“Woah, what happened to your [insert red marked body part here]?” Dermatographia folks, that’s what happened.

Whenever there’s slight abrasion to my skin, it turns red. When I scratch with normal-high pressure, it turns red and then raises like a hive. The marks will disappear within about half an hour.

I’m all for spontaneity except for when it’s a random skin condition. For the past 5-ish years, I’ve had to take Reactine every day or else I’d get insanely itchy. I really have no clue what triggered it. If I had to rate the degree of itchiness on a scale from 1-10 (1 being kinda ticklish and 10 being infected mosquito bite) I would say 15. It would be SO itchy that if I restrained from scratching, I would twitch but if I continued scratching it would get itchier. This is like beneath the skin-level itch – you know that feeling you get if someone slaps you really hard and then it stings but kinda itches under your skin? It’s kinda like that but intensified.

So I go to the doctor and he says there’s no way to cure it and proceeds to tell me I should continue taking Reactine everyday. Then I go to a traditional Chinese medicine doctor who prescribed a concoction that should never be fed to people with taste buds. This didn’t help at all, but to be fair I didn’t consistently drink it for months like the doc had recommended. I just couldn’t!  Long story short, I still don’t know how to treat dermatographia.

So if you ever see me and I have random red blotches or marks on my face/neck/arms/legs, you’ll know what that’s about. If anyone knows how to get rid of it, please let me know!

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How I wear makeup is totally based on my mood.  For the most part, I’ll be wearing minimal/no makeup (because aint nobody got time every morning to go all out). But then I’ll have days where I’m wearing a full face, just because. Either way, I’m most likely using some of these products.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind concealer

– I know this product is old news but it’s definitely my go-to concealer. It’s good for lazy people because you just need to click, swipe, pat and you’re done.  You don’t need to worry about squeezing out too much product or using a brush. I use shade medium.

Urban Decay Naked palette

– Easy for everyday (I use the shade Naked) or for a night out (I usually use Sin, Smog, Darkhorse, and Creep).

Elf Eyebrow Kit

– eyebrows make a huge difference! I fill mine in with just the powder from this kit. I find that the wax is too heavy for everyday. I have the shade medium – it comes in light, medium, dark, and ash.

Maybelline the Rocket Volum’ Express mascara

– all mascaras I get need to be waterproof, otherwise they just fall down and never hold a curl. The biggest compliment I’ve ever received on my eyelashes was when someone asked me if I was wearing falsies and I was just wearing this mascara! Ok this may not be a big deal to anyone but it was to me since mine are naturally sparse and point straight down.

NYC bronzer in “Sunny”

– inexpensive, nice tone, and blends well. I’ve gone through a ton of these and will keep repurchasing.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in “Soft and Gentle”

– great to use as a highlighter for a nice glow. Plus this will last forever since I only use a tiny amount of it on 3 small spots of my face (tops of cheek bones and bridge of nose).

Then to take all that lovely makeup off… I use Kirkland face wipes from Costco (they’re inexpensive and get the job done) and Neutrogena Oil-Free eye make-up remover. I actually only use the Neutrogena makeup remover if I’m wearing mascara or heavy eye makeup.

It's a small list and I don't have a favourite in every category - that's because I haven't really found one that I can call my favourite yet! The hunt continues...

I've been vegetarian for almost 10 years now and I gotta say it's easier now than it was when I first started. Most restaurants now offer at least 1 vegetarian alternative and I find that full-veg restaurants are more popular than they used to be. To date, I've only tried one western style vegan resto which was good, but I love me some Chinese food which is why my list of fave places to eat are Chinese-vegetarian. 

Gourmet Vegetarian Restaurant

280 W Beaver Creek Rd
Richmond Hill, ON 
Website 



I probably frequent this place the most out of all other restaurants because it's close by, reasonably priced, and sooo good. I've had dim sum, lunch, and dinner here before and love it all but I definitely go here the most for dinner. I order the exact same thing almost every time; so much so that the waitress knows my order before I even place it.

My favourites:

• Sweet and sour chicken (featured in pic above)
• Lemon chicken 
• Shanghai noodles 
• Shark fin soup
• BBQ pork pastry (only available at dim sum on weekends)
 

Lotuspond Vegetarian Restaurant 

3838 Midland Ave
Toronto, ON 
Website


This is my favourite place to go for dim sum, not so much for dinner. Pricing here is also reasonable.

My dim sum favourites:

• Seaweed roll (featured in pic above)
• Shrimp dumplings 
• Baby bok choi dumplings 
• Pan fried turnip cake 
• Lo mai gai (sticky rice wrapped in leaf)

Buddhist Vegetarian Kitchen

3290 Midland Ave 
Toronto, ON


Another great spot for a low-cost dinner. This place is pretty small and I think it's been around for over 20 years. My family always gets take out from here.

My favourites:

• Rice noodle with beef in black bean sauce (featured in pic above)
• Lo han vegetable chow mein 
• Pan fried stuffed bean curd rolls
 

Wu Tai Vegetarian Restaurant

8425 Woodbine Ave
Markham, ON
Website
 
This place is definitely more "high end" compared to any of the above restos. It doesn't look that nice from the outside but it's presentable once you walk in. You'll be able to tell that the quality of food is better than that of the other restaurants listed above. The service is really good plus the décor and dishware are fancier than what you would see at a typical Chinese eatery. On that note, be prepared to dish out a couple extra bucks per plate (teehee @ awful pun). 

My favourites:

• Crispy tofu with sauce (featured in pic above)
• Pan fried dumplings 
• Mushroom and vegetables dumplings

If you're looking to cut down on meat or try something different, I'd definitely check these places out!

Lately my skin has been acting up so I’ve been testing out different masks. So far, this one has been the most effective. Turmeric powder is an Indian spice and is used for many things when it comes to beauty. In Indian tradition, brides use this to soften and lighten their skin before the Mehndi ceremony. Benefits that caught my attention were ones that treat:

• Acne
• Skin pigmentation
• Eczema

Immediately after using this mask I found that it smoothed out my skin. If you ever have a zit that makes it hurt to make facial expressions, try this out - it helped alleviate major breakouts. An added bonus was that it helped with darkness under the eye area. I’m stressing the word “help” because it’s not a magical potion that eliminates all pimples and dark spots.

I saw recipes for facemasks that required a lot of ingredients I don’t have at home. I really didn’t want to go out and buy a ton of random spices/powders I knew I wouldn’t ever use. I noticed that a majority of them included milk or yogurt so I decided to keep it simple and test out the credibility of turmeric as unmasked as possible. Here's how to make a basic turmeric mask.

What you’ll need:

1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. plain yogurt
A paper towel

What to do:

1. Mix the turmeric powder and yogurt in a small dish
2. Either dab it on blemishes/dark spots or smooth across entire face
3. Leave on for 20 minutes, then wash off with warm water and dry with a paper towel

Word of warning, it does stain so make sure you use a paper towel to dry off your face. Your face will also be temporarily stained but after you wash it with a good cleanser it’ll come off. Also, if you just got your nails did then I'd recommend using gloves to apply the mask.

I recently tried chia seeds after hearing about them for some time.  I thought people just sprinkled them on yogurts or salads and that they’d be like sesame seeds, which I don’t really care for. While in Edmonton, my sister-in-law made chia seed pudding and it was totally not what I expected. Chia seeds absorb liquid and form a gel-like coating when soaked for a few hours.  They remind me of this Vietnamese dessert that has basil seeds in it. Anyhoodles, this superfood has tons of health benefits. Here are the ones that piqued my interest:

• High in protein
• High in calcium
• High in fibre
• Provides energy

All good in my books, plus this recipe is reallllly simple.

What you’ll need:

1 c. unsweetened almond/soy milk
1 c. plain/vanilla yogurt
2-3 tbsp. honey (or more, if you’d like it sweeter)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 c. chia seeds

What to do:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients except for the chia seeds, just until blended
2. Slowly add in chia seeds, bit by bit, whisking the mixture in between
3. Cover and refrigerate overnight

Be sure to stir before serving. You can serve this with berries to add even more healthy goodness. “Chia-ck” this recipe out for yourself :)

Shooting Star

This past winter, my skin had gotten super dry. My hands got so bad that the skin on my palm and thumb were starting to split open and bleed. So I tried slathering on lotions, eczema creams, Vaseline, Polysporin, and it would heal it for maybe a week. But the next week, the same areas would split open again.

I then turned to coconut oil (which I had originally bought to use as a hair mask). There are a ton of beauty benefits when it comes to coconut oil, some of which include:

• Hair softener 
• Natural makeup remover 
• Moisturizer 
• Easily absorbed oil 

I honestly don’t like it as a makeup remover because after using it to take off eye makeup, I felt like I had dirty goggles on – my vision was blurry from the oil for a good 20 minutes (is this just me?). Anyway, I did find the oil moisturizing for my skin so I tried applying it like a hand lotion. It didn't really help my severe dry patches but figured if I could soak in this oil overnight, it would be more effective. People had recommended wearing gloves over the oil but the rubber gloves I have at home have a powdery lining and I really wasn’t trying to form a paste overnight. SO my solution was to stick my hands in plastic bags (the kind you use for produce at the grocery store).  I was concerned about it slipping off throughout the night, and then a light bulb went off as I saw hair ties sitting on my table…

So here is how to do a deep moisturizing hand mask.

What you’ll need:
2 plastic bags (produce bags from the grocery store)
1 teaspoon coconut oil (organic, virgin, cold-pressed)
2 hair ties

 

What to do:

1. Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, so you’ll need to microwave it in a small dish for about 20 seconds (or until it’s an oil consistency) It might be kinda hot after you take it out of the microwave, so dip your finger in it to test the temperature
2. Once it’s not going to give you a third degree burn, DRENCH YOUR HANDS WITH THIS STUFF (seriously, get right in there). Massage oil into your hands
3. Place each glistening hand into a plastic bag
4. Slip a hair tie over the bags and leave on your wrist to secure the bag onto your hands. Now you’re ready for your beauty rest
5. Wake up with awesomely smooth hands 

I saw immediate results using this hand mask and within 2 uses, my cuts and dry patches healed. Not too shabby!

I’ve been experimenting with green smoothies for the past year or so after a nutritionist came in at work and raved about how good juicing is for you. She also mentioned green smoothies and how you could basically throw in any leafy greens and fruits. I didn’t have a juicer at home but I did have a blender, so I went the smoothie route.

A friend and I decided to do a juice/smoothie cleanse for a day (no solid foods whatsoever – practically impossible for me since I’m always eating). I had no idea what I was doing. The first few smoothies I made were SUPER THICK and CHUNKY, it had a grainy paste-like consistency. You could eat it with a spoon (sooo gross). Anyway, I only lasted until dinner time, hah.

So, what did I learn from that first experience?
    •    I can never put celery in my smoothies – the taste is way too strong
    •    Water is key in making your smoothie a juice-like consistency
    •    The order of which you put ingredients into the blender matters (especially if you don’t have an awesome blender like a Vitamix or a Blendtec).
    •    You don’t need a high-end blender. I use a regular Cuisinart one – it just takes longer for it to blend

After dabbling into a few combos of veggies and fruits that were bearable but still pretty gross, my sister-in-law recommended the glowing green smoothie recipe.  I adjusted the ingredient proportions and now, this is my go-to daily drink!

What you’ll need:

1.5 c. water
2 large leafs of romaine lettuce
1 c. spinach
4-5 ice cubes
1 apple - chopped into cubes (I like using granny smiths – the sourness helps cut the vegetable taste)
1 pear – chopped into cubes
1 banana
½ lemon (juice)

What to do:

1.  Put water in the blender. Add the romaine lettuce and spinach. Press down with fingers.
2. Add the ice cubes – the weight of the ice cubes will help push down the greens into the blades
3. Pulse a few times then put blender on high. Honestly, it may not move for a good 5 seconds but just keep it on high until it does
4. Once it’s looks like dark green water (it will still have bits and pieces of leafiness but don’t worry you’ll be blending it again), add the apples, pear, banana, and lemon juice (be sure to remove any seeds! I forgot to once and the entire drink was super bitter)
5. Blend on high for 30-45 seconds, or until it becomes smooth. The colour should lighten because of the fruit.

This will make about 3 servings. I've tried throwing in a few kale leaves in addition to the spinach and lettuce and it's good too. If you're sensitive to the "green" flavour then maybe just try out the original recipe first. Also, I like to freeze my bananas, just make sure you chop them before putting them in the freezer.

It's best to drink this right after you make it but you can store it for a few hours in the fridge. It will separate and look really nasty, but all you have to do is give it a good stir. Happy smoothie-ing!