RBC Bluesfest

The RBC Bluesfest will be happening from July 8-19 this year at Lebreton Flats. Were you able to snag your tickets during the presale? If not, regular ticket sales will start on March 30 at NOON.

These are the artists performing this year:

I'm counting down the days already! Who are you looking forward to seeing?

Baroness Chocolate Bar Review

I had the chance to try out the Aiyaaaa! chocolate bar from Baroness Chocolate. As a Capital City Girl, I was happy to learn that Baroness Chocolate is not only Canadian, but they are also produced in Ottawa. Baroness Chocolates is the company that makes the famous gold wrapped chocolate bar. 

The Aiyaaaa is a dark milk chocolate with almonds, sea salt and butterscotch. It's made with organic fair trade ingredients. Guilt free chocolate, what more can you ask for?

Although the picture of the chocolate on the wrapper shows a chocolate bar with nuts and sea salt on top of the bar, these ingredients are actually enveloped by the chocolate. 

The chocolate bar itself is divided into rows that you can break apart, but I had a hard time breaking the pieces cleanly and ended up just biting into the whole bar instead (classy, right?). The chocolate bar had just the right enough amount of snap to it and the mix of milk and dark chocolate was just perfect.

Overall, the Baroness Aiyaaaa! chocolate bar is a high quality chocolate bar that is ranked pretty high in my books right now.

I recommend trying it out! 

Until next time,

~Capital City Girl

Scandinave Spa Review

While on a trip to Mont Tremblant, I visited the Scandinave Spa. It was located about 10 minutes away from the Mont Tremblant resort.

They provide each guest with 2 thick white towels. Robes are available for rental or you can bring your own. Don't forget to bring a pair of flipflops! Each guest is provided with their own secure locker to store their personal belongings.

The women's locker room:



It is recommended to start with a hot bath for 15 minutes, followed by a 10 second dip in a cold bath, then a 15 minute rest in the warm rooms.

They are super strict with the zero talking rule. So it may not be good for big groups. Unfortunately, I was not able to take any photos of the baths due to the no cell phone rule.

On my way out, I spotted not just one deer, but two! Look how close I got to the deers.



Scandinave Spa - Mont Tremblant
Address: 4280 Montée Ryan
Telephone: 819-425-5524

Overall, this was a great experience. I would definitely recommend it to anyone that needs to destress!

Until next time,

- CapitalCityGirl

Simple 3 Ingredient Chia Pudding Recipe

I'm sure you've all heard about the health benefits that chia seeds have. I've been trying to find more way to incorporate chia seeds in my diet. 

One of the easiest ways I found was to make chia seed pudding. I have this in the morning as a snack and it keeps me feeling full until lunch. 

This would be a great breakfast for those who are always in a rush. Simply prepare it the night before to save time in the morning. 

Ingredients:

- 3 tablespoons of chia seeds

- 3/4 cup of milk or milk substitute ( I like to use almond milk)

- honey or sweetener to taste

- ground black sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions:

1. Stir chia seeds in milk or milk substitute. 

 2. Let stand for about 15 minutes (I like to put it in the refrigerator).  Make sure to mix it really well.

3. Add honey and black sesame seeds to your liking.

4. Enjoy!

♥ Capital City Girl

5 Ways to Calm Down FAST

We all have those moments when you feel like it's the end of the world and you just can't seem to calm down - whether it's work, school, family, or just life in general. Here are five ways on how to calm down FAST:

1. Stop everything you're doing and just BREATHE. It's as simple as it sounds. Just take a moment to breathe in deeply. Do this 10 times, focusing only on breathing and nothing else.

2. Listen to some classical music. Don't know where to start? Here are some classical songs that never fail to relax me:

• Air by Bach

• Pathetique by Beethoven (the video below is the Yundi Li version)

• Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven

• Spring by Vivaldi

• Canon in D Major by Pachelbel

3. Go for a walk. It doesn't matter if you're stuck in the office or if it's raining cats and dogs here. Just get up and walk. Whether it's a quick walk to the washroom or down the stairs. WALK!

4. Smile. This is probably the last thing you want to do right now, but trust me and do it. Smile and hold the smile for 5 seconds. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Wasn't that easy? Now relax your jaw and do that again. Really mean it. Just pretend you get an extra thousand dollars for every inch your smile stretches. Easy money!

5. Finally, think. Will this really matter in 5 years? Really? Really? Really? No matter how bad it seems right now, it will probably end up as just a vague memory you will laugh about at most.

Remember, "growth is when you realize that not every situation deserves your anger or even your attention".















Remember: don't worry, just be happy.

♥Capital City Girl

Anti-Aging Soup

Have you ever heard of the expression "You are what you eat"? 

Today I'm going to share a recipe for an anti aging soup, otherwise know as the Snow Fungus Soup. I first heard about this soup from a friend who does a lot of Asian cooking. This is the second time making this soup. It is supposed to be one of the secrets to the youthfulness that Asian women all seem to have. 

The benefits of this soup includes:

- collagen from white fungus

- antioxidants from red dates and goji berries

- rich source of fibre

- curbing your sugar cravings

The ingredients:

- goji berries 3 tablespoon

- lotus seeds 2 tablespoon

- lily bulbs 2 tablespoon

- dried longan fruit 1 tablespoon

- dried pitted red dates 3 tablespoon

- white fungus 1 whole

- brown sugar to taste

- papaya (optional)

1. Rinse and soak all ingredients for a minimum of 4 hours.
2. Trim snow fungus and discard the yellow center.
3. Place snow fungus, lotus seeds, lily bulbs, longans, papaya (optional) and red dates in 2 L of boiling water.
4. Turn to medium heat and cook for 1 hour.
5. Add the remaining ingredients with the soup and cook for another 30 minutes.
6. Say bye-bye to wrinkles and hello to glowing skin!

It can be refrigerated for up to 1 week in an airtight container. Delicious when consumed hot or cold and perfect for all seasons.

Until next time,

♥Capital City Girl

Monday Blues

The Monday after daylight savings is always the worse. I could barely crawl out of bed this morning. To brighten up the day, I added a little bling to a simple outfit. A little extra sparkle (and smile) can make the day better.

Italian Subs in Little Italy

I stopped by Luciano Foods on the recommendation of a friend. They do not have menus but they allow you to choose ANY meat you want. I  tried the Italian ham and spicy eggplant while the boyfriend had the spicy Italian cold-cut with extra meat (go figure). 

The sandwich was so thick I had to cut it into smaller pieces so I could fit it in my mouth. Check out the amount of meat in there.

The sandwich itself is $5, with the option of adding veggies or extra meat for $0.50. The details:

♥Capital City Girl

UPDATE: As of May 23, 2015, they have increased their prices by $1 and I noticed that the portion of deli meat is significantly smaller. 

BEAUTY REVIEW: L'occitane Shea Ultra Rich Body Cream

As someone who has been residing in Canada her whole life, I'm no stranger to the dry, itchy skin the Canadian winter brings each year. With winter being especially cruel this year, I knew my regular lotion would not be enough. Thank god for L'occitane's Ultra Rich Body Cream with 25% shea butter. 

This cream is the only cream I've tried so far that keeps my skin happy and hydrated in this capital city winter! I lather this on after I shower and it provides moisture to my skin the whole day.

The ingredient list: as you can see shea butter is the second ingredient on the list. For eco-friendly gals, I'm afraid to report there ARE parabens. As you can see, this super luxurious body cream is made in France.

The current price for a 200ml jar of this cream goes for $48 in Canada. As you can see, my current jar is almost finish... It should be just enough until Spring comes (if it ever does!)

I'd love to know what you use to keep your skin feeling happy in the winter.

Until next time,

♥ Capital City Girl

Nordstrom Opening Day

The cold didn’t stop Ottawa fashionistas from checking out the much anticipated Nordstrom opening. The promise of food, fun and of course beauty surprises made it easy to wake up at the crack of dawn for the pre-opening beauty bash. 

The first 2000 people were given a commemorative Nordstrom tote with beauty samples. 

Preopening Beauty Bash at 7:30AM

Tables and tables of yummy danishes and premium juices welcomed bright eyed shoppers. Nothing like a free breakfast to have you feeling like a VIP. 

Snaps taken while browsing the store...

In case you're curious, the Nordstrom washroom...

Tired from shopping, why not grab a premium drink from the E-Bar? I tried the Almond Roca.. it was fantastic.. just the right amount of sweetness and caffeine to keep me energized ($4.10 for a small).

Wow, you don't see these often! A shoe shine station is situated in the Men's Shoe department. $2.50 to bring some life back in your leather shoes. 

Until next time, 

♥Capital City Girl