Jenn Hildebrand

Saje || Headaches be gone!

Over the last few months, I’ve been getting THE WORST migraines. They’ve been especially bad during May. I didn’t want to rely on taking Advil or Tylenol, so I started looking into more natural remedies.

Being the curious girl that I am, I asked around seeing what my friends have been doing… And the majority of them raved about the peppermint halo stick from Saje Natural Wellness. Quickly, I jumped in the car and made my way over to a nearby Saje store and looked into it. I ended up leaving with the whole headache kit… and let me tell you, I’m obsessed. I even managed to convince my grandma to try it.

The headache kit includes: the peppermint halo roll on, the peppermint halo pen, and a stress relief spray.

This is how I use it: I take the roll on and place it behind both ears and at my right and left temple. Then, I use the pen and place it on the exact problem areas on my head. I won’t lie, I kinda go a little overboard with the pen but I can’t help it… I love the refreshing feeling it gives! When I’m done, I basically smell like a peppermint stick, but hey – I’m not complaining!

The stress relief spray is lavender base, and is recommended for people with anxiety. Being a girl that does struggle with awful anxiety, I’ve been substituting the spray for my perfume. It fades after a while, but it does initially calm me down.

KEY INGREDIENTS: Peppermint, Lavender, and Rosemary. It’s also plant based, with no synthetics or animal testing, and vegan.

If you have bad headaches/migraines, I definitely recommend looking into it!

*This is not sponsored. All opinions are my own. 

Healthy Hair – How I do it!

A question that I get asked a lot is how I keep my dyed hair nice and healthy. Simple: little to no heat and really ace hair products.

Here’s the breakdown:

– Wash –

Shampoo: Joico Colour Endure Violet  … I bought the biggest salon size about two years ago and it’s lasted me since this month. I love a good purple shampoo! It keeps my hair from going gross and brassy. Major note – I don’t (or very rarely) use drugstore shampoo. I find that it’s chalk full of sulphates which is no bueno for hair. The higher quality the shampoo the better!

Conditioner: Axis Salon Ree-hab Conditioner (Customized) … My hair stylist (who happens to be one of my BFF’s) is the genius behind my purple hair. She works for Axis Salon in Vancouver and customized my purple conditioner. I LOVE IT! My biggest pro? It smells like mint and leaves a tingly fresh feeling. It also moisturizes my hair like a dream.

– Styling – 

Leave-In Conditioner: Living Proof No Frizz Leave-In Conditioner … Because my hair has lost a lot of it’s moisture due to the constant dying, I like to put as much moisture back into it as possible. This is my go to leave-in conditioner ( you can buy it at Sephora). It’s a small bottle but has lasted me a year. I only use a quarter size amount and run it through my hair while it’s still damp and brushed through.

Heat Protectant: Bumble and Bumble Prep … I spray this evenly over my hair before blow drying or if I want to curl my hair. I don’t always put heat to my hair, but if I do, this is my number one hair protectant.

Primer: R + Co Twister Curl Primer … Super lightweight with super cute packaging. If I have some extra time, I’ll take a quarter amount and twist the little waves in my hair. Plus, I got it for free from a hair salon contest so – win win all around!

Masque: Ouai Hair Masque … Talked about this before. Still love it.

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Okie – Those are my holy grail of products! What are some hair products you can’t get enough of?

J. xx

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* Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.
Shout out to my friend Simeon for the portrait shots!

 

Let’s Style: Tunics (+ GIVEAWAY)

When I started planning out what direction I wanted my blog to go, I knew I wanted to talk more about fashion (especially fashion for short, plus size ladies like myself)! SO!! I knew I wanted to start a fashion series called: Let’s Style. I will be choosing some of my FAVE pieces in my wardrobe and show you how I love to style it.

OK! Let’s get started with this GORGEOUS (seriously,  look how pretty these flowers are) tunic from Pinkblush Materinity (Plus size line). If you’re not pregnant, don’t fret (neither am I)-  because it’s not just for mama’s or soon to be mamas. They also carry straight and plus sizes.

What I love about this tunic is how flowy and light it is. Since my height falls under the 5’3 spectrum, it turned out to be more of a dress on me. I paired it with some chambray shorts (underneath the tunic) since it’s still a LITTLE bit short to be considered a dress.  The quality of the tunic is wonderful. It is definitely good quality! It does run on the bigger size (even for plus), so I would probably size down.  This little outfit I think is perfect for the spring-summer months and would look SUPER cute at a wedding.

For accessories, I kept it simple. I didn’t want to take away from the gorge floral pattern. For shoes I wore these Payless brown cut out, open toe sandals. They have a short, block heel so they’re super comfortable. I then wore gold stud earrings that I bought at a local boutique. The shorts (that are underneath) are from Ever New Melbourne last season.

I will definitely be wearing this outfit loads this summer!

(Ps. How CUTE is my dog Bailey??)

Now for the exciting part…

GIVEAWAY TIME!!

PinkBlush were absolute dolls and have teamed up with me to give one lucky lady a $50 Gift Card. Head on over to my instagram post  to learn more!

 

Tiptoed Through the Tulips

Friends!

Spring has finally showered us with it’s presence (literally, it’s been raining NON STOP in BC). With spring showers comes May flowers, which obviously means the Abbotsford Tulip Festival! I had never been before, so when my friend Gaby asked if I wanted to go with her, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity!

If you are in the lower mainland (British Columbia, Canada), I highly recommend checking the Bloom tulip festival out (if not this year, then definitely next!). It is absolutely gorgeous. It runs until May 14th so time is running out. Tickets are $8 at “the door”, or you can purchase tickets online. It is a fun activity for people of all ages! My biggest piece of advice is to wear boots, or shoes with good traction. I didn’t expect there to be so much mud and wore my white adidas shoes. Let’s just say that was a bad life choice. They do try to make it easy for people to walk with pallet board docks to walk over muddy puddles, but these paths do not run everywhere. So it’s best to be prepared!

OUTFIT:

Top: Forever21 Plus
Dungaree dress: Primark UK
Sunglasses: Aldo Accessories
Backpack: Primark UK
Shoes: Adidas

Happy Spring!

J.x

Healthy Body, Healthy Brain

Hello! I’m going to warn you right now that this is a very long post. So grab yourself a tea and a comfy chair and let’s begin!

Disclaimer: I want to first say that every body is beautiful. If you’re a size 6 or a size 16, you are beautiful. As long as you’re happy, healthy, and confident in your skin, then that’s what matters. ALSO this was a very hard post to write, so please be kind.

Alright. Now that’s out of the way, I want to tell you a bit about how I’ve somehow became a plus sized lady and lost enough hair to make a wig. A couple months ago, I had noticed that I hadn’t been feeling myself. I noticed that I had gained a lot of weight (I’m talking a LOT of weight), my hair was falling out by the chunks, my brain was ultra foggy (we’re talking mid-sentence-word-forgetting-scrambled-brain fog) and that my depression and anxiety was becoming almost unmanageable once again.

If you know me, you know that I’m not a willing participant when it comes to getting blood work done. It’s the unknown that get’s my knickers in a twist and I’d much rather avoid it like the plague. But I knew it had to be done… and I’m glad I did.

In November, my doctor told me that I was breaching over the line of having hypothyroidism. Basically, my thyroid was NOT having it with the rest of my body. Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the body lacks a sufficient amount of the thyroid hormone. That had explained why I was not feeling myself because I wasn’t. My body wasn’t producing things that I needed to feel healthy, energized, and well.. good.

Since then, I have been on medication and am due for more blood work to see where my thyroid is at.

But what does this have to do with becoming plus sized? Well, lots. You see, I have always struggled with confidence issues. When I was a kid and into my teenage years, I failed to see myself as a beautiful girl that was created by an even more beautiful God. I saw myself as fat, ugly, and oh yeah… fat. As I grew up, I accepted myself for how I looked and felt good in my skin. But since all of this has happened, I have found that my confidence had plummeted. I’ve been more concerned with the number on my jeans. I’ve felt way more depressed. I look at photos of myself and I would pick apart every inch of me (literally… like when did I get a double chin?!).

BUT HERE’S THE THING! It’s all unhealthy lies.

YES. I have gained weight but that doesn’t take away from my beauty -inside and out. I know that I can make changes outwardly by exercising and eating healthy.  But it’s important to remember your mental health too.

If you’re like me and you have found yourself picking a part how you look, here are two things I want you to remember:

1. You are capable of being healthy.
You don’t feel healthy? Make a change. Create a food plan. Cut out sugars or other things that are not good for you. Join a fitness class. Go to the gym. See your doctor. Everyone has the capability of feeling better physically. But if you find yourself wanting to lose weight for unhealthy reasons, then stop, take a step back and reevaluate why you want to do this. (TRUST ME. I’m saying this to myself too.)

2. Your mental health is important, too.
Don’t forget – your physical health is important, but so is your mental. Before you do anything, make sure you feel healthy mentally. Depression is a very, very real thing. So is anxiety. Talk to someone you trust if you need to. See a professional if it’s really bad. Need to go on medication for a while? That’s okay.  It’s all going to be OKAY. I know how hard it is to feel unhealthy mentally. Trust me.  But you are capable of change – remember that. You are worthy of being healthy mentally too. Seek the help that you need. You got this!

At the end of it all, I want you to know that it’s important to take care of your body. It’s the only one you get. Change is hard but you are strong and can do anything you put your mind and heart to.

J. xx

 

Pumpkin Picking

Autumn has officially arrived and I couldn’t be more excited about it! I love everything about this season – sweaters, London fogs, blanket scarves, halloween, pumpkin pie, pumpkin candles, pumpkin spiced lattes… okay let’s me be real, pumpkin EVERYTHING. I love it!

This past weekend, my bestie Liz Mannegren (from MommyMannegren  – check out her blog if you haven’t already), her family (husband, son, sister) and myself went on our traditional pumpkin picking adventure. The Pumpkin Patch in Richmond, British Columbia (Canada) has been our pumpkin patch of choice for the past two years. It has everything! Dancing vegetables, goats, roosters, fresh apples, a train ride, mini donuts and pumpkins galore. They even take you on a tractor ride with one of the workers performing songs for the kiddies to sing along to as you travel the short way to the patch.

Each person is allowed one pumpkin. This year there were tons of great options! It was also a treat to watch little Alistair walk amongst the pumpkins and pick his very own. It’s even more adorable when he tries to lift them up! Ah! I can’t wait until I have my own husband and little one to bring along. I already know I’ll be an emotional mess if I have a kid, and Liz and I’s little ones go off and find pumpkins together. I cry.  (Disclaimer: I am definitely no where close to having my own little family, but it sure does pull my heartstrings when I think about the potential of it. If the good Lord wills it, of course.)

Moving on!!

One thing that Liz and I learnt from last year is that you need to bring rain boots. If you don’t, your favourite white converse will turn a nice shade of brown. Trust me, I’m speaking from experience. Now because I want to start talking more about fashion on this here blog, let me tell you about my outfit of choice. I like to stay comfortable. Jeans, rain boots and a trusty toque is my go to choice! Outfit details can be found on the left hand side under photos.

Pro Tip –  The pumpkin patch is a great activity for all! But if you have a little one, little siblings, or want to become nanny of the year, I suggest going early (right as it opens). It’s less busy and you will get a great parking spot. Plus this way, you can make a day of it. Pumpkin picking in the AM, followed by lunch. We like to go to The Old Spaghetti Factory afterwards!

All in all, this is probably one of my all time favourite autumnal activities to do!

What activities do you and your family enjoy doing during the fall season?

J. xx

 

Twenty-Five!!

“Holy crap, I’m 25!” 

That was the first thing I thought when I woke up last Friday: Holy Crap. I’m 25.

It feels like it was last week that I had just turned 21. I was dating a super cute guy, in my fourth year of college and was supposed to graduate, find a cool job and change the world. That was what I had planned but of course plans change. Instead, I’m single, didn’t graduate and took a couple years off to figure myself out before deciding to go back and finish.  I did however manage to find a super cool job at my home church, started my own photography and creative business, and (I think) I’m playing my part in changing the world. Sure, it’s not exactly where I thought I’d be four years ago, but hey! That’s totally okay.

Twenty-five can be terrifying. It’s a quarter of a century. A whole quarter of my life (assuming I’m living to 100) is over. I’m also 99% sure I’ve already had a quarter-life crisis. (They’re a thing, okay?!) Many of my friends have established themselves in solid careers. Many of them are married and have little ones running about. While some of them are still single, they’re travelling the world and experiencing new and exciting things. It’s so easy to get caught up in the pity game. “Woe is me, a 25 year old spinster who still lives at home, whose only date in the last year is taking her dog for a walk, who still gets asked if she’s in high school. Please, everyone, play your tiny violins and feel sorry for me.” Alright… please don’t tell me I’m the only one who has felt like Bridget Jones is their spirit animal.

Even though 25 has hit me like a ton of bricks and I’ve questioned every single one of my life decisions over the past two and a half decades, I’m proud to say that I’m happy with where life has taken me. It isn’t the most ideal situation. Sure, living at home at 25 can be challenging. “No mom, you can’t ground me for coming home after 11…” Sure, being a single wedding photographer can be lonely. Yes, playing with my best friends son makes my ovaries cry out, asking when I’ll make my own mini-me. And yes, not having a full time job is scary but at least I’m dong what I love to do. But this is the season that I’m in right now. I’m not going to settle for anything.

If there’s one thing that I’ve learnt, is that things happen for a reason. My own plans don’t necessary mean it’s the same plans that the big guy upstairs has. I know that He get’s me. I know that the good Lord know’s my heart, desires, and passions. I know that He’s placed me where I am for a time, and with His grace and a lot of hard work and effort on my part, He’ll bless me abundantly.

So for all those twenty-five year olds out there – or other’s who feel the same as me, don’t worry! Everyone’s journey is different. Just because your best friend may be married to a super hunky husband, with three kids with and a killer career, doesn’t mean your life is bland, lame, and pointless. The plan for your life might look different than theirs, and that’s a-okay. It’s just as special as someone else’s. Embrace your now. Keep working hard for your dreams and don’t give up. You’ve got this thing!

Summertime Bunches

I love flowers. There, I’ve said it. I love floral prints, floral scents and bunches of flowers. There’s something so uplifting and beautiful about a bouquet of flowers. I’m also the kind of person that will not hesitate to by herself a bouquet. I mean, if it makes me happy, then why not? I think there’s also something about it being sunny outside that makes me become even more of a crazy florist wannabe. Everywhere I go outside, I’m surrounded by some type of flower. Growing up, my grandparents had the best (and I’d say the still do), garden on the block. People would come around to our home, stop outside the fence and admire the different greens. I think it’s because of that, that I’ve grown to really appreciate florals.

Now…

If you’re like me and you love to buy flowers, here’s my top three flower tips to make the most of your floral bunches.

1. The flowers…

That’s kind of the most important part, wouldn’t you say? Depending on the time of year, I like to look at my local flower shop to see what’s in bloom. I’m a sucker for peonies but it’s always a bit tricky to find them when I want them. Another beautiful choice are tulips. I think everyone and their mom loves a good tulip flower. I mean, if someone was willing to write a song about tip toeing through through the tulips, there’s something special about it. Am I right?

Today, I opted for some gorgeous pink and white dahlia’s. July is the time they usually they begin their season, making it easier to pick some up. Another flower that is in bloom right now (and in season for August) are sunflowers. You can never go wrong with some gorgeous yellow sunflowers. They are sure to brighten up any room.

2. The Vase…

What’s so great about finding the perfect vase, is that you can pick them up at your local thrift store. Better yet, you know those canning jars or pasta jars you have in your bin? Those also make cute DIY vases for any bouquet. You’ll also be super hip with the Pinterest crowd.

The vase that I’m using here is actually a water pitcher that I picked up from a local Vancouver shop – Front and Company. It cost around $20 and it looks super cute in my office. Another option that you can easily find in your kitchen are ceramic milk pitchers. My mom has some fake flowers that she picked up from a craft store resting inside a pitcher she bought from Ikea. It looks really rustic and cute in our dining room.

What’s so fun about flower displays is that you can have a lot of fun with it! There’s no set rule that you need to use a fancy vase that you bought from some super expensive home decor store. You can use whatever you find in your kitchen or local thrift store!

3. The Display…

Every home needs a bouquet of flowers. I’m pretty sure this is a rule. It lightens up any room in your house – your kitchen, bedroom, office, and leaves your place smelling super fresh and summery. Since I’m still residing at my parents (a girl has to save money in this big city some how!), I opt for my bedroom/office. In a space that I do most of my creative work, I feel inspired whenever I look at them. Plus, they smell heavenly!

What kind of flowers do you like to buy? What’s your go to vase? 

J.

London – Make A Wish

This post is a special one. This trip was a special one.

At the beginning of the month, my brother, mother and I packed our carry on suitcases, boarded a 10 hour flight, and made our way to London, England. Now, I need to share something with you. Something personal and the reason why this trip even happened.

Six years ago, my younger brother was diagnosed with a spinal chord tumour. I would be lying if I said the past six years were easy on my family, because it wasn’t. It was hard, challenging, and I definitely figured out myself a lot over this time. It was tough. It still is. It’s been a battle that my brother has been facing. The only upside to it is that it’s not cancerous (thank you Jesus!). Without going into the details of the last six years, my brother had to go through treatments. Chemo, radiation – the whole packaged deal. It was like Grey’s Anatomy circa Izzy Stevens, minus McDreamy. (Fun Fact: the brother is the one who got me into Grey’s so that reference felt needed)… 

Fast forward a few years later and my brother learns that he has been granted a wish from the Make A Wish Foundation.

For those of you who don’t know what Make A Wish is, let me explain it. According to their about page, Make a Wish is a foundation that grants the wishes of children with life threatening medical conditions, by allowing them to experience hope, strength and joy. To read more, you can check out their website here.

Now I know what you’re thinking. “But Jenn! Doesn’t he need to be terminally ill to have a wish?” And my answer to that is that I thought the same thing. But nope! In fact, any child under the age of 18 can be granted a wish if they go through oncology. All they have to do is apply for it. Now, fast forward a few more years and a whole lot of waiting, J was given his wish.

After doing a pro and con list of all the places he would like to see (once we learnt that meeting the Pope wasn’t a viable option… and Pope, if you’re reading this, no hard feelings…), and realizing that meeting Mumford and Sons – his all-time favourite band was also not an option (and Mumford, again if you’re reading this, no hard feelings…)  he settled for London, England.

Okay. Now if you follow me on social media, you would have noticed that we got to see Mumford and Sons IN London. And you, my friend, would be correct.

Make A Wish had learnt that Mumford would be playing a show a week after our original holiday and managed to switch our flights so that we could go while they were there. Amazing, innit? J was excited, I was excited, and even my mother was excited. It was a whole lot of excitement, let me tell you.

This trip was amazing. I haven’t experienced something like it. They blessed us abundantly – putting our family up in a really nice hotel in Central London, given us London passes (which I’ll talk more about in my next London post), and gave us tickets to see one of J’s favourite bands. Even our flights were a blessing. A massive thank you and shout out to WestJet for treating us so incredibly well. Thank you for giving J an inside look of the cockpit, for giving us first class water bottles and blankets, and for being so hospitable and kind.

We felt blessed. I still feel blessed. This will always be a trip that I can look back on and smile.

If you would like to learn more about the organization, or would like to get involved, I’ve attached some links. If you’re looking for a new place to give or to get involved with, I 100% encourage you to consider Make A Wish. I know that I will be. There’s something special about being able to help bring joy and hope to a child who is going through one of the worst things you can go through. Cancer, tumours – they’re awful. The treatments that you need to go through are even worse. I’ve had to watch my brother go through these treatments, and I can’t count the amount of times I’ve wished I could go through it instead so he wouldn’t have to. It’s draining – emotionally and physically. But Make a Wish gives these kids a chance to take a step back from all the negativity and hardship to smile and enjoy something. To laugh, to smile, to be happy. To not think about their illness. To be able to be a part of that smile, that piece of hope – gosh, I don’t know about you, but my heart smiles at just the thought.

Make A Wish – Get Involved 

J. x

My Holiday Table

It’s two days later and Christmas has come and gone. Presents have been opened, films have been watched, and a copious amount of food has been consumed. I’m not sure about you, but I have definitely eaten more than my share of christmas treats in the span of three days.

This Christmas season, my family opened up our home to our extended family. All eighteen of us sat around our table for a Portuguese style dinner. This meant potatoes, chouriço, and chicken that would put Nando’s out of business. Everyone had a task to do to make this dinner a success. Mine? Table decorating.

As some of you may know, I love decorating. With two Christmas banquets from the year already under my belt, I was excited put my new found knowledge of holiday table design to the test. I always find that Christmas decorating can have the tendency to look a little tacky. I wanted to stay away from that and give our table a more modern (or in other words, Pinterest inspired “this looks like it came from tumblr) twist. I’m a sucker for anything rustic.

My holiday table…

I kept the table simple with a white table cloth and white plates. For candlelight, I used mason jars (which you can find at any thrift store or even your local grocer) and placed white, unscented tea lights in each. The stumps were borrowed from the church I work at, which gave the table a rustic feel. I added foliage, a gold spray painted pine cone (to bring out the gold trim on the plates), and some berries that I found in my garden. The other two stumps were used as a “mat” for the hot dishes.

What’s so great about this, is that you can find most of the decor from your backyard, a local park, and even a dollar store. It’s cost efficient which is great for the holidays when money can get to be a bit tight.

Even though Christmas has come and gone, you can easily use this similar idea for any dinner party or even New Years day! New Years is all about gold, black, and glitter. Trade in your red napkins for gold or black ones and dip your jars in some glitter. Or, bookmark this page to keep in mind for next Christmas!

I hope that your Christmas was wonderful – spent with everyone that you love, and full of so much food, laughter, and joy.

J. x

       

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