The 30 Day Squat Challenge

If you're a Pinterest addict like me, you've probably seen versions of this one floating around. In the spirit of trying to be healthier in the New Year, I started this challenge. I've never really followed through on many of my "let's exercise every day!" ideas, but I made a commitment to try this one just for a month. From the before and after pictures on Pinterest, the results are pretty amazing, but that's to be expected since you go from doing 50 squats a day to doing 250 squats by the end of the month.

This is the picture I found that I based my challenge off of. I altered it a bit because I thought it would be easier to bridge the gaps by doing just 10 more a couple times. See below!

If anyone knows where this picture was originally from, let me know. I'd love to give credit, but the link is broken :(

My Version:

DAY 1: 50 squats

DAY 2: 55 squats

DAY 3: 60 squats

The Time Traveler's Wife - Book Review

Image Courtesy of Goodreads

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger tells the story of Henry DeTamble, a time traveller due to a rare genetic condition, and Claire Abshire, his lover and wife who has to bear the brunt of his absence and the worry that goes along with it. The story is not straightforward, not linear; it bounces between past and present in a way that is artful and throughly thought out.

If any novel can be called flawless, it's probably this one (at least by my standards). It has beautiful writing that evokes so many emotions, both painful and heart-warming. You can feel the yearning of the characters, the pain they feel when they are apart and their passion when they are together.

It's a love story, but it feels real and authentic (despite the otherworldly aspects of the novel). It doesn't feel cheesy or contrived in the way that some romantic novels can... I'll refrain from being snobby, but I bet you can guess who I'm thinking of!

A Gentler Glycolic Peel?

Hello everyone, 

I hope your week has been going good.

Time for another skincare post that I hope you all will enjoy. Today I am going to discuss Glycolic Acid and it's supposed benefits for the skin.

Glycolic Acid has been quite the rage in the skincare world recently and for good reason; Glycolic Acid is considered to be a chemical exfoliant for the skin. In simpler terms, it basically means that it is supposed to slough away dead skin, in a similar way to a exfoliating scrub, and reveal newer skin underneath. 

While all this sounds amazing, we have to keep in mind that Glycolic Acid is a chemical and putting it on your skin can cause irritation, which is why most skincare mavens recommend starting with a very low percent and building tolerance. 

Recently I tested out a more natural Glycolic Acid treatment from the brand Andalou Naturals to see if it works just as well as some higher potency Glycolic treatment. 

*Disclaimer: All products were purchased by me and all opinions are my own. Clicking on the images will lead you to more product and purchasing info. No affiliate links are used. 

It's NEVER too late for Reading Resolutions!

It might not be the first of January anymore, but I'm still making resolutions.

However, instead of making traditional New Years Resolutions this year (which I don't really believe in anyway, I think you should start doing whatever it is you want to do regardless of the time of year: every day is a new beginning), I decided to make Reading Resolutions instead. These are some books that I've wanted to read for a while, but haven't gotten around to yet. I've organized them into different genres and categories of books.

This year I want to read...

• A MEMOIR

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Northwest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

This particular memoir documents Cheryl Strayed's hike along the Pacific Northwest Trail from the Mohave Desert to Washington State, a trip she takes alone at the age of 26 despite having no backpacking or hiking experience. The book chronicles her physical challenges and her emotional ones as it alternates between her time on the trail and her past, as she copes with her mother's death, her distant family, her drug use, and her ensuing divorce from her husband. She gains a lot of insights into her personal life and walks away from the trail a person with a new perspective.

In The Kitchen With Cate: Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce (Original Recipe by: A Family Feast)

Hello everyone,

I am back today with a new cooking post.

I love experimenting with new recipes so I have decided that I am going to try doing a brand new cooking post at least twice a month. My goal is to try and do one every week (going up on Monday) but I don't want to make a promise I don't know if I can keep so at least twice a month is doable to me.

I also want to try branching out and maybe doing some baking posts as well. Let me know in the comments if there is anything in particular you would like to see.

For Today's post I decided to spice it up (literally) and cook a bit more of an ethnic dish.

I was browsing through Pinterest (which if you haven't already, you can follow us right here) as per usual and came across this delicious Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce recipe by the website A Family Feast and it looked delicious so I thought I would give it a try.

*Disclaimer: This recipe was created and is owned by the writers of www.afamilyfeast.com and I just recreated it. You can find the original recipe here or by clicking on any of the images below. 

4 or 5 pieces of Cut Up Chicken Breasts 

Half a Teaspoon of Salt

Cate Compares: Stila vs. Tarte Liquid Liner

Hello everyone,

So I am back, this time with a makeup review post, which I have not done in quite some time.

To tell you the truth, I'm not a huge makeup user. I do use the essentials like foundation, concealer, and some blush but I don't experiment too much with eye makeup and usually when I find something I love, I stick to it and that is very true in this case.

Back in August, for BEDA, I reviewed the Tarte MultiplEYE Lash Enhancing Liquid Liner which I absolutely love but sometimes when you love a product you stick to it and you may not realize that their could be better products out there for you so while at Sephora I decided to skip the Tarte section and walk on over to the Stila section and give their very popular Stay All Day® Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner. 

I decided to format this review a little differently and instead of just a straight up text review, I decided to take some pictures and show you how these liners stood up throughout the day. 

I put on the liners at around 11am and took them off at around 1am so that's a good 14 hours of testing whilst running around and being out in the oh so lovely Vancouver rain. I will show you the pictures and then do a more comprehensive review. 

*Disclaimer: All products were purchased by me and this post is not sponsored. 

Note: I am not the greatest at applying eyeliner so don't judge :)
Also, clicking on the pictures will lead you to purchasing and product info. 

Stila Before Shot

Stila After Shot 

Tarte Before Shot 

Tarte After Shot 

Product Info: The Stila liner will run your around $26.00 while the Tarte version will cost you around $29.00, both at Sephora. 

Get to Know Meg from "Meg Reads"

Hello everyone,


So as you know Meg has joined our little blog here and she specializes in book reviews. Her first review is already up and you can check it out here.

As Meg is new I thought it would be fun to do a post asking her some questions so you all can get to learn a little bit about her.

Let's get started...


Cate: Hello Meg, why don't you start by telling us a little bit about yourself?
Meg: Where to start, where to start. I just graduated with my BA in English Literature and my next goal to complete is becoming an elementary school teacher. Some of my passions, besides books, include films, art, and travel. I am a dog person who has a fondness for cats, but I would be a giraffe person if it was ethical and possible to keep them as pets. And I prefer scalloped potatoes to pretty much any sweets. Mostly I just enjoy spending time with my family, friends, and wonderful boyfriend.

Meg Reads: Gone Girl - Book Review

You just might have heard about Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I've been a bit behind the times, only picking up the novel this past Christmas, but the book was actually released in June 2012. It made the New York Times Best Sellers List. They're making a fancy Hollywood movie starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike.

Picture courtesy of US Magazine

In other words, there's been a lot of hype.

I think in general, much of it is well-deserved. There are a lot of wonderful things in the story. It has a lot of that classic thriller suspense that keep you wondering what will happen. It's a page-turner.

A Little Update: Introducing "Meg Reads"

Hello everyone,


In my effort to make this blog a hub of all things that interest me and other girls around the world I want to announce a new element that will be coming to this site.

I love reading and I know many of you out there do as well. One of my really awesome friends Meg is also an avid reader and she has graciously decided to come along for the journey and write book reviews for your enjoyment.

I am really excited for Meg to come on board and share her insight and I hope you all will welcome her with open arms and I know you will enjoy reading what she has to share.

Meg's first book review should be up by Sunday and her reviews will be titled "Meg Reads" and you can find them quicker by clicking on that category in the upper tab bar of the blog.

- Cate W.

Konjac Sponge? Clarisonic for Extremely Sensitive Skin?

Hello Again Friends, 

I am really excited to do this review for you all today. As you know, I love my Clarisonic Face Brush, so much so that I did a review on in back in August for BEDA which you can check out here but I also realize that the Clarisonic, even with the sensitive brush head can still be too harsh for extremely sensitive skin that is prone to irritation.

My skin is a little on the sensitive side (something I get from my mom who has extremely sensitive skin) and it gets extremely sensitive during certain times of the year, especially winter. So during this past winter I bought and tested out a Konjac Sponge which I purchased online from www.freshfaced.ca which you can find here.  

*Disclaimer: All products were purchased by me and this post is not sponsored. Clicking on the pictures will bring you to purchasing info. 

Cate Reviews: Benefit Total Moisture Facial Cream

Hello everyone,

Today I am back with another skincare review post, this time a very positive one.

If you have seen my Winter Skincare Survival post from back in November as well as my Entire Skincare Routine post you will recognize The Benefit Total Moisture Facial Cream and because I love it so much I decided to do a full review post on it.

Let's jump right in...

*Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored and all products were purchased by me. Clicking on the pictures will bring you to purchasing info. 

Cate Reviews: Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution

Hello Everyone,


Hope you had a fabulous time ringing in the New Year with friends and loved ones.

Today I am back with another skincare review post. As frequent readers of this blog will know, I suffer from horrendous (in my mind) acne scarring on my forehead. I have been on a hunt to minimize the appearance of these spots. My beloved Rose Hip Oil does help but I wanted to try out a serum type product that would hopefully work much more effectively and I decided to head on out and try the Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution and now that I have finished the entire bottle, I can do an honest and complete review so keep on reading to hear my thoughts.

*Clicking on pictures will bring you to purchasing details and product information. 

Happy 2014

I just wanted to wish all you friends a Happy New Year. I hope you all had a great celebration with friends and loved ones. I want to Thank You for your support this year and I look forward to continuing blogging in the new year. I hope you all have a fabulous new year ahead. 

Love, 

          Cate W. 

*Image was found via Google Images