Favourites

Favorite Things: 2018 (Kitchen Supplies, Skincare, Recipes, and more!)

December 31, 2018 by Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food Leave a Comment

I’m sitting here writing this on the night of December 29th, and it already feels like Christmas Day was three months ago. Granted, my Christmas came to an abrupt halt on the 26th when a tube behind my fridge cracked and my basement flooded, ceiling collapsed, etc. Yikes. But hey, could always be way worse! With all of that, there’s lots to look forward to that’s keeping me busy...including sharing my favorite things with you!

I’m realllllly excited for where 2019 will take me, especially with XO&So! I got a REAAAAAL camera and a KitchenAid, as well as a lot of photo-ready kitchen accessories to take my photography and cooking to the next level!

Say hello to my new best friend!

...

BEST OF SUMMER 2017

September 1, 2017 by Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food Leave a Comment

I firmly believe summer is only ⅔ complete and September still counts as a month of summer. If you try to come at me with "summer ends at the end of August" I say "NOPE!!!! You're wrong!" Especially if you're done school and don't have to think about going back, summer definitely doesn't end when OTHER people have to go back to school. (PS. I've been out of university for three years now and around the end of August I still get that sinking feeling of "Shoooot, school starts again soon." Does that ever go away? I also still dream at least 3x a week about flunking out of university the day before graduation!!!)

But I digress....

It's been a long, hot, GOOD summer. I got to do so many things this summer that 9 0r 10 months ago I couldn't imagine ever getting to do again (horseback riding, boating, girls trips, etc).

Here are some of my favourite things from one of my favourite summers:

Podcasts:

If you're a fan of Chris D'Elia's standup, you should know each episode of his podcast is basically an hour of standup, except he's sitting and you can't see him. But seriously, it's so funny. A really good, easy listen.

American politics is a giant dumpster fire right now and this podcast (hosted by three guys with incredible resumes including White House work for Obama!) addresses all of the issues and topics we need to know about. They explain things really well, have great guests, and often bring things up that don't get as much coverage in the news as they should.

Music:

Take Me - Aly & AJ They're back babyyyyy!!!!

Get Free - Lana Del Rey So catchy!

Kendrick Lamar - King Kunta

Hair:

Maui Moisture Bamboo Fibre Blow Out Mist - Smells so good and makes your hair feel thicker and softer!

Makeup and Skincare:

ColourPop Lightning Bug - A super rich and beautiful colour. A swipe of this on your eyelid makes ya baby blues POP!

Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronzer

Sephora Coconut Lip Balm

Books:

Bad Feminist - Roxane Gay

Roxane Gay is an excellent writer and these essays give you a whole lot to think about!

A perfect, mysterious, easy beach read.

TV:

SUCH a funny show, rich with comedy legends and it's so easy to watch.

I think there are a million more things I'll think of as soon as I hit "publish" so I'm sure I'll be back to update this soon!

Happy summer-ing,

xo - C

GRAPHIC TEE CENTRAL

August 4, 2017 by Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food Leave a Comment

I always have about ten clothing website tabs open with carts stocked full of goodies. Lots of these items will never be mine because as much as I wish you could pay for things with happy thoughts, ya just can't. But most of these carts have graphic tees in them because I can't get enough of them. I love that you can dress them up or down, with or without jewelry, as pajamas, AND they give you a chance to express your own personality or sense of humour. OR...You can look like a fan of a band whose songs you couldn't even name one of!

Wow, I just wrote a whole paragraph about graphic tees. Let's move on to the actual good stuff, and here's a collection of the coolest graphic tees I've seen lately.

XO - C

My Favorite Songs About Healing and Recovery

April 22, 2017 by Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food 1 Comment

I put together this list of my favourite healing/recovery songs along with the lyrics that make them so special in case they're useful for anyone else!

Music, and especially lyrics, have always held a special place in my heart for their power to make you feel like you're not alone in the world. Sometimes songs put into words exactly how you're feeling but never knew how to say. And I think that is an incredibly special and useful tool in life.

Since recovering from Whipple surgery, music has been especially valuable to me and has calmed me down or gotten me to sleep during especially hard times. Specifically, these songs about healing. (Or at least they're about healing to me!)

In Repair - John Mayer Favourite lyrics:

I'm in repair, I'm not together but I'm getting there

Everybody Knows - John Legend Favourite lyrics:

'Cause everybody knows but nobody really knows,
How to make it work, or how to ease the hurt.

Be OK - Ingrid Michaelson Favourite lyrics: Just give me back my pieces
Just give them back to me please
Just give me back my pieces
And let me hold my broken partsI just want to be okay, be okay, be okay
I just want to be okay today
War of My Life - John Mayer Favourite lyrics:All the suffering
And all the pain
Never left a name, ohI'm in the war of my life
At the door of my life
Out of time and there's nowhere to run

I'm in the war of my life
At the core of my life
Got no choice but to fight 'till it's done
Faith - Celine Dion Favourite lyrics:

Faith!
Right beside you is where I'll stay
It's not too late
Just take me as I am, so please, have faith, in me

Heal Over - KT Tunstall Favourite lyrics:

Doesn't take a genius to realize
That sometimes life is hard
It's gonna take time
But you'll just have to wait
You're gonna be fine
But in the meantime

Come over here lady
Let me wipe your tears away
Come a little nearer baby
Coz you'll heal over
Heal over
Heal over someday

And the Healing Has Begun - Van Morrison Favourite lyrics:

When you hear the music ringin' in your soul
And you feel it in your heart and it grows and grows
And it comes from the backstreet rock & roll and the healing has begun

A Little Bit Stronger - Sara Evans Favourite lyrics:

I know my heart will never be the same
But I'm telling myself I'll be okay
Even on my weakest days
I get a little bit stronger

Dog Days are Over - Florence & the Machine Favourite lyrics:

The dog days are over
The dog days are done
The horses are coming
So you better run

Recover - Natasha Bedingfield Favourite lyrics:

We will recover
The worst is over, now.
All those fires we've been walking through,
And still we survive, somehow.
We will recover
The worst is behind
And it hurts, but in time, I know that we will recover.

I'm Gonna Win - Foreigner Favourite lyrics:

I'm gonna win
I'm gonna win
I tell you, see when it comes down to the crunch
I've gotta beat life to the punch
I'm gonna win

Fix You - Coldplay Favourite lyrics:

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone, but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

My Silver Lining - First Aid Kit Favourite lyrics:

Something good comes with the bad
A song's never just sad
There's hope, there's a silver lining
Show me my silver lining

By the Grace of God - Katy Perry Favourite lyrics:

By the grace of God
There was no other way
I picked myself back up
I knew I had to stay
I put one foot in front of the other
And I looked in the mirror
And decided to stay
Wasn't gonna let love take me out that way

Swim - Jack's Mannequin Favourite lyrics:

You gotta swim
Swim in the dark
There's an ocean to drift in
Feel the tide shifting away from this war
Yeah you gotta swim
Don't let yourself sink
Just follow the horizon
I promise you it's not as far as you think

Light Me Up - Ingrid Michaelson Favourite lyrics:

And I want to keep us all alive
And I want to see you with my eyes
But I see you in the fireflies
And how extraordinary is that

Light me up again
Light me up again

Breathe - Anna Nalick Favourite lyrics:

'Cause you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable
And life's like an hourglass, glued to the table
No one can find the rewind button girl,
So cradle your head in you hands
And breathe, just breathe,
Whoa breathe, just breathe

Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol Favourite lyrics:

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

I don't quite know
How to say
How I feel

Those three words
Are said too much
They're not enough

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Let It Be - The Beatles Favourite Lyrics:

And when the night is cloudy
There is still a light that shines on me
Shine on until tomorrow, let it be
I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

Oh, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
There will be an answer, let it be

Heart of Life - John Mayer Favourite Lyrics:

Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
No, it won't all go the way, it should
But I know the heart of life is good

You know it's nothing new
Bad news never had good timing
But then the circle of your friends
Will defend the silver lining

That's it for now! Please let me know your favourite songs about healing or recovery so I can add them to my list!

xo - C

APRIL BEAUTY FAVES (& Sephora VIB Spring Sale Picks!)

April 16, 2017 by Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food Leave a Comment

For the final installment of April faves, I give you: APRIL BEAUTY FAVES! The timing is perfect because the Sephora VIB Spring 2017 sale is only a few days away! If you're a VIB Rouge member (you spend $1000+ a year at Sephora) you get first access to the sale, beginning on April 18. You get 15% off EVERYTHING, in-store or online, and the code that will work for you is ROUGESPRING. If you're a VIB member, you can shop the sale starting April 19, and you also get 15% off everything with the code VIBSPRING. The member level available to everyone, Beauty Insider, gets access on April 20 and gives you 10% off everything with the code BISPRING.

Some of my picks for this month are a bit more on the pricey end because the sale helps me justify them 😉 A few of them are repeats because they're THAT good and a sale is a good time to stock up on them! Here we go!

SEPHORA PICKS:

A gentle retinol formula perfect for people just starting to use it!

I know, I know, I've talked about this before . But it's on the pricier end and if you're ever going to buy it (WHICH YOU SHOULD!) the best time to do it is during the sale!

The lightest shade is the most incredible contouring color for fair skin. Benefit usually nails their cheek palates and Cheek Parade is no exception! Mixing this with my Makeup Forever HD foundation stick is my all-time fave foundation combo! Say what you will about Kim K, but her hair and makeup are flawless and she swears by this primer!

These drops had a big learning curve for me. At first I thought there was no way I could make them work, but with a little experimenting, I learned that mixing ONE drop with primer/moisturizer gives you a beautifulllll glow that lasts even under foundation. The preeeetttttiest eyeshadow you can use dry or with a wet brush for a more intense look. MY ALL TIME FAVE CONCEALER! So dewy and moisturizing and such great coverage! LOVE!

OTHER PICKS:

A few of these picks are affiliate links, which mean I may earn a small commission from your purchase, at no extra cost to you. These are, however, products I personally use and swear by!

I've used this line for years and you can't beat the subtle scent!

I have super dry skin on my hands and when I saw this at Safeway and read the ingredients I thought it sounded like a really gentle hand soap option and I was right! Love this stuff!

I love spritzing myself with this because it isn't flowery but still gives you a fresh scent.

This. Stuff. Rules. Smells amazing and makes your hair so soft. A really great option if you're looking for a heat and UV protection spray!

You can use this on your hair, body, and face so it's a great multi-use option for travel and it smells delicious, of course.

$ColourPop makes AWESOME brow pencils that are comparable to ABH's Brow Wiz but at a fraction of the cost! I use the shade blonde.$ ColourPop makes AWESOME brow pencils that are comparable to ABH's Brow Wiz but at a fraction of the cost! I use the shade blonde.

That should do it for this month! Share your faves down below so I can try them out pleaaaase and thank-you!

xo - C

APRIL PLAYLIST

April 11, 2017 by Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food Leave a Comment

AS IF I could make an April playlist and not start it off with Harry Style's debut single! It's #1 in 90 countries so I feel like I'm not being super biased by saying it's very, very good. The rest of the list includes lots of new hits with some old faves mixed in.

PS. I'm thinking of making a public Spotify playlist with my monthly faves included. If you want to see March's playlist, you can click here!

Harry Styles - Sign of the Times
Bleachers - Don't Take the Money
Maggie Rogers - Alaska
All-American Rejects - Someday's Gone
Not a Love Song - Michelle Branch (her whole new album, Hopeless Romantic, is awesome!)
RYE - Nice
Vanessa Carlton - Who's to Say? (oh, and if you want to have a good cry, listen to "Annie")
Birdy - Wild Horses
Banks - Crowded Places
Jimmy Eat World - Work