there are no pharmacies, there’s only beach and ocean as far as the eye can see (i am most definitely not complaining, but now more concerned than ever about forgetting something crucial.)

to make matters more complicated, i’m travelling for a destination wedding, which means all of the components of my outfit need to be packed and nothing can be forgotten. once we get on that plane, there is no turning back!

so what have i done this time to ensure nothing is forgotten? i’ve packed in stages.

stage 1- the beach bag

beach bag essentials include:

1- Victoria Secret Criss Cross Bandeau Top

2- Frends Layla Earphones

3- Michael Kors Studded Straw Beach Bag

4- Canon camera

5- Sunscreen (both for face and body- i have very sensitive skin and always need to have different types for each)

6- Killer Playlist (varying from new Fergie to Half Moon Run)

7- Magazines (to be acquired at the airport)

8- Sunglasses (the obvious beach staple)

More vacation packing details to come!

xx-aboutthesmallthings