Survivor Season 30 : Worlds Apart

Was this an awesome season, or was this an awesome season?! It was definitely one filled with drama, lots of back stabbing and plenty of excitement! Hopefully you've had a chance to catch up on the final episode if you weren't available to tune into the excitement live last Wednesday.

Survivor was definitely brave to introduce a completely new concept: Blue Collar, White Collar and No Collar. Basically, executives vs. factory/union workers vs. free-spirited individuals. From the beginning, I thought it was definitely an interesting theme and an interesting bunch of players. And the season definitely lived up to my expectations! Here are my thoughts:

What was up with Vince of the no collar tribe?! He likes to smell people... Definitely an interesting pick for Survivor...

Honestly, I did not like Shirin. I wasn't feeling her character or personality throughout the entire show. Although, I did feel genuinely sorry for her after Will's comments about her family. My most memorable moment of Shirin on the show was when she went back to her white collar tribe to tell them that she saw two monkeys mating... Need I say more?

It was interesting that this season, Survivor introduced a new spin on the Survivor Auction. Will bought himself a return ticket to camp without any food... but when he arrived to camp, a box of food was waiting for him! This was a very interesting concept and its something I don't believe was ever done before on Survivor? Also, having the option to buy letters from home wasn't a part of the auction in the past, (I think) but definitely made things a lot more dramatic, especially between Mike and Dan.

Will's behavior was interesting after he attacked Shirin. I personally think he completely took the whole thing out of context and went a little too far... I still find it interesting that during the live reunion show, I felt that he still didn't give her a genuine apology...

Dan... Oh Dan... What have you done??? If you watched the live Reunion show, then you would know what I'm talking about. Let me break it down a little: Dan has accused Survivor of portraying him in a negative way. He refers to one specific situation where they are sitting on a beach talking, when he says an inappropriate comment to Rodney. Dan claims the situation wasn't as it seems, but Jeff, being Jeff, pulls his strings to set the record straight for everyone in the audience and at home. And I completely understand Jeff's actions, as he wouldn't want the reputation of the show to be ruined. Jeff then goes on to show an unedited clip of Dan and what the situation was. This confirmed that Survivor didn't edit the situation and Dan, in fact, did say a negative comment out of nowhere. I think anyone would feel completely embarrassed and ashamed of this if they were set straight on live television. My point is, this has never happened before on the live reunion show! What I loved even more was the fact that Jeff was confronting, very factual and did not let Dan drag the show down! Good for you Jeff!

Rodney was another interesting character. I think I liked him the best for his comical nature and the wacky behaviour he brought on to the show. I've never seen anyone act the way he did about his birthday? And not being able to go on reward? Are people just that spoiled? However, Rodney's journey on Survivor ended in a very positive way, which I am extremely glad about. If you watch the Ponderosa series, you would know that the reason why he came out to Survivor was to escape all of his problem back home. He never got over his sister's death. After Survivor, he said he has found peace and closure with his sister's death and that his family is number one. He also mentioned that he will never waste food again in his life. I'm very happy to hear that Survivor was able to help someone out in a very positive way.

Mike! I really didn't think that he would win the title, but he did! I really thought the jury would have voted for Carolyn instead. Although, Mike did a lot of scheming, back stabbing and won those immunity challenges - everything that the sole Survivor would do. The only thing that I didn't like about him was the one instance where he gave his word that he would pay money for get the letter at the auction and then he just flipped on his decision. In the end, he ended up paying, but that one decision really painted him in a negative light. I think he was able to redeem himself throughout the rest of the season though. What's interesting about his journey on Survivor was that he did not have many allies, or anyone in the game really rooting for him. He was completely left alone to fend for himself and he made it all the way to the end!

All in all, this season was great! A blue collar participant ended up winning the crown. Does this say that blue collar has the perfect mix of knowledge and physical capabilities to win? What do you think?

I cannot wait until the next season: Survivor Second Chance! I think this game will be really good! I'm completely ready for another season of game play, schemes, broken promises and blindsides that make Survivor so worth watching!

~RANDOMiss

My Favourite Snacks for Work

I'm one of those people that has to snack consistently all day long... Snacking can be very unhealthy if you stick to the wrong kinds of foods, so I try my very best to snack with healthy options. I also try to have a variety of options available in my pantry. If I'm feeling for something sweet, crunchy, salty or fresh, it's important that I have something readily available... otherwise I'm more than likely to drop a few bucks here or there on something at the store. Needless to say, snacks have a very important part in my weekly grocery list and in my daily work routine!

Some of my favourite snacks for work are:

• Fruits of any sort! I like to take bananas, strawberries, blackberries, pears, apples and peaches. Right now I've been enjoying a lot of watermelon since it is in season. I try to take at least two different kinds of fruit per day. 
• Nuts - My recent craze has been these sweet chili pistachios. I've been really loving this flavour! From time to time, I also like to take almonds or cashews.
• Cheese and crackers - My staple in my snack cupboard. I stick to medium cheddar cheese as it's my favourite! I like to pair it with either Ritz crackers or veggie crackers.
• Green Juice! - Of course!
• Chocolate - I have a love affair with chocolate... no seriously I do! I try to  take little mini round chocolates to limit myself from gorging on them. Usually I will take the Cadbury mini eggs (about 4-5) or one Lindt chocolate. In the picture above I'm snacking on Brookside Crunchy Raspberry fruit snacks, which are super good and somewhat healthy! Somewhat healthy because it has fruit in it, super good because it's covered in chocolate! Above all, they make a really yummy treat!

There you have it! My favourite snacks for work. What kind of snacks do you take to work?

~RANDOMiss

Spring Clean Up Lists!

It's that time of year when the weather gets warmer and everything starts fresh! Every spring I like to do a major 'spring cleaning' day (or two) to get everything ready for the nice summer weather. I've been spending some of my time over the past few weekends to kick start my list and get things in gear. Here's what I like to do:

1. Clean out the garage with old junk and discard items that are no longer needed.
2. Store away all winter items (ie. shovels, snow brushes, winter coats, boots etc...)
3. Wash the garage and driveway to get rid of all the salt and sand from the long winter months.
4. Rake all of the dead grass and leaves.
5. Wash my front walk way and front door.
6. Give the garden soil some turning and churning to incorporate air for good growth.
7. Make sure all garden hoses are working and there are no leaks....
8. Pick up all trash and litter around the yard that might have been sitting around underneath the snow.
9. Give my car a really good cleaning (inside & out) from all of the winter dirt and grim.
10. Get rid of all of the garden weeds that are starting to grow. It's important to get the garden weeds under control early to make it manageable throughout the summer.

(Of course in between all of this, going to grab Starbucks or getting an ice cream or two, is also essential as well!)

What's on your typical spring cleaning list?

~RANDOMiss

Oh Joy!

After a month of gloominess, sadness and just being blah...things need to be bright and cheery! If you follow the blogger Joy Cho you know that she recently released her book called 'oh joy!'. Looking at the title and the front cover alone, I knew I needed to get this book! With bright colours, random objects and with many ways to create and give joy, it seemed like the perfect book to fill the blah in my life and it's definitely lived up to its expectations...

I absolutely love this book! It's an instant pick me up and has many inspiring projects and pictures! I love the bright colours and coordinated pictures. I love every inch of it! What I like the most is that anytime I am feeling in a lull, I can turn a page in this book and instantly feel motivated or inspired to work on a project or try something new. I think some of us can use the extra motivation once in awhile. I especially love to look at the photography (which is extremely well done) while sipping my morning coffee and listening to the birds outside.... It would also make a great gift or a coffee table book as well.

My favourite project displayed in the book is the Dotty Wall Art - I can't wait to try this project out!

I love this book and during a difficult time, this book has brought about a lot of light and positivity, which I am grateful for. Regardless of the circumstances, this would definitely be a book that I would recommend for anyone's book collection!

~RANDOMiss

My Everyday Skincare Tips

1. Drink lots of water! Add lemon for a different taste and other added vitamins.
2. Wash your face twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the evening
3. Remove all of your makeup. Invest in some really good makeup remover wipes! The Costco brand, Kirkland, are my favourite!
4. Use a fresh face cloth every time you wash your face. Don't reuse any towels as dirt can be trapped and transferred back to your clean skin.
5. Take cod liver oil. It does magic for your skin!
6. Eat your fruits and veggies! The easiest way for me to do this is by drinking my green juice. If I don't drink it, my skin does not have a glow.
7. Change/wash your pillow case atleast once a week. At night all of the dirt and sweat gets transferred to your pillow case. It's important to clean it once a week.
8. Use an eye cream no matter how young you are.
9. Use a face mask once a week to give your skin a deep cleanse.
10. Invest in the clarisonic! I would not go back to the days where I didn't have one.

What are you skincare tips?

~RANDOMiss

Saying Goodbye Is Not Easy

It's been a very long time since I've posted anything on the blog. I sincerely apologize for this. On April 10, 2015 I lost my grandfather who was 85 years old. While he lived his life to the fullest potential, it doesn't make it easier to say goodbye. I am extremely close with my grandparents and this loss has been the hardest thing I've ever had to go through.

He went in for open heart surgery on the morning of April 10th. While the surgery was successful, he suffered from complications afterwards. I thought I was driving to the hospital to see him in recovery but instead I went to meet an unexplained circumstance.

My grandfather has only ever shown me love - unconditional love. Even if he did get angry, it was because he cared. Some of the best memories I have of him are from my childhood, which involved playing ball, feeding the birds or buying slurpies for us. He always instilled his knowledge and gave us his advice when we were troubled or lost. I will never forget his blue eyes, or all the times he smiled or laughed, or the way he walked, his shoes that he wore or how he answered the phone. I even know his favourite Tim Hortons order: small decaf coffee with 2 cream and 1 sugar. There are just so many things I can write about him...

I've never experienced loss this close to me. Unless you go through it, you don't know the pain involved with losing a loved one so close and dear to you. It's been three weeks yes, but it's also been three very hard weeks. I'm not sure if my life will ever be the same. No matter how much you try to move on, there is always a little empty space in my heart that misses him so much. But I remember him in my day to day life, whether its through the sunshine, the flowers or the wind.

I only have one grandmother left now. While it's sad that we always remember after something tragic happens to hold the ones that are close to us even closer, we should always try to remember to laugh a little harder, cuddle a little more or hug a little longer. Even though my grandfather lived his life to 85, 85 years was still too short...

You will be missed greatly and will forever be in our hearts...

~RANDOMiss