Jenn Hildebrand

Galiano || My Birthday Weekend

For my birthday, a few of my close friends and I went to Galiano Island for a weekend adventure.

Saturday morning we packed the car full of groceries and good tunes, and set sail. The moment we made it to Galiano we headed straight over to their Saturday Market. It was super cute with a guitarist playing some cover songs as well as locals selling fresh fruit and veg, coffee, sweets, and other local made items.

Once we were done there we drove to the other side of the island to the place we were staying. The moment we settled in we headed straight to the kitchen to cook up some food. There’s something so great about having “family” meals with your friends. I la la laaave it. I also really love Bows + Arrows coffee and am still crying over their cafe shutting down in East Van…

Okay if you ever go to Galiano, definitely check out the Sandstone Caves. It is on Private property so you do need to be careful of that, but oh MAN is it gorgeous. It’s a bit of a walk down but totally worth it. And you better believe we took this as an opportunity to have a photoshoot.

This is genuinely the best place to get that classic PNW insta shot.

Sunday – aka Birthday day! This was spent exploring the island. Some places to definitely check out would be:

  • Galiano Island Soap Works
  • Galiano Island Books
  • Bowline Cafe – Had the most delightful Lavender Fog with their in-house made nut milk!
  • Babes in The Woods – Had their veg pizza and it was delishhh
  • the trails – it was raining on Sunday so we weren’t able to go on many but we did do a v short walk towards some steps that led down to the water and it was so gorgeous. Honestly, there’s nothing better than being in nature!

Honestly – this weekend was what I needed. I’m a very on the go person and I barely take time to rest. Being away from the busyness of the city and surrounding myself with nature allowed me to really slow down. Plus there’s the bonus of being with some of my people. Instead of being on our phones we played board games (and A LOT of Dutch Blitz), asked each other questions that allowed us to dig deeper, and we allowed ourselves to unplug from the every day. If you haven’t had a chance to visit BC’s Gulf Islands, I 100% recommend you do!

Winter Skin Care Routine (’17)

Starting of #blogmas with something I’ve been asked a lot lately- my go to skin care routine. I’ve been super lucky (aka, blessed) to have reasonably unproblematic skin. I think the biggest factor to that being the amount of water I drink. I try to drink at least a litre of water a day to try and stay hydrated. I also love to moisturize like crazy. But, I also try to be diligent with my skin care and actually wash it.

So, with that being said, here are my current skin care picks:

Cleanser: My ride or die for skin cleansers is normally the REN cleansing milk… but lately I’ve been trying out the Saje Zen Cleanse. I started working at a local Saje store and figured it might be a good idea to try out their skin care products. And I must admit, the Zen cleanse is a pretty close second to my trusty REN cleansing milk. It’s super gentle on the face. It’s 100% natural. It’s made with avocado… and I love it.

Toner:  Rose Mist by Saje has been my new favourite find. It’s only made with water and rose oil. Rose is SO good for your face. It’s incredibly hydrating and what I love about this product is that I can use it as a final “toner” after I’ve finished my skin care routine AND I can also use it on top of my make up to bring  a bit of extra hydration. Win-Win.

Moisturizer: My skin is like the sahara desert in the winter time. I have flaky dry patches around my nose and along my scalp. I think most of it is due to my own health issues (yay bad thyroid… not), but I think it’s also because of the weather change. I’ve been using a BioDerma Hydrabio Moisturizing Serum. I love it. It’s not your typical serum meaning it’s not liquid-y. It’s thick and leaving my skin feeling extra moisturized. I love to use this under my makeup too and I’ve noticed that it lasts a lot longer with it on. It’s also great if you have super dehydrated skin like myself.

Eye Cream: Kiels Midnight Recovery eye cream has been my current find in terms of eye treatment. I never really know what the eye cream is doing to my skin, but I have noticed that my concealer has been applying better since using an eye cream. So – I’ll take it!

Night Cream: LiftActiv Supreme Night by Vichy was gifted to me by my mom after she realized it wasn’t doing much for her own skin. I have found it to be wonderful for myself. I love night creams and I wake up the next day with soft skin – so.. obviously that means I love the product more.

These are my current go to winter skin care products. I’m curious to hear what some of yours are?

J. xx

10 Christmassy Goals

It’s hard to believe that November is coming to an end. With December right around the corner, that means we’re closer to Christmas. If you know me, you know I’m big on Christmas. I love love love the holidays! But something I noticed is that every year I come up with a mental list of things of I want to do (with friends, family, or by myself) and never follow through with it.

SO! This year, I decided to write them all out, throw in out into the web-iverse, and actually accomplish some.

2017 Christmassy Goals…

  1. Go to a Christmas Market – Every single year my bestie and I talk about going to the Christmas market that happens in Vancouver. We always say we will, try to make the plan, but end up not going. But this year I want to actually do it. Christmas markets have vendors who sell all things holiday (gift giving ideas??), yummy food, and all the hot apple cider you can drink. What could be more festive than that?
  2. Buy a REAL Christmas Tree – I still live at home (it’s not uncommon for 20-somethings to live at home OKAY?!), and last year the fam and I decided to ditch the fake tree and buy a real one. We are going to definitely do it again this year (followed by decorating, hot chocolate, and christmas music!). There’s nothing more festive than the smell of a real christmas tree.
  3. Ride a Christmas train – My little nephew, his parents (my besties), and I normally go to the pumpkin patch every year… however, this year we decided to switch it up and go to the Stanley Park (Vancouver) Christmas train. I’m mostly adding this to my list so I can have an excuse to look at beautiful lights and snuggle my nephew.
  4. Finish all my Christmas shopping EARLY – Tbh, I’m doing really well with this. It’s mid-November as I write this and I’m proud to say I’m almost done. The plan is to have all my gifts bought and wrapped by the first week of December so it’s out of the way and I don’t have to do any last minute Christmas shopping.
  5. Watch all the Christmas movies – I love Christmas movies and every year I plan which ones I want to watch and never follow through with it. My mom and I are suckers for a good Hallmark Christmas movie so this year we plan on DVR-ing all the good ones with the addition of the classics (Love Actually, The Holiday, etc).
  6. Take a Picture with Santa – You’re never too old to see Santa… and did you know you can take a picture with Santa AND your dog? Yup! My 4 year old German Shepherd and I have done it for the last two years and you betcha we’re going to do it again this year!
  7. Catch a Christmas Show – I can’t remember the last time I’ve been to the theatre, but I want to see the Nutcracker this year!
  8. Send Christmas Cards – We’ve kinda lost touch with how meaningful sending a Christmas card can be, what with the internet and e-cards. So I want to bring that back and send them to my friends. Plus, everyone loves getting mail!
  9. Take in every minute  – It’s SO easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. This year, I want to take in every minute of it… to not get lost in the business of the holidays, and to enjoy. I want to turn off my phone and be present, especially when I’m with my family. These moments are precious and I think it’s so easy to get lose track of it in such a fast paced society.
  10. Remember the reason for the season – Christmas isn’t just about the beautiful lights, spending time with family, or catching a Christmas show. Yeah it’s fun and there’s totally nothing wrong with it! The holidays are meant to be enjoyed, cherished and spent with those you love. But –  It’s also about Christ. It’s about his birth and why he was born – to save us. I want to appreciate that… and ultimately praise God for sending his Son.

What are some of your Christmas goals?

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

 

       

Theme by 17th Avenue · Powered by WordPress & Genesis