The March Edit
We've made it to spring, with the promise of brighter days ahead and a fresh perspective. My hope is that you embrace this season with a sense of renewal. As the flowers bloom and the sun shines, it's time to shake off the winter blues and welcome the new beginnings of spring.
This month I'm sharing my springtime routine, sweet cravings, more about the top-selling product from our annual spring sale, and giving you a peek into my wild west coast adventure to British Columbia!
Refresh and Renew with Seasonal Self-Care Rituals
After a long winter, the arrival of brighter and longer days could not have come soon enough. I like to use the changing seasons as a reason to realign and check in with myself. Here are some simple rituals I include in my routine to renew and feel fresh for the season:
Spring Cleaning
I'm all about spring cleaning. The season prompts my A-type personality as it's my chance to declutter, deep clean, and get organized. Cliche, but it feels great!
Skincare Refresh
I love changing my skincare routine with each season to keep my skin looking its best. I recently treated myself to a deep cleansing facial and shifted to a lightweight moisturizer. I'm also rotating my Batch Beauty Lab facial oils, using BASE 001 in the morning and BRIGHTEN in the evening.
Wellness Reboot
I've been prioritizing my sleep hygiene, something I can work on as a night owl, and it's been beneficial. Daily stretching, yoga, and meditation are essential for me to feel great, and with the snow gone, running season has officially started. To kickstart the season, I retired my Nike Zoom Fly 3 running shoes, which I proudly ran over 300KM in (yay!), and purchased a pair of On Happiness Cloudeclipse runners. Looking forward to breaking them in!
Do you have any springtime rituals or routines for renewal? Share in the comments below!
Cravings: Blueberry Banana Bread
I think I’ve found the perfect banana bread recipe and I’m excited to share it with you! This recipe is wheat free, dairy free, and refined sugar free, creating a moist and delicious loaf ideal for a quick snack or a sweet after-dinner indulgence. This recipe is from Ambitious Kitchen - but I’ve added my own touch with the inclusion of fresh organic blueberries.
Blueberry Banana Bread
Ingredients:
Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine bananas, vanilla extract, and almond butter in a bowl until smooth. Beat in eggs until well mixed. Fold in coconut flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to form a thick batter. Gently fold in blueberries.
Prepare an 8x5 bread pan lined with parchment paper and carefully pour in your banana bread mixture, ensuring to shape and form it evenly in the pan.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the toothpick test reveals a clean toothpick.
Cool for 30 minutes and enjoy!
Product Spotlight: HEAL Custom Facial Oil
Our annual Batch Beauty Lab spring sale came right on time for your seasonal glow up! The top seller this season is our Batch Beauty Lab HEAL Facial Oil.
HEAL is one of Batch Beauty Lab’s custom facial oil blends that combines the incredible ingredients of our fan-favourite BASE 001 with our soothing HEAL Booster. This facial oil blend is amazingly healing and is ideal for a transitional skincare routine as we move from winter to spring.
Seasonal breakouts happen when the skin adjusts to air quality and temperature changes. Pollution and free radicals can also trigger skin irritation. Our HEAL Booster, filled with organic Hemp Seed Oil, can help relieve irritated skin.
Discover the Benefits of Hemp Seed Oil:
Hemp Seed Oil is a star ingredient known for its naturally occurring lipids, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. While Hemp Seed Oil is derived from the seeds of the cannabis sativa plant, it is not to be confused with CBD or marijuana oil and will not induce any narcotic effects.
The benefits of Hemp Seed Oil are limitless. The numerous remarkable properties call for a future blog post dedicated to this ingredient alone.
Hemp Seed Oil is packed with linoleic, alpha-linolenic, and oleic acids:
LINOLEIC ACIDS (OMEGA-6) are known to:
- Facilitate wound healing
- Exhibit anti-inflammatory properties
- Soothe acne and reduce chances of future outbreaks
- Promote moisture retention in skin
ALPHA-LINOLENIC ACID (OMEGA-3) is known to:
- Reduce inflammation on the skin
OLEIC ACIDS (OMEGA-9) are known to:
- Maintain the softness, suppleness, and radiance of skin
- Reduce the appearance of aging, such as premature wrinkles and fine lines
- Exhibit antioxidant properties
Even more incredible, Hemp Seed Oil purifies the skin by removing excess dirt, sweat, sebum, and is known for its ability to heal dry skin, acne, eczema, and diminish scars.
For all of these reasons and more, you can understand why HEAL is a popular choice. You can shop HEAL Custom Facial Oil here.
Take advantage of 20% OFF HEAL with Code MARCHEDIT at checkout.
From Sea to Sky: A West Coast Adventure
March was a whirlwind of family gatherings, social outings, and work obligations. Keeping me afloat was the anticipation of a trip to British Columbia to visit my best friend!
Although our visit was short and sweet, we had an adventure-packed weekend. Every moment was filled with excitement and laughter, as we explored the beauty of nature, indulged in delicious food, and cherished quality time together.
Here's a peek at our weekend itinerary:
We travelled from Toronto to Vancouver with Porter Airlines. To our pleasant surprise, we had a great experience and enjoyed complimentary snacks and beverages, inflight wifi, and friendly service.
Vancouver
Upon arriving in Vancouver, our friends picked us up from the airport and we made our way to Granville Island. Once an industrial area, Granville Island is now an urban destination known for its fresh food market, art galleries, artisan shops, live music, and colourful views. My favourite part was shopping at the fresh food market, stocking up on ingredients for our home cooked meals. There were so many incredible vendors, I was overwhelmed with choice!
You can explore the directory of vendors here, but I'm also sharing my top recommendations below:
- Celine's Fish and Chips: I enjoyed fresh halibut and chips - did not disappoint!
- Longliner Seafood: One of the original tenants of Granville Island, this shop specializes in fresh and smoked seafood. We bought fresh smoked pacific salmon for breakfast and it was delicious!
- Siegel's Bagels: These Montreal style bagels are fresh baked in a traditional wood burning oven. The Rosemary and Sea Salt bagel, with its aromatic and flavourful profile, was a personal favoruite and paired perfectly with the fresh smoked salmon.
- Lee's Donuts: An iconic shop in the Granville Island market, Lee’s Donuts are handmade, quality, classic donuts made from scratch. We purchased one dozen, which didn't last very long. The famous honey dip donut was my favourite.
- Terra Breads: You can't beat a fresh loaf of sourdough bread - that's what we went for - but the treats and pastries were tempting!
- Lina's Deli: Perfect for stocking up on cheese and meats for the weekend.
- Liberty Wine Merchants: A quaint shop with a unique wine selection.
After a satisfying trip to Granville Island, we made our way to the famous Stanley Park. A wonderful oasis in the midst of Vancouver, Stanley Park is a 400-hectare natural West Coast rainforest. The views of the water, mountains, sky, and trees made for an enjoyable experience. We played a round of Pitch and Putt golf and enjoyed the stunning cherry blossoms in full bloom!
Squamish
We enjoyed our holiday staying with our best friends. I must say, they're incredible hosts who organized an exciting weekend for us to discover and enjoy their lifestyle in Squamish, located about one hour north of Vancouver.
I learned from my bestie Amy that Squamish means “mother of the wind,” in recognition of the strong winds prevalent in Howe Sound.
Downtown Squamish is so quaint and draped with stunning views of the Coast Mountain range, including Mount Tantalus and Mount Garibaldi. My favourite day was spent in the Squamish Valley, day-camping in a reception-free oasis, connecting with nature, and savouring lunch cooked over a fire by a glacial river. Surrounded by stunning scenery in a peaceful, natural setting, the warm sun and cool breezes served as a reminder of nature's beauty.
Whistler
To top it off, we spent an afternoon in Whistler enjoying the beautiful views of the Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. While we didn't ski or snowboard this time, I'm excited for my next visit to hit the slopes in full gear. We did however enjoy an Après-ski at the Longhorn Saloon by the Whistler Blackcomb gondolas. It was a great time!
March Joy
Moments that brought me joy in March:
- The sight of a bright full moon
- Lunch at Sadelle's - If you go, order The Poppy. Yum!
- Blue skies and stroll in the city
- Dinner at Cafe Renee with family
- A spontaneous visit to Casa Loma
- Birthday celebrations all month long
- Midnight Cookie - Fresh baked to order and open very late. Dangerous!
- Zeppole - traditional Italian cream filled pastries enjoyed at Easter
- Flight simulator experience at Avia Sim - I took-off in Toronto and landed in Dubai!
I'm thankful for the chances to bond with loved ones and create lasting memories. As I continue to share a collection of my experiences, I hope to motivate others to embark on new adventures, whether near or far, and to truly appreciate the beauty of life in the present moment.
Stay tuned this April for exciting updates as we gear up to mark our five year milestone!
Wishing you an abundant spring season.
Sincerely,
Alexandra