Rugby World Cup Opening!... Queenstown!... etc!

New Zealand has kicked off the Rugby World Cup on Friday September 9th and it's been a huge party ever since! Went downtown to Queens Wharf where all the fun stuff was happening and it was sooo crowded with people in all their country's colors... when we eventually got into the party zone area, we got a call from Glen's friend who had tickets to the opening match (New Zealand vs. Tonga) but was sick and couldn't attend, so he gave us the tickets for free!

dt auckland on day 1 of rwc

Got to Eden Park stadium which is approx 4 miles from downtown and the place was huge! It was also the opening ceremony for the RWC so we got two events in one... sweet... actually, three since there were huge fireworks downtown that we could see from our nosebleed section seats haha! So much fun....

rwc opening ceremony

The next morning (7:10am), we boarded the plane for a weeklong trip to Queenstown/Wanaka. Spent two nights in Queenstown at the Flaming Kiwi Backpackers and did a day up Coronet Peak, which was pretty good later on but so icy in the morning... then ended off the day with snow/rain/hail/wind so we got the F outta there real quick. We were going to go up another mountain one of the days but the conditions weren't too good in the morning but it actually ended up being a nice day... fail. Oh well, we went to Lord of the Rings land (Glenorchy) anyways but failed to see any scenery that looked familiar to the movie and weren't willing to spend $300 on a nerdy bus ride dedicated to LOTR. It was still nice though, lots of sheep. Queenstown isn't what I thought it would be... I always thought it was a lot bigger but really its such a small town. Hit up some wineries and checked out the first ever bungy (but didn't do it hehe). We saw Arj Barker (the comedian... "Dave" from Flight of the Conchords) one night, he's hilarious, almost everyone in the crowd was Aussi... hmmm... Ate at Fishbone one night (deffs recommend if you come down here) and a Thai place... yum yum... but time to save and eat some instant noodles hehe.

queenstown

Were currently in Wanaka (an hour or so from Qtown) and it's so beautiful... snow-capped mountains surrounding a huge lake. Were staying in the most incredible backpackers called Wanaka Bakapaka, pretty much a 5 star hostel... it's so awesome!! Went up Treble Cone and Cardrona ski resorts, then heading back to Queenstown to meet up with Glen's sister Kate and her boyfriend Lloyd and head up the Remarkables Ski Field. 

lake wanaka

Were here til Saturday then back to Auckland for the night then heading to Napier for a few days! xo

view up treble cone

kea bird up treble cone

Mt. Ruapehu Trip

Just got back from a last minute trip inspired by a coupon on a box of beer… left late Monday night and drove 4 hours to get to Mt. Ruapehu, the closest ski resort to Auckland. Stayed at Tongariro Holiday Park the first, short-lived night and woke up early to ski the first side of the mountain: Whakapapa (pronounced f***-a-puppa haha).

Whakapapa

We thought it would be a little less crowded since it was a Tuesday, but either way there were pretty much no lift line-ups and clear blue skies all day! The snow was nice and soft in spots where the groomers had been, which somewhat restricted us on both days to stay on designated runs since other runs/areas weren’t groomed and were so icy. Lots of fun and cool to be snowboarding in September…

Whakapapaaaa

After boarding, we drove to the opposite side of the mountain to a town called Ohakune and stayed at a really nice backpackers called Rimu Park Lodge & Chalets… (They had a hot tub! So nice after being up the mountain…)

Turoa

Wednesday we went up the opposite side of Mt. Ruapehu to Whakapapa: Turoa. I definitely liked this side better, check out the view below and the runs were longer (and no T-bars). Another bluebird day with little/no lines! You can hike to the top of the mountain to check out the crater on top… wish we did it now that I’m looking at this brochure… dang… Unlike other mountains I’ve been up, this one was a bit freaky since there were signs on the chairlift saying, “Do you know what to do when you hear the sirens?” “Did you know mudflows follow valleys?” There also weren’t any trees (makes sense but still different) and instead big rocky outcroppings. 

Looking down on Turoa

Nice little getaway and a good warm-up for our trip to Queenstown (flight leaves this Saturday for a week!)

kiwi crossing!

First Week in NZ

First week in New Zealand and things are going great… pretty much been meeting up with people every night of the week. Glen and I are going to stay in Glenfield (a suburb of Auckland where Glen’s mom lives) until the Rugby World Cup is finished at the beginning of October.

The weather has been pretty Vancouver-ish the last week… cloudy and rainy (but I guess it is winter). Taken some drives, Glen and his friends went for a dive to catch scallops at a place called Tawharanui so while they were doing that, I walked around this sanctuary that was right next door. It was pretty creepy since there was no one else there, but very beautiful. Everything inside of the sanctuary are native plants/animals, with a special fencing used to keep pests out (mice, hedgehogs, ferrets). Apparently there are some kiwi birds in there but I saw no sign of them. Either way, it was a sweet secluded spot. The sanctuary is huge with some hiking trails and camping, so hopefully we go back there.

Rugby World Cup begins next Friday (September 9^th), which is going to be the biggest event in NZ. We’re going to go into downtown Auckland where there’s going to be a bunch of activities similar to the Olympics and the largest fireworks display in NZ history, so that should be pretty sweet! We went to a Warriors (NZ) vs Cowboys (Australia) rugby league game last night at the Mt. Smart stadium close to the city with a bunch of people and it was good times… over 20,000 people in the crowd and the game was really fast paced… and the NZ team won.

We’ve been planning lots of ski trips, this week we are going to go to Mt. Ruapehu (about 4 hours south) for a few days and we’ve also booked flights to Queenstown where we will be for a week snowboarding the different mountains surrounding it. Going to be awesome!

Arrival in NZ

After 13 hours of sweet movies, video games and sleeping we finally made it to NZ! Got in at 5:30am and got picked up by Glen’s mom and bro. Pretty weird coming from hot, sunny weather to foggy cold stuff! But it ended up clearing so we went for a drive…

sketchy driving on opposite side again...

Glen took me to Murawai Beach which reminded me a bit of Long Beach in Tofino… it was so beautiful and warm out (winter?).  There were some surfers out in the water and lots of families since it’s Sunday…

hokey pokey ice cream from Sand Dunz

Experienced a NZ pie for the first time and it definitely wont be the last… it was AMAZING!

Not sure what is in store for the next little while but I'm excited... stay posted!

Product Review: Sally Hansen Real Nail Polish Strips

These things are awesome!!! Yeah they cost $9.99 at most stores but I mean... a manicure will cost you $20 and up anyways and they don't usually have sweet patterns like these do!!

Super easy to apply (on both fingernails and toenails!) and seemingly chip resistant, I prefer these waaaayy over traditional nail polish. I thought they would take a while to apply, but honestly... 5 minutes total.

What I did to apply them was to have a pair of scissors and nail clippers handy, hold the strip in the centre, apply the strip to match the roundness of your cuticle, press down on the strip to the tip of your nail, and use the scissors to roughly cut the strip so there's a little extra on your nail. I then used the nail clippers that have a rounded edge that matches the shape of my nail and just cut around it to fit the shape! Then just pressed down so that the strip was secure, filed it a little, and voila! Adding a topcoat is appearing to help my nail strips from chipping. I was able to do two fingernails with one strip since I used the scissors to cut the strip in half when applying. Did pretty much the same thing with my toenails but could usually fit 3 nails per strip which was sweet... the package comes with 16 strips and I only used 8 and that's both fingernails and toes :)

Rawr

So... the final verdict:

Positive
-super fast/easy to apply
-awesome colors and patterns 
-I used one pack for my fingernails AND my toenails! and the kit comes with 2 packs woot woot!

Negative:
-$9.99... I think they're worth the price but others might be turned off by it
-hard to find!!! I had to go to a bunch of different Shoppers Drug Marts/London Drugs/Walmart before I ended up finding them at the Shoppers in Lynn Valley Mall.

Five Stars! ***** Try them out!

$20 for $40 Worth of Stuff at North Shore Ski & Board (North Shore Girl)

Today's Groupon! Check out what they say...

"Athleticism is more than dodging projectiles, wrangling mascots, and dropkicking a computer after it beats you in chess. Outfit yourself for adventure with today's Groupon: for $20, you get $40 worth of surf- and ski-inspired apparel at North Shore Ski and Board or North Shore Girl, its sister store next door, in North Vancouver (on Lonsdale).

North Shore Ski and Board, a Vancouver business for more than 30 years, equips its customers with apparel and accessories for adults' and children's water and snow pursuits. Keep safe from the sun's rays by donning a "Kinda Shady" women's sun hat from Roxy ($30) or sunglasses from Ryders or Scin brands ($19.99–$29.99). Underneath sportsmanlike duds such as a Billabong Paris rash guard tee ($29.95), don a pair of flashy and comfortable undies from Björn Borg ($19.99–$34.99) that keep everything in its right place. Feet learn to breathe without the need for above-water snorkels in Havaianas classic flip-flops ($20), or jump into a pair of comfy Vans slip-on shoes ($39.99). During the winter months, patrons can ask their snowman butlers to bring their skis or snowboards in to North Shore Ski and Board for maintenance services."

The fine print:

• Expires Feb 22, 2012
• Limit 1 per person, may buy 2 additional as gifts. In-store only. Not valid for sale items.

I bought one! Pretty good deal if you ask me, they have awesome clothes and looking forward to getting some things for the upcoming snowboard season...

If you've never used Groupon before, it's really easy to sign up. I've used it over a dozen times on different deals. Just click this link to see the North Shore Ski & Board deal and to sign up/sign in to Groupon!

CLICK ME TO SEE THE DEAL! *it's on the right hand side*

Free PNE Tickets!

Ok, well you have to do two things that will only take you a few mins. So easy... just write two reviews and you get the free ticket! Click the link at the bottom of this post to get started!

CLICK ME TO GO TO FREE PNE TIX WEBPAGE

Fave Song Of The Moment

Thanks Holly for showing this to me!! I can't stop listening to it... love it!!!

FREE MONEY! (ok, I think this is still going on)

So, a couple weeks ago Glen was telling me about how there was a promotion going on between the radio station 99.3 The Fox and PlayNow.com. He told me that if you signed up for an account with PlayNow.com and entered the promo code: FOXROCKS, you got fifty free dollars to use in the casino, and any money that you won went directly into your bank account! I obvs want free money...

Signed up for an account and got Glen to play Blackjack for me in the casino and he ended up winning $61.50! You just press a button to end the game and collect the cash. It's totally legit. All you need really is your banking info (the stuff you would give to an employer to get a direct deposit aka those numbers at the bottom of your cheques or you can find it online like I did) and voila! A week and a half later, I got my money in the bank!

DO IT! Hopefully the promo's still on but... Here's the link... 

https://www.playnow.com/

Summertime Camping at Strawberry Point on Lillouet Lake!

This place is awesome!! Glen and I planned on going camping in Pemberton, but didn't know where to go. A friend suggested Strawberry Point on Lillouet Lake and we were sold, we had no idea what to expect but were stoked to have someone recommend something to us.

Following Highway 99 past Pemberton and Whistler, drive towards Mt. Currie and eventually you will turn right when you see a sign pointing towards Lillouet Lake. The road soon turns into a gravel road that is narrow but easy to drive, just watch out for crazy drivers/logging trucks along the way! Strawberry Point is located at kilometer 6 on that gravel road, and keep your eyes peeled for a little parking lot on the right hand side.

View from the beach!

Since it was a weekend in the summer, I expected to be looking from campsite to campsite for a spot... not the case! There were only 4 or 5 cars in the parking lot, and the park ranger pulled up right after us and we chatted for a bit, nice guy. He was saying that a couple weeks ago, Strawberry Point was having some intense bear problems... bears getting into tents, charging people out of their sites and causing havoc. Well, the bears he said have since been "destroyed" and we saw no signs of bears the whole time we were there (thankfully). The ranger told us that Strawberry Point was a haven for partiers... and that come nightfall, packs of people would be coming down to the beach to party... so he suggested going down a bit further to kilometer marker 9-10 where it was quieter and more families (Twin 1). Paid the ranger the $13 per night fee and decided to check out what Strawberry Point looked like....

Didn't need a flashlight with that moon...

The walk from the parking lot to the beach is at most 5 mins (without gear) just a short trail and two staircases. Got to the bottom and were blown away... only a couple tents set up and a sandy beachfront! Decided right then and there that we were going to stay here, and glad we did since we saw a couple who went to check out the further campsites and said this beach was quieter and prettier than Twin 1.

View from sitting inside our tent... steps to the water!

Set up camp and spent the rest of our time relaxing... the lake is surrounded by mountains and is super still, fresh and a light greeny colour... and really cold!!! Strawberry Point has a couple toilets too which was a nice touch... and fire rings made by previous campers. Next time I'd definitely bring a kayak or canoe or something to explore the lake a bit more... I think there's a boat launch further down.

Will definitely be back with more beers and a kayak!

Cake Decorating!!

Ok, as most of you know... I have some nerdy hobbies. Well... one of them is cake decorating. I'm hooked on alllll those TLC shows so I decided to take some classes to figure out how these people do it... so I signed up for the Wilton classes at Michaels. 

Birthday Cake I was able to make using some of the techniques learned!

The classes are super affordable, only $30 and that gets you 4 x 3 hour classes but you do have to buy the "class kit" that has all the supplies in them for like, $50 a pop but Michaels always have those crazy coupons you get in the mail to get 40% or 50% off... good stuff.

My Flowers & Cake Design Project Cake!

 

So I've taken two courses so far (Decorating Basics and Flowers & Cake Design) and am halfway through the third (Gum Paste & Fondant - my fave so far!) and am loving it!!! It's amazing to learn all these crazy techniques to make those beautiful cakes you see on TV. The instructor at the North Van store, Jenny, is in the industry and her classes are fun and interesting. Check out the awesome cakes she has created (she specializes in gluten-free cakes) by googling The Sweet Tooth Cakery.


If you watch shows like Cake Boss and Ace of Cakes and thought about trying cake decorating, you should totally sign up for a class! Whenever I went to Michaels, I would always see the signs for it around the store but was never sure what it was really about. Just ask a cashier and they'll give you the dates/prices/class list and you're set! It's great, and the courses are designed for the home baker/decorator... but maybe it'll inspire you to take it to the next level (the instructor Jenny started out doing the Wilton classes which inspired her to pursue a career as a cake decorator!) 

*Pics to the left show a carnation, rose and lily made from gum paste that we made in last night's class!*

Restaurant Review: Hell Pizza

Tired of the usual flavors of pizza from Dominoes/Pizza Hut/Panago? You HAVE to check out Hell Pizza! It's a pizza franchise from New Zealand that opened up on 19th and Lonsdale and really, the only reason I went there the first time was because of my boyfriend (who is from New Zealand) loves the place and was stoked to see that we have one here too!

You've probably driven/walked past here before!

Their whole menu consists of pizzas with uncommon (at least to Canadians) topping combos with fun names like "Pandemonium" and "Mayhem" (a couple of personal faves). Though the toppings are uncommon and you might be nervous to try a pizza with apricot or cranberry sauce, it's worth the risk and always tastes awesome!

The pies might be more expensive then your over cheese'd Pizza Hut pizza or drunk staple Fresh Slice, but for "quality over quantities" sake, just do it. You insides will probably thank you. They unfortunately do not sell pizza by the slice, but they do offer sides such as freshly made salads, pastas, and dessert pizza (ambrosia). Another plus is that they offer gluten free crust (that according to my Celiac friend tastes awesome and not like cardboard- yay!)They have a vegan pizza too!

I tossed all the other pizza shop's brochures and when I want pizza, I think Hell Pizza. Do it!

Book Review: Sarahs Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

Oh my god!! This book is SO good! I bought it the other day from Black Bond Books in Lynn Valley Mall and it was on sale for $8.99. I picked it up because I remember an old co-worker at Indigo telling me that it was good, and also because I swear I heard that it was going to become a Hollywood movie... so you know, gotta read the book before it gets horribly slaughtered by Hollywood.

From Publishers Weekly:

De Rosnay's U.S. debut fictionalizes the 1942 Paris roundups and deportations, in which thousands of Jewish families were arrested, held at the Vélodrome d'Hiver outside the city, then transported to Auschwitz. Forty-five-year-old Julia Jarmond, American by birth, moved to Paris when she was 20 and is married to the arrogant, unfaithful Bertrand Tézac, with whom she has an 11-year-old daughter. Julia writes for an American magazine and her editor assigns her to cover the 60th anniversary of the Vél' d'Hiv' roundups. Julia soon learns that the apartment she and Bertrand plan to move into was acquired by Bertrand's family when its Jewish occupants were dispossessed and deported 60 years before. She resolves to find out what happened to the former occupants: Wladyslaw and Rywka Starzynski, parents of 10-year-old Sarah and four-year-old Michel. The more Julia discovers—especially about Sarah, the only member of the Starzynski family to survive—the more she uncovers about Bertrand's family, about France and, finally, herself. Already translated into 15 languages, the novel is De Rosnay's 10th (but her first written in English, her first language). It beautifully conveys Julia's conflicting loyalties, and makes Sarah's trials so riveting, her innocence so absorbing, that the book is hard to put down.

 I always found that learning about the Holocaust/Auschwitz really interesting in high school and university and this book really grabbed my attention from page one. This is definitely a book for the ladies, for example, my dad loves books about the War/the Holocaust (you know, dad books) but I wouldn't give him this book to read... there's some womanly stuff in here! Sarah's Key has fictional characters but several of the events are not, especially the events that occurred in Occupied France during the summer of 1942. As the author says, she is not trying to make this a historical work and has no intention of it being one... so just enjoy this book as a great, interesting read. I finished it in an afternoon, couldn't put it down!!

Sunday Funday!

Today we went to a fave spot on a hot sunny day... Brohm Lake! Never heard of it?....Good! Hahaaa just kidding, I'll let you in on the secret spot...

Perfect Day!

Just past Squamish on the Sea to Sky Highway, Brohm Lake is located a little further up from the Cat Lake turn-off. You can see part of the lake from the highway, and it has a small parking lot so get there early unless you're stuck with having to park further down on the highway was walking alongside it! We showed up around 11am and there were lots of spots, pretty good for a Sunday.

Trail Map!

The "beach" is comprised of mostly big rocks, trees, and shrubs so don't be bringing anything too outrageous, just basic beach stuff since the walk in can be a little tricky if you have tons of stuff. There's a couple pit toilets too near the parking lot which is handy.

If you enjoy cliff jumping, you'll love Brohm! There are also a number of rope swings around the lake which I've never personally tried, but watched people go off them. Lots of people bring floaties and just hang out in there all day... the lake is filled with them! The lake is also filled with dogs, so be aware that they will be running loose and will probably shake off on your blankets/towels. At the parking lot, there's a trail map (see pic on the left) of a bunch of hiking trails that I haven't tried yet, but want to do in the future! Good mix of people at the lake, mostly young people. Wouldn't recommend this lake for little kids, since the large rocks are steep, unstable and potentially dangerous.

Check it out! Just don't steal my parking spot...

T.G.I.F

Trying to find something fun to do on a Friday night? Check out Deep Cove Canoe & Kayak's "Cheap Date Night!" Available every Friday after 5pm, you can get a single kayak for $25 (+ tax) or a double kayak for $35 (+ tax) for two hours! We went last night in a double kayak and it was awesome! Great weather, calm water and a good workout. Saw some seals! We lurked the crazy nice waterfront houses along the shore to the left, circled Raccoon Island and Jug Island and then lurked the other houses on the right side.

Glen getting set up

Our round trip took up about an hour and a half, which was just enough time since your arms, butt and lower back are hurting by the end of it... but so worth it. Be sure to make a reservation a week or so ahead of time because it fills up quickly! We arrived at 5:30pm and there was a big line-up and most of the people getting turned away because they didn't have a reso and there were no boats left. Do it!

Summery Blueberry Lemon Walnut Muffins!

Om nom nom nom nom.....

Due to the excessive amount of fresh locally grown blueberries in the fridge, I decided to do something about it... therefore, MUFFINZ.

Here's the recipe I used from the Best of Bridge cookbook:

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
grated zest of 1 lemon
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup fresh, frozen or canned blueberries (pffttt what, blueberries come canned!?)

Topping:
1/2 cup melted butter
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup white sugar

Instructions:
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon zest in large bowl. Beat egg in medium sized bowl, add milk and butter. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients. Stir unti just mixed (batter will be lumpy.) Stir in blueberries. Fill muffin pans 2/3 full and bake at 425 F. for 20 minutes.

Topping:
Combine melted butter and lemon juice. Measure sugar into separate dish. Dip tops of slightly cooled muffins in melted butter, then sugar. Makes 16 large or 32 small muffins.

I didn't make the topping, but instead added more lemon for lemony flavour. I also added walnuts and extra blueberries for added deliciousness.