Hand Rolls from Hello Nori are a Must Try

Vancouver is known for its sushi and it happens to be one of my favourite foods. Sushi and sashimi go hand in hand, but my favourite rolls are the vegetarian ones. Yam tempura with avocado for me please! Hello Nori is a fairly new addition to Vancouver and this Robson Street shop has been drawing in some serious crowds. 

What sets Hello Nori apart is their focus on ehomaki-style hand rolls. Ehomaki is like a sushi roll that has its ingredients and sushi rice wrapped in nori (dried seaweed) and served unsliced. Patrons are encouraged to forgo the chopsticks and simply eat the ehomaki with their hands. 

Chilliwack Sunflower Festival is Open for the 2021 Season

The sun is shining, the air is warm and the sky is a beautiful clear blue! We are halfway through summer which means the start of sunflower season! The Chilliwack Sunflower Festival is welcoming guests to their magical valley of flowers. One of my favourite parts about visiting the Chilliwack Sunflower Festival is that the farm is surrounded by mountains. It really helps me disconnect from the crazy city life. 

For those that have never visited, this is a massive 60-acre farm of which 15 acres have been planted with sunflowers and dahlias. During the spring, a massive portion of the land is covered in every blooming tulip. This year, the farm is brimming with 42 types of sunflowers, 50 varieties of Dahlias, and 8 types of Gladiolas. One of the dahlias we saw was a white dinner plate variety and it was MASSIVE. I am not being dramatic, it was big and beautiful! 

Breaking Up with Fast Fashion

Shopping for clothing used to be done a couple times a year. Generally, it was for replacing essentials and perhaps picking up a new piece or two. But with the emergence of fast fashion retailers, fashion became more accessible. New trends used to emerge a couple times a year, but these days it feels things change every month. 

Fast fashion brands mass produce runway looks and sell them for cheap. Essentially fast fashion floods the market with cheaply produced clothing that is financially accessible to consumers. Unfortunately, this results in a huge amount of waste because the garments soon find their way to the landfill. Also, cheap fabrics, often plastic-based, shed microplastic fibres with each wash; therefore, polluting our waterways and oceans. 

Disney Pixar's Luca Review

Pixar Animation Studios/ Walt Disney Pictures

Disney Pixar movies make some of the best animated movies that are enjoyed by adults and children alike. Pixar first stole our hearts with Toy Store, in 1995 and have since released countless feature length animated films ranging from adventures to superheros and magical wonders. Some of my favourites include Ratatouille, Inside Out, Finding Nemo, Monster's Inc., Up, Coco and Wall-E. You would be hardpressed to find someone who does not love a single Pixar movie. 

Luca is Disney-Pixar's newest release and is a coming of age movie of two sea-creature boys in a seaside town of Italy. 

SPOILERS AHEAD:

In most instances, Pixar blows my mind, but Luca was awful. The beginning of the movie felt oddly similar to the little mermaid. Whenever the sea monsters are out of water, they transform into a human form. Luca has to learn how to walk and is fascinated by human objects - ahem Ariel? Luca's parents are anti-land and deem it a dangerous scary place for sea monsters. 

Beating the Heat with the Best Ice Cream in Vancouver

Vancouver has been hit with a heatwave like no other. Temperatures reached 38ºC which is practically unheard of in BC. I think the most we ever hit during the summer months is 34ºC. Tomorrow and Monday is going to be even hotter, surpassing 40ºC. That is scorchingly hot and honestly terrifying. I feel like I am on the beaches of Hawaii, not the Northern Pacific West Coast! 

Needless to say, me and everyone else in Vancouver are just trying to stay cool in this sweltering heatwave. Ice Cream, iced drinks, loose linen clothing, fans, ice cubes and whatever else it takes. So I thought I would make a list of the best ice cream spots in and around Vancouver because not everyone lives in Vancouver City! 

I wanted to get this list up quickly, so I have not had the chance to insert pictures. 

Turkish Coffee with JamJar Canteen Commercial Drive

Years ago I saw a video of Turkish Coffee being made in the Middle East. I had seen nothing like it before. A little coffee pot was placed in hot sand and within moments, a frothy coffee begins to boil up. I have never seen any sort of food or beverage prepared in hot sand before! Needless to say, it was really cool and looked like magic! 

When I heard JamJar Canteen serves Turkish Coffee, you bet I had to go check it out. JamJar Canteen is a  Lebanese restaurant that specializes in Mezze - Middle Eastern Tapas. The space is stunning, with emerald green walls, ornate penny tiled flooring and lovely old-growth wooden beams, but there was no sand in sight. For logistical reasons, hot sand is not feasible, thus JamJar uses a gas burner. 

I BOUGHT A TOWNHOUSE!

I bought a house!

I am giddy, in shock, excited and simultaneously in disbelief because being a homeowner has been one of my biggest goals in life. It was important to me that I purchase a place in Metro Vancouver because I grew up in Vancouver and want to continue living here. All of the paperwork has been completed, the payments have been made and the keys dropped off. So as of May 2021, I legally own a two-bedroom townhouse!