The End and the Beginning

This will be my last post on PeaceLoveSnowflakes! I feel like I've outgrown the PeaceLoveSnowflakes era of my life so now I have decided to create a new blog! Go check out www.akmountaintopmermaid.com for my latest ramblings and shenanigans! I also renamed my Etsy shop AK Mountaintop Mermaid as well, so lookout for cool new pieces to be listed in October. Whoever reads this nonsense, thanks for supporting me! 

That Crazy Keto Thing

 Hi guys! Wow it’s been quite a while since I last updated this silly little blog. Seems to be the trend haha.  Nothing major has changed since my last update, except this crazy diet I’ve been doing for the past month. Okay, it’s not crazy, and it’s not really a diet, it’s more of a lifestyle change... a way of eating. Most people haven’t heard of the Ketogenic diet, but after a few friends told me how awesome it was, I couldn’t resist giving it a try. I’ve never been much into dieting, but I wasn’t very happy with how I looked and felt and decided it was time for something to change. I’ve always been pretty active... I go to the gym a couple times a week, I play hockey at least once a week, and I rarely just lay around unless I’m not feeling good.

 After a lot of research and cleaning out my pantry, I decided to give it a try. I should’ve started blogging this from the very beginning, but I didn’t really think about it until some friends suggested it mainly just to share my recipes on making normal foods keto friendly.  I’ve never really made up a recipe on my own, but I take recipes I find on the internet and tweak them until I’m happy with the outcome.  This also isn’t going to be just about food. Well, I’m definitely going to be talking about food a lot, but also my journey through this lifestyle change, and sticking to my old blogging style roots... talking about adventures, projects, and anything I feel like writing about! :)

 So about this keto thing.  I’m not gonna tell you everything about it, there’s Google for that, but it is a high fat, moderate protein, low-carb diet. You also can’t eat sugar, or very minimal sugar. And it works. I started on Feb 7th and as of now I have lost 16 lbs. Not only have I lost a little weight so far, but I also feel a lot better overall. I have more energy, I’m sleeping better, and I just feel healthier in general.  Cutting out carbs and sugar hasn’t really been that hard for me, thankfully. Most things that I was eating before, I can eat now but just with a little switch up of ingredients. Instead of normal flour, I use almond or coconut flour. Instead of sugar, I use natural sweeteners like stevia, monkfruit, or erythritol.  There’s a recipe called ‘fathead dough’ that has been my saving grace for my love of bread. You can make pizza crust with it, breadsticks, sandwich bread, biscuits, the possibilities are endless. I’ll share that recipe in a later post. 

I’m also going to Oahu for a week in a few days! It was kind of a last minute, spur of the moment trip to clear my head and relax before the crazy summer tourist season starts.  I’m going to spend A LOT of time surfing.  I took a surf lesson last year when I went to Maui, and it was so fun and exhilarating! I really want to try surfing here in Alaska but I know I need to practice a little more in warmer waters before I tackle these crazy cold Juneau waters (with a wetsuit of course). 

Anyways, happy Friday folks! 

Almost 6 months later...

Happy Easter all you awesome peeps!

Once again, I've failed the probably two people that read my blog. It's been WAY too long since my last post.

The winter was fun, but the lack of snow made it not as fun as it could be. Overall it was a pretty good season. I got more involved with the Books2Boards program and met some really awesome kids. Eaglecrest Ski Area closed early again, and thankfully they needed extra help on the bima for my summer job so I was able to start early there.

I'm super pumped for the summer since I'll be a captain this season. It will certainly be a learning experience and I'm stoked to get out on the water with my spirit animal!

I've been busy making jewelry for my Esty shop. I even bought a domain and some business cards! Woah. Things there are going great. I got asked to make a bunch of earrings for a new gift box subscription company specializing in Alaskan made items. I'll post more on that as things progress.
Now, all you gotta do is type in www.peacelovesnowflakes.com and it takes you right to my Etsy store!

This one is gonna be short and sweet. Gotta get ready for some Easter dinner yumminess in a few!

Until next time, namaste friends. 

Summer Shenanigans

Well, it has been a long time since my last post! The summer was amazing in so many ways. I can't begin to describe the awesome wildlife encounters and all the amazing people I met. Now that the summer is over, I'm quite sad. I wish summer could last forever but I'm also excited for what the winter has in store. I've been doing the snow dance for a while, hope it works!

Our plunges have been quite successful so far. Here are a few photos since my last post. 

Out of all those, I would have to say September is our best one yet! 

So far the fall has been great. I'm about a week into my seven week captains course and I've learned so much already. I'm excited for my trip home in November. It's been way too long since I've seen my friends and family back on the East Coast. I miss them all so much and I know two weeks is going to fly by and I wish it could last longer. 

I have also been making jewelry quite often and have sold several things through my Etsy store. Jewelry making is something that I've always enjoyed, and I hope to do more of it! 

Anyways, here are just a few of my favorite photos from the summer.

Plunge Update!

I just realized I haven't posted the last couple months of the 2015 Plunge Challenge photos! Here is March and April! 

Beach Walk...

...with Winter!! She loves going outside but it's dangerous for a cat to run loose here. Next best thing? A harness and a leash and a cat that tolerates it! 

March Light Show Round 2!

Monday night, I was once again mesmerized by those gorgeous dancing lights in the sky. This time, it took the #1 spot on my aurora sighting list! This was by far the best light show I've ever seen. I have no words for the pure joy and excitement I felt while looking up into the cosmos and being greeted with tie dye lights. Most of the time, you don't see reds at all. Reds and purples will show up in photos, but rarely to the naked eye. This time was an exception and wow, was it awesome! When the reds started showing up, you could probably hear us hootin' and hollerin' for miles! My friend Bryce took some amazing photos, and here they are:

Stoked!!

What a wonderful zen moment.

Why not just kick back and relax?

Bryce, the best aurora photographer around!

March Light Show

The spirits in the sky came out once again for us last night, and man oh man was it one heck of a show! It was definitely in my top 5 aurora viewings since moving to AK. Thankfully my friend Bryce texted me the good news that the northern lights were dancing, and out I went to North Douglas to join the crowd of nature lovers. Lots of people were out enjoying the show. Bryce is an excellent photographer, and captured some great photos of the lights, along with some of me and my friends. 

I managed to take a few photos myself that turned out pretty good, and when I have a bit more time I'll post those here as well. 

Here are a few of Bryce's awesome photos...

My friends and I mesmerized by the lights.

Here is what I've been trying to get a photo of for a while! Headstands under the lights!

 

 

Me under the spirits in the sky.

 

February Plunge!

Well, we did it again. Me and my plunge sisters took a dip in the ocean yesterday to check February off the calendar.  

Only 10 more to go!

The Year of the Winterless Winter

A lot has happened since my last post. Eaglecrest has been closed for a couple weeks :( The snow has melted almost completely away, other than some coverage at the very top of the mountain. Definitely the worst winter Juneau has seen in years. I have faith that it will get better, even if it's just a month of riding in March, the snow WILL return!

I started two new jobs to fill in the time until *hopefully* Eaglecrest opens again. I have been substitute teaching the past two days, which has been really fun. It's such a new experience and I love it. So far I've only worked with special needs kids and they have been the sweetest, nicest kids ever. I like subbing because you can pick your own schedule, and work when you want, given there are actually sub jobs available that day. There are a ton of schools in Juneau and it seems that sub jobs are always available somewhere.

I also got hired as a direct service provider at REACH Inc. I start my training for that job on Monday. I think it will be a very rewarding job since I get to work with kids who have disabilities. Everybody deserves to get the most out of life, and I hope I can make a difference!

So back to the snow... which is nonexistent. It did snow a few inches a couple days ago, and some friends and I went sledding which was SUPER fun. Sledding with a trash bag and a yoga mat is surprisingly AWESOME! It's been an interesting winter for sure. The lack of snow and work at the mtn has given me more chances to get out and explore Juneau in the winter, which is nice. Normally, it's dark by the time I'm off work and on my two off days I just wanna relax. It's nice to get out and hike around a bit more.

We also did a January Plunge round 2 off the St. Peter at the BIMA. It was cold. It was really f'n cold. But it was FUN! There was snow everywhere which made it even more interesting. Before when we just waded out and ducked our head under, it took my breath away for a second, but this time... oh man, this time was way worse. I guess jumping off a boat and going 10 ft under is a bit more of a shock than just dipping your head under. We all came up like maniacs. I swear I think I was trying to paddle to the surface before I even hit the water! Haha. Kinda like how you can hold a dog over water and they immediately start paddling their paws. Too funny.

Here are a few photos from recently...

January Plunge round 2 off the St. Peter!

Ice skating with these awesome peeps!

Winter being her lazy Winter self.

 

 

Bonfires at Sandy Beach never disappoint.

Crashing waves and sunshine on the backside of Douglas.

Tryin' to be a mermaid.

 

 

Dan Moller cabin adventure with the party light! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dan Moller trail

Dan Moller trail

One of the few days we could ride from the top, but only the east side.
The west side was a thick sheet of rime that made turning damn near impossible.

Splitboard adventure to find some freshies!