So, on Sunday we took the special express bus to the beach for the Sand Sculture contest. The beach by itself is already fun enough for Squirt, so she was excited.
Getting there wasn't as easy as I thought, as people parked on both sides of the road and we were on a big bus, it took twice as long to get all the way in. I was still happy that we could take the bus, as with the car, we would have had to park all the way out and walk, carrying out beach tote and food, etc.
It was a nice day, the sun was in and out behind the clouds a bit, so it wasn't too hot. Here're some pics that we took at the sculptures. Enjoy! Oh, and stay till the end for some "model" pics, lol.
Later in the afternoon when the tide came in, the sculptures looked miserable, except for the 2 below. You'll see why.
That crocodile on the left looked so real in the wather, didn't it? On the right is the sea lion, probably is thinking whether it should jump in the water or not lol.
Around 5:30, people started to pack up and leave. Our bus was expected to be late returning (because of all the parked cars), so we had a bit of time to spend. Squirt and I decided to walk along the shore, bare foot. The fine sand felt so good on the bottom of our feet, I could walk for hours.
Near the end of the beach, there were some rocks laying on the water which became a stage for Squirt to play around. And she likes to be goofy to the camera, so I'm showing her off here :)
We have recently done a few road trips around the province before the bf takes off for school, thought I should post up a few pics to show you how beautiful Nova Scotia is.
Last weekend, we went camping at Five Islands, a little campground right on the water of the Bay of Fundy. If you haven't heard about one of the Canada's new 7 Wonders of Nature Finalist, watch this:
And below is my version of the low and high tides within about 6-7 hours, can you imagine?
The shot angles weren't exactly the same between the 2 pics, but you got the idea. The first pic was taken in the morning and the second one was in the afternoon, same ocean front where our tent looked out at.
So what would we do with this humongous ocean floor that opened up with low tides? People go clamming with boots, buckets and a shovel, and Squirt went mud playing, lol.
She had a blast, a huge mud puddle right in front of her and she could get all dirty playing in it? Needless to say, her jelly shoes, the dress and even the hat got all muddy, lots of cleaning to do when she was done.
We pulled a log down near the mud and sat and watched Squirt playing for a good hour. A few hours later, salt water covered the whole thing.
Here are some pics I took as we ventured out to a provincial park and some scenery capes. There are always water and some rocks involved, but they are so pretty, aren't they?
The water here is normally too cold to swim but still pretty to look at :) We have lots of cliffs, look-offs and lighthouses around this province for sure. Lots of great spots aren't advertised widely, so neither me nor the bf heard about them until we asked for some recs at the campground. It felt a bit adventurous finding the way to get there and taking pics though, so worth it.
On Friday, we went to the only drive-in we have in the province (as far as I know). We left after work, drove almost 1.5 hrs to a campground, put up our tent and then went to see the movies (Cats & Dogs and Inception). They started at 9pm, with 2 movies, was done around 1:30am. We just dragged ourselves back to the camp site and slept, lol. So tired waking up, but it was fun.
We stopped by a blueberry u-pick on the way home. I always go blueberry picking every summer, as it is a fun package, lol.
The place we went has high bush blueberries, so it was a bit easier on the back for pickers (we don't have to bend down too much to reach for the berries), though the big juicy ones do tend to gather near the ground.
A quick shot of a bush, to show you how jam packed it was. It took 3 of us about an hour and a half to pick 3 boxes. People who love baking or making anything with the berries would pick a lot and then freeze them to use all year round.
The goodies - 3 boxes full, around 10lbs each - and a sample of a big berry we found. We don't have to worry about snacks for the week to come now lol.
That was it for our 2 busy weekends in a row. Did you do anything fun in the weekend?
It has been memorable for Canada this weekend. Saturday, we won men curling GOLD, and last night, we won men hockey GOLD. With that, we broke the record for most gold medals won at a single Olympic Winter Games - 14.
I wasn't a hockey fan but couldn't help watching the game with my bf. It was heartbreaking at the last 30 seconds of the game when the US tied the game. And then it was groundshaking when Sidney (our proud native Nova Scotian) scored! I was speechless. It was an amazing feeling. Twitter was filled with messages of love for the country and the team. I was laughing when I saw "Canada is closed until 9am Monday. Please don't call as we are busy cheering for the boys". Quite a few main streets in large provinces were closed last night to vehicles for people to celebrate. I have never seen the country like this.
Photo credit: cbc.ca
I enjoyed the Opening ceremony, but for the first week, Canada wasn't doing so well and I lost interest in watching the Games. The last few days, however, were so intense. Canada now "Owns The Gold Podium". Watch a few of these videos with me, if you haven't already seen them, as a way to celebrate and show my appreciation to this country and its athletes.
- Top 10 Canadian Olympic Winter Moments - very touching stories.
- The Canadian Olympic Experience. I'm teary over this video.
- The proud female athletes that I have so much respect for - The women hockey team watching Joannie Rochette's performance
There are so much more on ctvolympics.ca website.
I love the Closing Ceremony as it was hilarious. They brought out all the famous Canadians.
Fun facts: According to the Guide to Becoming an authentic Canadian that Canada Place produced for visitors of the Games: You have to:
(1) know your Canadian icons:
- the beaver
- maple leaf
- Canadian goose and moose
- Mounties
- loonies and toonies
- bears, and
- the toque.
(2) eat and drink like a Canadian - involves maple syrup, beer, lobster, poutine, Canadian bacon, salmon and donuts.
Tip: If you are in Canada, it's BOBO poutine (today only) at New York Fries to celebrate the gold medal of men hockey. Go to @NewYorkFries on twitter to see the link to the coupon.
(3) talk the talk, with good manners - polite and apologetic.
I think Brian Williams' Thank you Note mentioned a few things in this line too :-)
Ok, I'm done bragging (a little bit) about my country, my home :-) I have a fun littlel haul coming up later today. Have a lovely day, everyone!
Today is probably the coldest day Halifax has seen this winter. The forecast low is -26 windchill. I froze my legs off walking to work from Squirt's school, horrible.
I wouldn't blame the groundhogs who predict the winter this year. Our "Shubenacadie Sam" is proudly the first one in North America to predict the weather and he saw his shadow this morning at 8am. This means winter will stick around for another 6 weeks. Yuck.
Photo credit: cbc.ca
On a positive note, Lost returns tonight for the last season. I found myself in a position of both wanting and not wanting to watch it on tv. I hate to wait another week to know what happens, and by then I'd hardly remember what happened the week before. Previous seasons, I waited till the DVDs came out and watch them all together, lol. This year, it's gonna be hard with so many people talking about it on twitter (spoilers, lol).
Someone tweeted song parody that pretty much sums up what people want to know. If you are a Lost fan, I know you'll be having the same questions :-)
Stay warm, everyone!
I recently got a comment on the Canadian makeup brands post from Mellisa at Buy Canadian First regarding a few brands that she featured. I have honestly haven't heard from these brands much (if not at all), so I went reading more.
Natural Beauty is an online store which has mineral makeup as one of the lines. They carry basic mineral makeup items - Mineral shadows (CAD16.99), blushes (CAD24.99), foundation CAD31.99, etc.
Their price point is in department-store range. At this stage of my journey with makeup, I don't think I could shop there yet. But if you are a mineral makeup lover and want to support a Canadian brand, feel free to browse the website for some shopping fun.
I found a little review (and giveaway - for Canadian only) of Natural Beauty products at Natural Mommie. Maybe we can win some products to try out. But hurry, it closes tonight.
Outside/ In Cosmetics is specialized in vegan makeup. Visit their homepage to see a long list of ingredients that you would not find in their products. It's really impressive.
They have some bright fun eyeshadows (CAD13.95), mineral correctors (CAD15.95), blushes (CAD21.95), etc. I like the ery bright and fun labels too, quite different from other mineral brands I have shopped at.
There is a Back to School promotion going on this month with 20% off all products, so check them out!
SunCoat is known for its water-based nail polishes (their national award winning product), CAD9.99 each.
Suncoat has retailers across Canada (they are available in a few health food stores where I live - I haven't seen them though) and also in the US. Online shopping is available as well.
Their mineral shadows come in a very cute packaging, retais at CAD15.99. Natural lip glosses are CAD11.99, liquid foundation CAD20.99
I'm stoked to find out about these green Canadian makeup brands and really hope they reach out more to the community to promote themselves. This post might be edited anytime when I find more brands :-)
EDIT TO ADD: I have heard about the following 2 brands for a long time but somehow it skipped my mind that they are Canadian. Silly huh?
Pure Anada is a natural cosmetics brand with a wide range of products from makeup to skincare.
Its most popular product is the Natural Mascara with 97% natural ingredients, sells at CAD14 a piece.
I love how they name their mineral foundation (CAD25): Beige in Banff, Sunkissed Canadian, etc. lol. There are a lot to choose from in their product range, so have fun browsing.
The products are available in stores across the country but mostly in the suburbs only (not big cities, I'm not sure why), and at a few online stores.
Prissy Green is having a Pure Anada giveaway for a $50 Gift Card. This would be a good opportunity to get some products to try out. The giveway opens until October 6.
I heard of Buff'd Cosmetics more than a year ago from one of the very first beauty blogs I read. The blogger raved about their foundation but I was skeptical about being able to figure out what shade to get. So it slipped my mind.
The brand was very lately mentioned to me by Rasilla from In A Nutshell, and I had a lighbulb moment! :-) And, they are Canadian too, what there is not to love?
In the picture is the Super Starter Kit, which features the main products they offer. Buff'd foundation (CAD18) comes in 3 different formulations: original (full coverage), light and concealing (with kaolin clay for oil absorption). I'm partial to the last one, for sure, as I have combination skin and an oily T-zone.
AND, within this month, Buff'd is calling all bloggers. So if you are into mineral makeup, check that out.
Michelle from Lipstick Rules mentioned Bellaphoria is a Canadian brand in the comment.
Bellaphoria offers natural cosmetics products including makeup and brushes, and a Glamour Baby line coming soon (Dress-up cosmetics for your Little Princess, according to the website, how exciting!)
I haven't heard about this brand before, so make sure to check Michelle's blog for a Bellaphoria review when she posts it.
Photo credit: naturalbeautycanada.com, outsideincosmetics.com, suncoatproducts.com, pureanada.ca, buffd.com, bellaphoria.com
I like Roots. Their logo rocks, and the clothing and accessories always display some kind of Canadian pride as well. It is one of the most famous Canadian brands in active wear and leather goods and a neat souvenir option for anyone visitting Canada. Roots recently promoted a little series on their website where people shared their stories about "What make Canada priceless". Here are a few good extracts for your fun read.
- Top ten reasons:
10. Freedom: to choose who we want to be, and how we want to live without fear.
9. Education: great education system which gives us opportunities to pursue our dreams.
8. Government support: whether it’s health care, pension plan, social assistance, etc., the country takes care of us.
7. Tolerance and compassion: towards people from all walks of life.
6. Strong justice system: ensures justice is brought to the helpless and defenceless ones.
5. Arts and entertainment: to cultivate our mind, heart and soul.
4. Peacemakers and peacekeepers: strive for peace and to bring peace wherever we are.
3. Vast beauty: from coast to coast, Canada has endless and breathtaking gems to discover.
2. Diversity of ethnicity
1. First choice for a new beginning: for lots of new families.
- Priceless Blue Book: Canadians are envied globally for our diplomacy, humanity, cultural diversity, and ideals. Priceless is the emblemized passport that identifies us to the world as Canadians. It is greeted with smiles, admiration and courtesy, and never with disdain, suspicion or hostility.
- French and English: 2 official languages, 2 distinct cultures.
- Maple syrup and Canadian bacon.
- The Rockies
- Friendly people, and important people too
1. Actors (Michael J. Fox, Brendan Fraser & William Shatner)
2. Artists (Robert Bateman, James MacDonald)
3. Athletes (Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Mario Lemieux, Bobby Orr)
4. Business people (Bronfman Family, Jack Warner, Joseph-Armand Bombardier)
5. Directors/producers (James Cameron, Lorne Michaels)
6. Journalists (Peter Jennings, Keith Morrison)
7. Musicians (Bryan Adams, Nickelback, Rush, April Wine, Neil Young)
8. Actresses (Pamela Anderson, Kim Cattrall, Margot Kidder)
9. Comedians (Dan Aykroyd, Jim Carrey, Martin Short)
10. Heroes (Terry Fox & Rick Hansen)
And to sum it up:
PricelessHockey Game in Vancouver - $55
Week at the Calgary Rodeo - $1000
Camping in Saskatchewan - $145
Ice Fishing in the NWT - $400
Whale watching in Nunavut - $150
Football Game in Winnipeg - $60
Blue Jays Game in Toronto - $80
Skiing in Mount Tremblant - $200
Kayak in the Bay of Fundy - $100
See the Icebergs in Newfoundland - $75
A round of Golf in Nova Scotia - $90
Points East Coastal drive in PEI - $65 (gas)
Living in Canada - Priceless.
Source: canada.roots.com
Enough said, but if you ask me, I like Halifax's summer the most. 
The weather is warm and I can wear skirts, short-sleeved shirts and sandals. They are precious, if you ever exprience our winter. Lots of outdoor activities, especially family-oriented ones.
First, blueberry picking. I always anxious to wait for our favorite farm, Blueberry Acres, to open to go picking (It is open now, btw). Blueberries (high bush) are fun and easy to pick and so wonderful to eat. I always end up with 3-4 big boxes (20lbs each) and stuff up my fridge. I do need a freezer just for these bluberries.
Photo credit: betweenthebushes.ca
Second, camping. I love to sit around the campfire making smores and watching the night sky full of twinkling stars. I find it a great bonding experience for our little family too. We haven't camped this summer at all, as we haven't had a full weekend with good weather. And me (or the bf) has been away for conferences and stuff one or two weekends.
Third, activities on the waterfront. I mentioned the tallships before, and now the Buskers festival which starts tomorrow evening. Simply put, it's a street performance event that includes performers around the world - acrobats, commedians, musicians, dancers, etc.. They are sponsored to fly in for the event but are on their own for other expenses, and therefore rely on tips from viewers/ festival goers - reflects the unique "street performing" nature of the festival, in my opinion. It's gonna be fun for Squirt and her afterschool group to go and see, but it's a noisy time for me, as I work quite near one of the outdoor stages.
Please share your thoughts of what you love living or visitting here, if you have experienced it!