God, can you believe that it’s almost the end of the decade? I… can’t. I’m so unprepared to step into a new year, and it seems crazy to me that theNotice is still going (albeit as a hobby project as I focus on freelancing and not getting sicker).
This will be the third decade that I’m publishing in, which blows my mind. theNotice started in 2007, and by 2010, it was running over 500 posts a year. We peaked, I think, from 2013 to 2015 (and including 2014), with bright white photos and more than a few delicious makeup looks. It wasn’t until 2015 (I think?) that I started covering sex toys, but I’m not done yet — I already have my next review in its planning stages.
For this year’s holiday post, I’ve combined my Christmas-loving soul with a yearly roundup. Here are the things that I love right now.
Things to Drink
My biggest find this year was the Earth’s Own Oat Milk line. Like most Chinese people, I’m a little lactose intolerant — but I love milk, so I drink it regardless. The Earth’s Own Oat Milks are so delicious that they disappear from the fridge before my eyes. I was sent some of their 1.75L cartons to test, and my sister had almost finished the Fair Trade Chocolate one before I even got to it.
These fresh, delicious oat milks are vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free. They come in plant-made cartons and mix well in other drinks. Unlike soy milks, oat milk has a very mild flavour. However, it maintains the rich texture that you find in soy milk (but not in almond or rice milk), and it’s produced using 7x less water than almond or cow milk.
I like keeping a carton of Earth’s Own Unsweetened Original Oat Milk in the fridge at all times, but their chocolate one is excellent, too. It’s just the right amount of chocolatey, and isn’t too sweet. Photographed here is their Earth’s Own Barista Edition Oat Milk, which is designed to be a little blander, richer, and more frothy than the original. It’s really fatty (7g of fat per cup, rather than 2.5g), and tastes thick and creamy in a way that feels distinctly like drinking cream. You can get a fine froth on it quite easily as well — I actually find that it’s easier to froth than milk, especially by hand.
Things to Eat
I’ve also been incredibly smitten with All About the Crust, a local Edmonton bakery that sells out of the Sherwood Park and Ottewell farmers’ markets. Tamara, their owner and baker, makes the most divine treats at a very affordable price point. She’s so sweet, just like her pecan pie, and makes a loaf of chewy sourdough that’ll knock your socks off!
On my sourdough, my partner and I have switched to grass-fed butter — which is a little pricier than the regular stuff, but is just so lovely. It’s firm and delicious (unfortunately, this means that it has a tendency to tear apart soft bread), and takes buttered pasta from “yes, this pasta is indeed buttered” to “oh my god, I’m going to eat this until I literally start exploding at the seams and you can’t stop me!!!”
If you’re looking to make the switch to grass-fed butter in Canada, make sure you keep an eye on the price point. The stuff we buy is $6-7 at most markets, but I’ve seen it as high as $12-14. (We use Thornloe for our coffee, pasta, and toast. It’s 75% grass fed, but still great!)
Things to Use
Okay: back into the beauty swing of things. I have a number of favourites right now; some new, some old.
The old ones are products that you’ve seen on theNotice before: the Living Proof Perfect Hair Day (PhD) Serum, IV Skincare Infusion Serum, and Purito Centella Green Level Sunscreen. If you have dry or damaged hair, I can’t recommend the PhD Serum enough — it’s super lightweight and smells amazing (like green tea), but soaks in and smooths out all of my split ends. My hair is super thin, so I’m always worried that serums will weigh it down, but it’s not an issue at all with Living Proof.
On my face, I’ve been relying heavily on IV Skincare’s black-and-gold-bottled serum, which hydrates deeply and smells amazing. The scent is fully derived from blueberry, strawberry, and cherry seed oils, and I’m happy to be able to say that even my sister loves the way it smells. She’s typically quite sensitive to perfumes, essential oils, and other fragrances (they give her migraines), so it’s a huge plus in my books that this one slides under her radar.
Finally, all twenty of my nails are done up right now in the Nail HQ Ridge Filler. It’s a light pink nail polish base that’s designed to smooth out and protect the nail, and it’s fantastic. The formula is easy to apply evenly, and it just makes my nails look so smooth and healthy. It’s everything that I wish Essie Ballet Slippers could have been.
Things to Smell
I’ve talked at length on theNotice about a) how dumb Poo-Pourri is, and b) how much I love Poo-Pourri. Conceptually, I think it’s obscene that humans should ever be expected to pretend like they don’t smell; functionally, I’m so tired of smelling my cat’s poop that I’d be happiest never having to smell any other poop ever again in my entire life.
The brand’s Spiced Apple spritz has been my festive saviour this season, and it takes trips to, around, and nearby the bathroom from essential to enjoyable. It’s the kind of bright, festive harvest scent that I wish I could smell all the time — less “bathroom deodorizer” and more “fancy diffuser.”
Things to Love
This shot is a mess, but… she’s a baby and I love making her look dumb on the internet. Fernie looks how I feel right now: exhausted by the holidays and ready to flop face-down onto a rug.
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Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post were all gifted by PR (aside from the candle, butter, and Poo-Pourri), although I’ve re-purchased many of them already! You can apply to adopt the kitty through WHARF.
