Khatsilano Returns After a 2 Year Hiatus for its 10 Year Anniversary

Khatsilano has returned and for its 10-year anniversary, the iconic street party was bigger than ever. Every summer I look forward to a couple of events: Canada Day, Celebration of Lights and Khatsilano! The massive street party kicked off at 11 AM and the festivities did not end until late into the evening. Comfortable walking shoes are a must because it takes place between Burrard Street and McDonald Street along West 4th. 

Khatsilano did not disappoint with its multiple performance stages, activity areas, food truck block and phenomenal sales. We all know the shopping on West 4th is superb and every year for Khatsilano, the shops offer amazing deals for that day only. My favourite shop, Hills Dry Goods had fabulous sales and an additional 20% off EVERYTHING in store! I took advantage of the sale and bought myself an organic cotton sweater in a gorgeous pink. I do regret missing the Ganni crewneck on sale for $40, but you cannot get them all. Most of the stores set up little sale tents outside. I found a great sample sale piece from Anian for nearly 70% for my friend. Cannot wait to see him rock it during the winter. Other notable deals include Clearly Contacts, Old Faithful Shop and Ming Woo. 

The Frenchsicle - French's Ketchup-Flavoured Popsicle

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of French is mustard. Not ketchup and definitely not ketchup-flavoured popsicles, but that is precisely what happened mid-morning in downtown Vancouver on June 22, 2022! 

Just outside the Holt Renfrew was a cute little ice cream cart in French's iconic mustard yellow colour. Ketchup-flavoured popsicles aka the Frenchsicle were passed out to those who were brave enough to give it a try. Ketchup is a universally beloved condiment, but reimagining it as a frozen treat is a bold move on French's part! 

What does a Ketchup Popsicle taste like?

Melanie Auld Permanent Bracelet Welding

Dainty jewelry is all the rage right now and I am here for it! Melanie Auld is a Vancouver-based jewelry boutique that has steadily garnered popularity for its charms and layered pieces. In addition to their ready-to-wear jewelry, Melanie Auld has added a jewelry experience to both their Vancouver and Toronto locations and I got to experience it firsthand!

When I heard Welding being offered at Melanie Auld, I immediately headed down to their South Granville location. "Permanent" bracelets are fairly new to Vancouver but have been around for a couple of years in cities like New York and LA. My guess is that the Pandemic slowed down a lot of plans for businesses, but nonetheless, Vancouver finally has the jewelry experience at the Melanie Auld boutique.  

What is WELDING?

Itsumo Brings Japanese Lifestyle to Vancouver

Japanse crafted goods bring so much joy to my life, so after discovering Itsumo, a Japanese Lifestyle store in Vancouver, I needed to visit immediately. The shop curates a collection of pieces crafted by master artisans in Japan. Itsumo focuses on natural intentional pieces that are made to last. 

Itsumo is tucked off of Main Street along East 6th, so it can be easy to miss. But if you have ever been to the Mount Pleasant location of Cartem's then Itsumo is just a few paces away. The shop focuses on Japanese specialty items as well as carries an impressive selection of incense which is traditionally used in temples and at home. You can also find coconut ash at Itsumo which is the traditional medium used to hold burning incense sticks.

Birdie a Non-Violent Personal Safety Device

Being a petite female living in a big city, there are times that I feel unsafe. I am an avid transit user, both early morning and late nights and there have been instances where I have felt uncomfortable. I have finally picked up a personal protective device, the Birdie and I am excited to share it with you!

In Canada, there are laws prohibiting possession or use of pepper sprays or mace for personal protection. Truth be told, I do not want to have something like mace on my keychain because imagine accidentally spraying it into your own or friend's eyes. I do not want to be the idiot in the ER with inflamed painful mucus membranes and eyes because I sprayed myself with pepper spray. 

Happy Easter from my Baby Chicks

Happy Easter Everyone! It is hard to believe that I became the proud mother of three beautiful chicks two month ago! Some questions that keeps coming up are "Do you still have them" " How big are they now" "Are you going to eat them"

Lets make one thing clear - I am NOT going to eat my chickens! They were more so of a pet. Would you eat your dog? Probably not! 

After hatching, the chicks were with me for a week after which they all returned to the farm to rejoin their broods. I also returned all the hatching equipment back to the company.

I do not know how big they are now, but on the day I returned the chicks to the farm, they had already grown 30% more. All three of them had gained strength in their flight feathers and were able to jump off of things. The black one actually flew up onto my knee when I was sitting on the floor! Another day or two, they would have been able to fly and jump out of the bin I was keeping them in! So it was definitely time for them to return to the farm because I was not about to have three chicks free-ranging in my bedroom and crapping every where.

49th Parallel Coffee Roasters Lonsdale is OPEN

49th Parallel Coffee Roasters has officially opened their 5th location across the Burrard Inlet in North Vancouver! The Lonsdale location is a short walk from the Lonsdale Quay and the Seabus dock making it an accessible cafe to meet up with friends. Warm sunshine fills the space courtesy of the floor-to-ceiling windows which are also great for people watching - or puppy watching if you are me!

I have been a longtime fan of 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters' sub-brand, Lucky's Doughnuts. Since the opening of their very first Main Street location in 2012, I have been obsessed with their soft pillowy yeast-risen doughnuts. No other doughnut has come close to the deliciousness of Lucky's.