Started from the bottom...

We started from the bottom...

And 20:07 minutes later, I was here...

Ok, so maybe more like an hour. None the less, it was well deserved.

A few weeks ago, my brother, sister in law and I took part in the World Wildlife Fund's CN Tower Stair Climb. Impressively, we all did it under 30 minutes... all 1446 stairs. Trust me, it wasn't as bad as it sounds. In fact, we enjoyed it so much, we'll probably be doing it again next year.  And I will be challenging myself to do it in under 20 minutes next time (if only I had a stopwatch with me...).

Thank you to everyone who supported me during my fundraising efforts and climb! Together the 4000 climbers that participated raised over $1,000,000 to help protect species at risk and the places they call home.

Would you take on this challenge?

Toronto Islands Pt II

The day on the Toronto Islands continued as we biked down the boardwalk, along the south side of the islands. We took a pit stop on a boardwalk bench and cracked a cold one as we looked out over the blue expanse of the Lake Ontario.

Like I said before, being on the islands, especially in that moment, helped boost my confidence in this city. There are pockets where you can escape the crowds and concrete and where you can rekindle your relationship with Mother Nature, you just have to find them...

And while my butt and quads may object, there will be more trips to the Toronto Islands in the future. 

Happy National Bike Month!

Toronto Islands

I have a love/dislike relationship with the city of Toronto. Some days there is extreme dislike, and then there's days like this, where my faith that the city can be beautiful, 'outdoorsy' and not always full of concrete, is restored...

On the Canadian long weekend, Steve and I took a long bike ride, 50ish km or so to be exact, to the Toronto Islands. Let me just preface this post by saying I haven't been on a bike in at least 4 or 5 years. Safe to say I trailed, the entire time...

We picked up the trail along the Don River and headed south towards downtown. Once we reached downtown Toronto and picked up a picnic lunch and some cold brews in the historic Distillery District, a quick ferry ride took us over to the Toronto Islands. 

Comprising the only group of islands in the western part of Lake Ontario, the Toronto Islands are located just offshore from the city centre, and provide shelter for Toronto Harbour. The virtually car-free islands are a popular recreational area, home to a small community of year-round residents, a public school and a small, but growing, airport. 

And while nature is plentiful on the islands, they're also known for their spectacular view of the downtown cityscape...

This place is beautiful.

Stay tuned Thursday for more pictures from our day on the islands...

What inspires your senses?

A photograph is but a moment frozen in time, preserved for the future.  They have the power to tell stories, convey feelings and the strength to move us emotionally. Photographs have the ability to capture a moment that's gone forever, one that's impossible to reproduce. Today's linkup is all about exploring the world of photography through our senses.  Sharing moments in time, memories, feeling and emotions that have inspired our senses. Today, I hope you enjoy "sensing" the world and connecting with others through the universal language of photography. 

Here's what inspires my senses:

SEE  | New beginnings.

SMELL  |  Spring flowers.

HEAR  | The return of spring.

TASTE  |  Summer adventures.

TOUCH | The spring breeze off of Lake Huron.

'SIXTH SENSE'  |  Fascination.

If you would like to join in on the fun,

1| Linkup your blog post from Friday, May 23 at 6:00am EST to Saturday, May 31 at 11:55pm EST.

2| Please link back to this link-up in your post, either with text or the below button.
3| Share with social media, using the hashtag #whatinspiresyoursenses and I'll retweet your link!

4| Visit and check out as many blogs as you can to see what inspires others' senses!

5| Last, but definitely not least, get creative and have fun!

At the beginning of June, I'll pick my favourite senses and share with all of you!

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An InLinkz Link-up

Head in the Clouds

Last week, I finally picked my ass up and went to get a new passport. When it was finally my turn, the woman behind the counter looked at my hometown and and said she'd never heard of it. I briefly described it's location and size, saying it was extremely small. She asked me if it had a convenience store, church and beer store. I said yes, yes and yes, as she said "Well that's all you need. Are the people nice?" Kind of an odd question, but living in a city of millions, you'd get it. We laughed about how people still make eye contact in my home town and how you even know your neighbour's name. The conservation ended with her saying, "Sounds like a nice place." And it is. Much different than the big city.

Lately my head has been in the clouds...

In my day dreams, I escape the city living, the long commutes, the hustle and bustle, the pushing and shoving, the honking and yelling and the concrete for days.

I escape to a place that is peaceful and quiet.

It is a place where the breeze blows and doesn't carry the stink of a big city with it.

Where the tall buildings are replaced by tall trees and that concrete is replaced by lush green grass that you can feel between your toes. 

Where time is not dictated by a set routine, but rather the rise and fall of the sun. 

Where you don't know what your closest neighbour is doing, or what they've having for dinner. But you do know their name, and when you do occasionally see them, you can engage in friendly conversation. 

Where getting your food doesn't involve parking lots, shopping carts or long lines at checkout, but simply a basket and your bare hands. 

This is my day dream...

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6

Where do you go when your head is in the clouds?

Andi @ ap loves design: The places I go when my heads in the clouds! I'm at the point in my life where I want to be a mom and have a family, so I'm constantly thinking about babies. How they will look, smell, who's personality they will have. Babies are definitely on the brain. But I also think about where my business will be in the next five years. Or at least where I would like it to be. I do a lot of daydreaming. Maybe a little too much :)
Etsy  |  Blog  |  Instagram  |  Facebook

Flashback.

As most of you know, I started this blog as a way to keep in touch with friends and family when an unexpected move took us from sunny South Carolina to the land of the midnight sun, Alaska, for the 2010-2011 hockey season. We were over 4500 miles from home base in Toronto and this blog (titled "Our Alaskan Staycation" at the time), was the perfect way to share our Alaskan adventures. Little did we know, we would end up staying for three years and this little blog of mine would expand beyond family and friends and be read by people across the world.

So, today I'm throwing it back to my first ever blog post. Please forgive the lack of photos, my creativity and overall "blog knowledge" were severely lacking at the time...

We're moving to Alaska???!!!!

"Well the rumors are true… Steve got traded from a team in the the sunny south to a team in the great white north, over 6700 km away.  In exactly 3 days we will be on a plane to Anchorage, Alaska! 

I got the call from Steve on Tuesday, October 12 while I was in Walmart buying stuff for my road trip down to Greenville, SC.  It’s a phone call I’ve gotten before but this time wasn’t one I wanted to believe.  I’m pretty sure my response was “Don’t lie to me!” as I stomped my foot like a two year old having a temper tantrum.  I had just put my bathing suit in my suitcase that morning!! I immediately drove home to start my research.

Some Alaska fun facts:

1//  The state has over 3 millions lakes and over half the world’s glaciers

2//  Half the population of Alaska lives in Anchorage (but Juneau is the capital)

3//  Alaska is only 55 miles from Russia

4//  Anchorage has only 6 hours of sunlight a day in January (I will need to find a hobby or one of us will not be coming back alive)

After a few days of thinking it over, and some cold feet/partial panic attacks, the decision to move became official.  Not many people can say they have had the opportunity to live in Alaska!  Not only do the pictures look amazing but everyone we’ve talked to has had nothing bad to say about the place.  It will be a huge change, including a HUGE temperature adjustment, but definitely one for the best.  Steve can now focus on having a great hockey season and I can keep my fingers crossed on banking a seriously sick job, hopefully in biology, when we get up there.

So until next time… when we are exactly 71 hours from Toronto (according to Google Maps) and much much colder in the land of the midnight sun…"

And three days after that post was written, we were on a plane, destination: Alaska. Our minds were open and we knew we had nothing to lose. If only we could have predicted what was in store and what the next three years would bring...

Do you have any memorable "firsts" to share?

Behind the Scenes @ Batty's Bath

Last month I introduced you to Batty's Bath. Have you checked her out yet? This girl is amazing! Not only does she live in my neck of the woods, but we both share the same passions and morals when it comes to living a responsible lifestyle, and we would both much rather be surrounded Mother Nature than living the urban life.

Today I'm bringing you a behind the scenes look into Batty's Bath and how it all began...

Tell us about the beginning. In a few sentences, when did you start this business? Why? What’s the story?

Batty's Bath developed out of a few things...

First I started making products long before BB ever became a business. "making things" came about because .....

• there was a need for products that didn't irritate my family's skin and research told me natural products were the way to go. After trying everything we could find locally, with less than stellar results, I starting learning about the DIY side of skin care. This jived well with me because I come from a long line of talented DIYer women. 
• I wanted my skin clear once and for all. After a decade of listening to my dermatologist (and trying everything and anything she prescribed), I set out on a journey for answers. My chronic, cystic acne started when I was in 5th grade and didn't settle until I started taking action (outside of my dermatologists recommendations) internally & externally with natural remedies. I experimented with all sorts of methods and started concocting my own skin care formulas. After a lot of tweaking, I finally found what worked for my skin. 

Between the things I was making for my family and for my skin, the word spread, and other people started asking me to make things for them. 

After being diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis and a period of my symptoms getting progressively worse, it became clear that a full time career working for someone else was never going to work. I never knew how i was going to feel from day to day and was having more sick days than non-sick days. I decided I had to figure out a way to making a living while being able to work within a schedule that was flexible and allowed for spontaneous sick day. My current career in animal care didn't allow for this. During my adjustment to living with AS, the demand for my products increased. Soon my new career path became clear. 

How did you learn so much about skin care?

A combination of research, experimentation, self-taught methods, and formal education.

I have several bookcases full of books about skin care, holistic medicine, herbs, essential oils, and the like ... and i've read every single one! I also have over 150 (I just checked lol) books on my kindle that are about natural skin care, holistic health, etc - and aren't the same ones on my bookshelves ;)  I've read about 120 of these. The rest are new additions that I'm working through. I'm very much an info junkie!

Early on, when I wasn't reading and soaking up info, I was testing out formulas and taking classes (from soap making to blending essential oils.. and everything inbetween). I was also spending a lot of time in online forums chatting with other folks who are interested in natural skin care and clean/green living - It's amazing how much education can happen in such an informal setting. It was also a great place to get feedback about formulas or troubleshooting.  About 5 years after I got into natural skin care and health, Batty's Bath became my career path. I spent another year and a half (around studying for my bachelors degree part time), preparing Batty's Bath to launch. 

What is your most popular product? What is your favourite product?

Hmmm I don't think there's one "most popular product" that I could pick out, but there are several that people seem to gravitate to. Those include the Detox Kit, Patchouli & Grapefruit Facial Soap, Tea Tree Facial Scrub, Patchouli Facial Moisturizer, and more recently, Hydra Healing Skin Rescue Gel (it was added to the line-up a couple months ago and has quickly become a customer fav).

It's equally as hard to pick just one product as my favourite lol. But right now some that I'm using daily are Cherrylicious CP Soap, Pineapple Facial Scrub, Hydra Healing Gel, After Acne Serum, and Patchouli Facial Moisturizer. 

You have a large herb and vegetable garden in your backyard. What's currently growing? Anything you use in your products?

Since I live in Canada, I'm a season outdoor gardener but a full type indoor plant momma!

Right now, most of my plants are either just sprouting (indoors and outdoors), ready to be transferred outside after the last frost, or are in the form of seeds patiently waiting to be planted. Currently my mint (that is used in my products) is the only plant in my gardens that is hearty and growing quickly. It's always the first thing to spring up after the winter - it even beats the tulips most years!

Other plants that are or will be growing (that will make their way into BB products) are calendula, chamomile, plantain, echinacea, lavender and this year I'm hoping to add gotu kola to that list. I also have lots of herbs (indoors and outdoors) and wildflowers (outdoors) that come up on their own every year. Most of these find their way into my tea.

Lastly, I'll be planting a big pumpkin patch (like I do every year), plus several other edibles including cucumbers, sweet peas, strawberries, corn, and watermelon. 

What's next for Batty's Bath?

There's always lots of things in the works, but my biggest focus right now, and for the future, is to run the business and not have the business run me! lol. Sounds a bit silly, but when it comes to living with two chronic illnesses (fibromyalgia being my second diagnosis), balance between work and everything else is key. I like where the business is now - it's manageable and doing really well - and I'm still able to have time to take care of myself. Beyond that, I'm always looking at ways to work more efficiently. BB has been in a substantial growth period that hasn't slowed down for the last year, so working more efficiently, and hiring a virtual assistant, has created room for that growth to happen without tipping the balance scales. 

Batty's 'business partners'  |  Packaging skin serum  |  Product photoshoot  |  3 different types of facial scrubs  |  Making quick stick acne fix  |  Mixing up a large batch of deodorant (in 8 varieties!)

Check out Batty's blog, for more glimpses behind the scenes at her studio and where she shares her research and field notes with the hope of inspiring others to be true to themselves, encouraging others to connect with the natural world, shedding light on myths and misconceptions surrounding natural skin care and more! Sign up for her skin care videos and inspiring how-to's and you'll receive a coupon for free shipping off your first order!

Find Batty and her fabulous products here:

Shop  |  Blog  |  Instagram  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Pinterest 

All photos courtesy of Batty's Bath.

What inspires your senses? Coming soon!

Back in November I hosted a linkup where I shared what inspired my senses through photographs. Well folks, round 2 is back!

Details: On Friday, May 23, I challenge all of you to select 5 of your favorite personal photographs - one that best describes each of your 5 senses: see, smell, taste, touch and hear. As an added challenge, come up with one for the "sixth sense", an open-ended category to interpret your own way. The photos can be ones you've taken recently or those you've dug out of the archives, those you've taken in one location or in several. Use your imagination and get creative!

If you would like to join in on the fun,

1| Linkup your blog post from Friday, May 23 at 6:00am EST to Saturday, May 31 at 11:55pm EST.

2| Please link back to this link-up in your post, either with text or the below button.
3| Share with social media, using the hashtag #whatinspiresyoursenses, and I'll retweet your link!

4| Visit and check out as many blogs as you can to see what inspires others' senses!

5| Last, but definitely not least, get creative and have fun!

At the beginning of June, I'll pick my favourite senses and share with all of you!

<div align="center"><a href="http://intothealaskanwild.blogspot.ca" title="t.o. & fro"><img src="http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag132/walesy26/linkup350x350_zps30246924.jpg" alt="t.o. & fro" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Don't forget to linkup here on Friday, May 23 to "sense" the world and connect with others through the universal language of photography! #whatinspiresyoursenses

Like a Turtle

Today I'm treating myself to this quote...

How are you treating yourself today?

Welcome to Treat Yo' Self Thursday!

Meet Your Co-Hosts!

Ashten  |  always ashten

alwaysashten is a lifestyle blog where "sassy, classy and a little smart-assy" is not just a phrase, it's a way of life.

1 Adventure in 2014: You're looking at a lady who is going to FOUR WEDDINGS this year! Don't think that's an adventure? Well, I'm going SANS DATE and will be a bridesmaid in 2 of the 4 weddings. THAT IS AN ADVENTURE MY FRIENDS.

2 Posts You Need To Read: 1) That's Mrs. Wahlberg To You; 2) If You Don't Like The Show, Change The Channel.

3 Words to Describe always ashten:. Sassy. Classy. A little Smart assy

Treat Yo' Self, Ashten! If you read my blog, you know it's no secret that I LOVE coffee and cupcakes. It's not uncommon to find me with one of those in hand on a particularly rough day. Or any day that ends with "y".

connect with Ashten: blog | bloglovin' | twitter | pinterest | facebook | instagram

Mar  |  t.o. & fro

| I am a big city girl meant for the simple life surrounded by the ocean and mountains. I love to write about my experience as an environmental educator, my passion for animals, photography, traveling and the great outdoors, and being my hockey-playing hubby's #1 fan!

1 Adventure in 2014: Since moving back to the big city of Toronto from Alaska this past summer, there has been a void in my heart. To escape the concrete jungle, we will be travelling back to Alaska to spend some much needed time in the outdoors and with friends. On the way home, we'll be making a stop in Seattle to celebrate our 1st anniversary. I'm counting down the days!

2 Posts You Need To Read: 1) This Isn't Goodbye; 2) The Ultimate Road Trip, Day 1.

3 Words to Describe t.o. & fro:. earthy, adventurous, visual.

Treat Yo' Self, Mar! Taking time away from busy schedules to 'treat yo self' is definitely important, and I for one am guilty of not doing it enough. One way I treat myself is by taking a day off to spend time with my hockey-playing husband when he's not on the road. Hockey schedules are pretty hectic, so we like to cherish the time we have together during the season by getting outside and exploring, cooking a delicious meal together and enjoying a nice glass of wine, or two.

connect with Mar: blog | bloglovin' | twitter | pinterest | facebook | instagram

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How to Treat Yo' Self:

Link up your most recent blog post.
Follow your host & co-hosts: Ashten & Mar
Grab a button or link back so that more people can join the fun. Your post can only be highlighted as 'last week's most viewed treat' if you link back to the link-up
Visit at least 2 other blogs and share the love.
Spread the word by using the hashtag #TreatYoSelfThursday and I'll retweet your link!

Treat Yo' Self!

An InLinkz Link-up

How to Pack for Alaska

Cruise season and summer vacation is fast approaching, and one destination on the list is Alaska. 

The weather in AK is hard to predict. One second it could be sunny and 65, and then you blink and it's raining. Living in AK for three years, I wouldn't say we became experts, but we definitely learned a thing or two about how to dress for the seasons...

How NOT to Pack for Alaska

This was my parents' living room when we found out we had 5 days to get our shit together and move to AK. Please note the excessive number of bags and the fact that we only thought we'd be there for one hockey season (7ish months), definitely not the 3 years we ended up staying. Overpack much?! My first trip home, after only 3 months of living there, I ended up bringing over half of this stuff back.

How TO Pack to Alaska

The key to packing for the land of the midnight sun is function. 

One way to be prepared is to do your research ahead of time, and to bring layers. It's easier to take off a layer if you're too warm, then to put on a layer you don't have if you're too cold.

If you're visiting the South Central (Anchorage-area), here's what to expect:

//via//

If you're visiting the South East (Inside Passage - Juneau, Haines, etc.), here's what to expect:

//via//

Unless you plan on attending a formal event, leave the formal clothes at home. Alaska is very casual and you will feel comfortable anywhere you go in casual clothes. (Also a reason why Anchorage was voted the worst dressed city in America.)

Clothing recommendations, by season:

Winter: long sleeved shirt, pants, warm hat and gloves, insulated boots, long underwear/leggings, wool socks, warm sweater or vest, snow pants, winter coat.

Note about winter jackets: I brought a North Face parka with me and wore it only a handful of times. Again, layers are key. If you're doing any type of outdoor activity (skiing, hiking, etc.), you'll be way too hot in a parka. But, they do come in handy when you're outside at 2am viewing the aurora boreal is. 

Spring: long sleeved shirt, pants, walking shoes, waterproof boots, wind breaker or jacket, hat, thin gloves and hat

Summer: short sleeved shirt, shorts, pants, long sleeved shirt, walking shoes, wind breaker or jacket, hat

Fall: long sleeved shirt, pants, warm hart and gloves, insulated boots, waterproof boots, windbreaker or jacket, sweater or vest

Other must-have items: 

hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, bug spray, backpack, binoculars, camera, sleeping mask (for the midnight sun)

If you're headed to Alaska this summer, or in the near future, and have questions about what to expect or what to pack, feel free to contact me. Seeing as I'm a total Alaska-pusher, I'd be more than happy to help!

Have you visited Alaska? What would you recommend packing?