My favourite content on YouTube

I asked on my Facebook page if anyone was interested in having me share some of my favourite content on YouTube and seems like the answer was YES!

I have definitely found myself becoming increasingly bored at the content that Netflix and cable create. YouTube has been a great source of original content. These are in no particular order.

Dan Bell’s Dead Mall Series

Dan Bell is definitely a film maker who has carved out a niche: he finds dead and dying malls and captures it all on video. His narration provides the viewer with lots of information and trivia.

Degrassi Jr. High

Super 80’s, Jr. High School goodness. I am in awe of some of the clothes. It’s a peek in to what Canadian tv was like for teens. It definitely helped establish the franchise.

Rachel and Jun

Rachel and Jun live in Japan. Rachel is originally American and they share all kinds of cool tidbits about living in Japan and the differences in western culture. They also have very cute cats.

Defunctland

Defunctland is all about defunct theme parks and goes through what used to be and what didn’t work. It’s really interesting to me to learn about times gone by.

Alex Meyers

Alex Meyers provides the ultimate narration on shows and movies infused with perfect comedic timing. He breaks down character flaws and plot holes in a really creative, entertaining way.

Bright Sun Films

Bright Sun Films captures my interest in abandoned, bankrupt or cancelled changes to old properties – mainly hotels and amusement parks. It’s done in a way that you can’t help but want to watch more. Perfectly narrated and very interesting.

Barcroft TV

Barcroft TV is a channel with a lot of documentary style programming. They cover all kinds of different topics that deal with different lives and lifestyles at it’s core.

VICE

Vice is pretty much the millennials guide to news and entertainment features. They’re always updating and providing new content. I am really desiring more Oobah Butler content.

Justine Leconte officiell

Justine Leconte is a French fashion designer. She provides all kinds of information about clothing quality and what to look for when you’re shopping. She is a wealth of information and can really educate people who are looking to make informed decisions when they’re shopping. I’ve already learned a lot from her!

Safiya Nygaard

Safiya Nygaard is an ex Buzzfeed video creator. They were moving in a direction that didn’t seem to work for her so she branched out and created her own channel. She has a great sense of humour and makes videos about a number of subjects including beauty, home, fashion and probably more things I can’t think of. Her and her Fiancee Tyler have great chemistry and work really well together.

Bon Appetit

I LOVE this channel so much. My favourite types of videos are ones with Claire and Carla. The majority of videos featuring Claire really showcase her talent for taking items off the shelf and making her own gourmet version of them. I love Carla’s back-to-back baking challenges with celebrities.

What channels and videos on YouTube do you like? Let me know! I’d love some suggestions.

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My Thoughts on VegExpo 2018 Vancouver

I’ve been a Vegetarian for roughly 15 years, so naturally i’ve wanted to go to VegExpo. It was incredibly busy! You had to push past part of the crowds to get anywhere so that was a bit tedious. The fact I had the chance to connect with brands that I already love, taste delicious new treats and be immersed in a space with likeminded people made it completely worth it. They had over 200 vendors. The location was the Vancouver Convention Centre and it ran from 10 until 5pm. We got there at around 10:15, waited in line for about 15 minutes and got in at 10:30. We stayed for 3 hours and I’m really happy we went early. As the day went on it just kept getting busier. It’s really nice to see something of this calibre be such a success.

Back when I was employed in the retail health food sector, I had the privilege of going to CHFA. This, being a show open to the public and not just exclusive to retailers and wholesalers, was, well, very different: The demographic and the approach by companies was more tailored to their customer base. It was interesting to compare and contrast.

I was really happy that I was able to talk a bit about my story and connect with brands that seem to align with my vision and values. I hope this gives me some opportunities for some great taste test videos (did you see this one?)!

 

Here are the brands/companies/associations that I mention in my video above: 

• One Degree Organic
• Silver Hills Bakery
• Westpoint Naturals
• Caboo
• Choice Markers
• Vero & Co.
• Planet Hemp
• Flora
• Manitoba Harvest
• Hippie Snacks
• Zevia
• The Fur Bearers Protection (Defender Radio)
• Ener-C
• Ben & Jerry’s Non-Dairy
• Pureleaf (teabags)
• Tubify
• Wise Bites
• Wize Monkey
• Chosen Foods
• Purica

I can’t wait to taste some of the goodies i’ve brought home.

Are you following a strict diet? Are you Vegan or Vegetarian or have food aversions? I’d love to hear about your story!

Thank you so much for your continued support,

Margaux

 

Travel with Me: Vernon, BC

We concluded our trip in Vernon, BC. One of our favourite towns. The weather kept up with the sun shining non stop.

Our first stop was our accommodations, located in the country, we stayed in a tiny house on a farm. Surrounded by horses, nature and some more incredibly sweet animals.

After we got settled, we went to our very favourite restaurant ever: The Curry Pot. The owners are of nepalese descent. We both ordered dinner specials, I got the Paneer Lababdar and Justin got the Butter Chicken.

We went the next morning to the Vernon Farmers Market. There is a great variety of different things being offered, such as: crafts, food and even a prayer tent.

My favourite is the Crepe Bistro. I got a Nutella Crepe, made fresh right in front of you!

Our next stop was Eatology! Justin found it on Google based on their 4.6 rating. He ordered the Mexican Skillet, completely vegetarian. “oh man it was good!” is his very personable review. I ordered buttermilk pancakes. The coffee is from Oso Negro in Nelson. This restaurant seems like it belongs in Vancouver. It’s hip, the menu is vast and it’s hard to not find something to eat. The water is self-serve and also is really nice – no chlorinated taste (which I am so sensitive to).

We had a really incredible vacation and can’t wait to go on our next one. I hope you enjoyed all my instalments. Travel is fabulous for the soul and makes us feel connected with the world around us.

Travel with Me! Nelson, BC: Part 2

Nelson is a beautiful town nestled in the southern interior of British Columbia. The houses are quaint, the town is rich in history and there is so much to do and so much to eat.

Here’s some places we went and what we ate:

1. The Kootenay Bakery Cafe

The cafe is known for their delicious offerings, such as baked goods and a delightful array of hot foods. They are friendly and the Cheesy Cheese pizza, made with Jerseyland Gouda (and other cheeses) was perfectly seasoned and delightful. We also tried the chocolate donut and the salted chocolate cookie. All very satisfying. Justin had the Shepard’s Pie, made with grass fed beef and high quality ingredients. You can easily find a quick bite for under 10 bucks. There’s also a lot of day old goods that are perfect for snacking on too.

2. Yum Son Viet-Modern

With an urban-rustic interior and diverse menu, Yum Son was a big step out of my comfort zone. I really enjoyed the Ginger-Lemon Soda and I was able to order off the kids menu. I had a modified version of the Pint Size Noodle bowl and I substituted rice, chilli sauce and opted for tofu.  Justin had the Yum Son Noodle bowl which he found to be incredibly delicious. This was a first for both of us, never having any kind of Vietnamese cuisine.

3. Thor’s Pizza

Thor’s is a great standby. They always have a different daily pizza variety. Slices and calzones are always prepared. I ordered a cheese pizza and Justin ordered by the slice. They are dedicated to quality ingredients and providing a unique pie.

4. Dairy Queen (Walk up)

Okay, I know – This is a CHAIN. I’ve honestly never seen a Dairy Queen walk up restaurant before so if you’re all about retro kind of places that are rare, this is a great photo opportunity. The weather was also incredibly hot so we really enjoyed having an Oreo Royal Blizzard to share.

 

5. Frog Peak Cafe

This Cafe isn’t technically in Nelson, It’s located in Crescent Valley which is about a 19 minute drive west. Eclectic, Delicious, full of local art with so much to look at. Order first, get a cute “animal” as your table number and sit down. My mouth was watering looking at everyone else dishes. It’s so hard to wait but so worth it.

My meal consisted of toasted sourdough with butter, scrambled eggs, two vegetarian sausages and hash browns. Justin had eggs benedict on an english muffin with lox, capers, dill and hash browns. We were so full.

 

Travel with Me! Victoria BC: Part 3

If you’re looking for some places to eat while in Victoria, here’s a brief rundown of the places where I noshed!

1. Shanzee’s Biscuit Cafe

This cafe is no joke if you’re looking for a real deal buttermilk biscuit. Perfectly executed with the right amount of tart and saltiness. I had the “Trailer Jam” with Nutella – not badly priced at 4.15! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. So good.

2.Chocolats Favouris

This Quebec based chain does not fool around! This is the large, vanilla soft serve ice cream with a thick, delicious milk chocolate coating that i’m holding in the picture above and – don’t worry – I SHARED!  They have endless flavour combinations and a bunch of different goodies to choose from. I even spied some Soy Ice Cream (or maybe gelato flavours?) so there’s something for everybody. Highly recommend.

3. Lotus Pond Vegetarian Restaurant 

For the finicky Vegetarian, like myself, finding a restaurant where I can actually eat is not easy at all. I LOVE Lotus Pond. I ended up pawning the hot and sour soup as well as one spring roll on to Justin just so I could eat the sweet and sour soya balls. They are my absolute favourite and I haven’t found anything quite like it on the mainland. I got my plate too early and missed out on the ginger broccoli. So good. The lunch special is buffet style by weight. All the food in the picture above cost me about 12 dollars.

4. Pizza Al Forno

We went in with no expectations. It was hard to tell by the reviews if they were legitimate or not. The pizza was incredibly delicious, perfectly done with a great tangy sauce. The walk in specials are priced well. A lot of people were coming in looking for slices but they were not offered after 2PM. The quality of the pizza honestly speaks for itself. We ended up getting it two nights in a row. (Also pairs very nicely with a Phillips Sparkmouth Gingerale which we purchased directly from their brewery.)

This concludes my 3 part Travel with Me! Victoria BC feature. I hope you enjoyed all the fun tidbits of information and pictures. I want to showcase the adventures I have with all of you and will be moving on to my next destination.

All opinions are my very own and I was not compensated by any of the above eateries.

 

My favourite places to eat in Vancouver, BC!

This is kind of a bit of a milestone for me – I have written my first “list” article for a website that’s not my own! I really am a sucker for sweet treats and with the weather getting hotter and budgets getting tighter, it’s always good to look for the best value.

Check out my article here – Likes/Shares with all the social links on the left hand side give me a really good chance of making this go viral which would be immensely beneficial for  my chance at future content. I would LOVE to know what you think!

Article is here: https://www.society19.com/ca/amazing-food-places-in-vancouver-bc/

Sweets from the Earth: Cookie Taste Test!

I want to thank the very kind folks at Sweets from the Earth for providing me and my Boyfriend this AMAZING opportunity to try their Vegan Cookies.

They have such a wide variety of products and information on their website, https://sweetsfromtheearth.com as well as a handy store finder at the top right corner.

You can also buy them from Well.ca

A lot of their products are “free from” different allergens. These cookies are specifically nut free.

They have such a wide variety of products and here’s some great properties:

• ALL NATURAL
• 100% VEGAN
• GMO FREE
• DAIRY & EGG FREE
• SESAME, PEANUT & NUT FREE
• WHEAT & GLUTEN FREE
• ETHICALLY CRAFTED
• LACTOSE FREE
• CHOLESTEROL FREE
• NO REFINED SUGARS
• NON-HYDROGENATED
• 0 TRANS FATS
• LOW IN SATURATED FAT
• NO ARTIFICIAL COLOURS
• NO ARTIFICIAL FLAVOURS
• NO PRESERVATIVES

This Weekend….

Friday was very eventful!

I got all dressed up and we got some delicious, reasonably priced sushi from Sushi Mania in Vancouver. It was an exciting day. My Sister is 1/2 of the duo Hollow Twin and my Boyfriend and I enjoyed the album release show at The Biltmore. It was a stellar evening. The performance was enjoyable and gave me goosebumps.

 

I also made some very new art. I am not sure if i’m done because i’m so fixated on the fact that the grass isn’t uniform and that I haven’t used enough white outlines.

 

Beyond that, i’m trying to stay very positive and motivated to create more Art and trying to get it in to more people’s homes. I have many ambitions but I need the finances to keep going. Having my job is essential but not exactly sufficient enough. I can’t over work myself either!

Margaux

PlanetBox Rover Review!

Thank you PlanetBox for sending me this product in exchange for my very honest review.

This is the Rover model, It’s a stainless steel bento-style lunchbox which amps up your creativity and can definitely promote the healthiest lunches. Perfect for Adults & Kids alike. I am in a childfree household but I could see my Niece and Nephew loving this for School. You have your choice of many different magnet designs to excite, create fun and personalization. There are two “dippers” which can hold dips, sauces, fruit and much, much more!

 

I opted to create a delicious meal full of produce, crackers, cheese and cookies! The possibilities are truly “sky-high”. Without the magnets, the box can be hand washed or put in the dishwasher.

 

You can also get your choice of a variety of lunch bags which perfectly fit your PlanetBox. There’s room for an ice pack, utensils, a drink and a pocket in the front for napkins or even more food.

Thank you PlanetBox, I can’t wait to use this year round and in Summer-time. It’s going to make picnics really easy. Also great for those who can’t STAND their food touching other food–it’s perfection, all in one!

 

My Experience at Famoso!

It’s not often that I find a restaurant that can truly cater to my specific dietary needs or naturally picky nature. I also get easily bothered by bright lighting, closed spaces, tables that feel like they are in the middle of the room and noisy play areas.

This was my third visit to Famoso Morgan Crossing, located in South Surrey, British Columbia Canada. It’s always been an absolute delight. The management and staff make it a point to provide outstanding customer service and delicious food, every single time.

 

 

The location has large windows and feels very open, the lighting is absolutely soft and almost relaxing. The booths are very comfortable.

We started our meal with an oven roasted flatbread with tzatziki and hummus. It was packed with flavour and incredibly fresh.

I ordered a Margherita Pizza but omitted a few ingredients and replaced it with roasted garlic! Garlic is definitely one of my favourite flavours. The Pizza was baked to perfection. My boyfriend, Justin ordered the Spicy Thai Pizza and was incredibly impressed with the taste and quality of toppings.

 

We ended our meal with a scoop of gelato each. So rich and creamy. I’ve had the Nutella Pizza before and I have to say that it’s also an excellent choice for dessert.

 

It’s a great place for a date, a family outing or a birthday party. I’ve been there for all 3 and I always leave with a smile on my face, a full belly and good memories. The prices are incredibly reasonable too.

Thank you Famoso for having us, we had such a great time!

For more information, check out:

• famoso.ca
• www.facebook.com/FamosoPizza
• twitter.com/famosopizzeria
• www.instagram.com/famosopizzeria
• www.instagram.com/famosomorgancrossing
• www.youtube.com/user/FamosoPizzeria

DISCLOSURE: Famoso graciously hosted us free of charge in exchange for my review.