So I will start by saying that yesterday, I got to cross another item off of my 2013 Bucket List! But, before I get into that, I'll start with the beginning of my day....
I got up bright and early to go to the farmers market and opened my door to this...
That's right folks, our first official snow of the season. I guess we Ontarions can't poke fun at the poor Albertans anymore. (That one's for you, Amanda) :-P
Then I headed downtown to my beloved farmers market :) I absolutely love just wandering around and looking at all the produce, crafts and foodie things. I could spend hours there!
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| Apples: the loves of my life <3 (Does that mean I need a boyfriend?) |
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| This baker makes great healthy cakes, bread, scones, cookies... everything! |
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| Beeswax candles. I ADORE the smell :) |
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| I love my veggies! |
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| For all the Canadians out there; the nectar of our people! |
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| A mountain of kale. |
The picture above is my bounty this week. That bag is full of Mutsu and Crimson Crisp apples, then there are peppers, my favourite squash and PURPLE kale! That kale will be made into chip form very soon. I actually don't even like kale, but kale chips? Yummm...
I am a big believer in buying local food. It's healthier, tastier, better for the local economy and WAY more environmentally friendly! I could rant for days about food industry impacts on the environment, but I'll save it for another day ;) Obviously, I'm not perfect. I can't afford to buy everything local on my budget, and it's not like I can get my bananas from Ontario. However, I do my best, and I think it's an important thing for everyone to consider, whether or not you do it 100% of the time.
NOW: On to the big event of the day! (What? the market wasn't the big event?)
I got to go to a TEDx Talk!! If you don't know what TED is, you should seriously check it out. There are so many phenomenal people sharing their ideas; it gives you so much to think about! TEDx talks are just independently organized TED talks and my school hosted one!
It was such a great day! There were some really great speakers. Some of my favourite talks were about: tipping in North America, the disappearing of family farms in Canada, the power to use love to fuel your actions and work, being an environmental citizen and sustainable business. I won't get into details because there were so many great ideas and quotes that I wouldn't even know where to start. I think that some videos will be posted on the website soon though, so I will post a link when it comes out!
Another really cool aspect of the conference was the lobby. They had all of these cool, interactive activities, including a real cadaver (that one was NOT interactive!!) that they showed to people. A friend of mine also had an art project going throughout the day. He basically streamed all of the talks from the lobby and painted what he envisioned from them. Then, his creations were displayed during each break! Here it is after the first block...
After the second...
And the third...
Cool, huh?
We got a cute jar of Guelph honey and a Live Strong bracelet as we left :)
Lunch and snacks were also provided. I didn't take any food pictures because I felt a little weird in front of all of the people (does anyone else feel awkward taking food pictures in public??), but there were sandwiches, veggies, cookies and squares.
I have to admit that I was mad at myself today. I didn't indulge in any of the sweets. It was partly because I wasn't very hungry after a big sandwich, but my ED brain also convinced me that it was a bad idea, and now I wish I had just eaten a damn cookie. I always convince myself at the time that I am trying to "eat clean", so I really don't need to be eating "junk", but intuitively I know that, at this point, healing my mind trumps clean eating. I do think I have been making some progress lately though. I have actually been doing a better job of honouring hunger and eating MORE (yay!), but I know I still have a long way to go. Baby steps!
That being said, I capped off the night by indulging in some peanut butter M&Ms (has anybody had those?? Yum!!) with my roommates. Devon - 1: ED - 0
Overall, a fantastic day!
Oh, and now that it's November 25, I can officially start being shamelessly excited for Christmas!
ONE MORE MONTH!!!!!!!
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| See the big, inflatable reindeer in the background? |
Do you try to eat local as much as possible?
Have you ever been to or watched a TED Talk?
If you're a TED fan, do you have any favourite talks I might like? I'm always looking for inspiration!
