Doing it Right: Interview 101

Recently I have undergone a lot of interviews.
My schooling is coming to an end and to get my certificate my fellow classmates and I must all complete and internship.

After undergoing my fair share of interviews I thought it be appropriate to share my experience and advice.

1) BE YOURSELF. Please whatever you do, be yourself. Be professional but let that personality shine through. So many people go into interviews too focused on being perfect and saying everything perfectly that they forget to just be.  Cookie cutter answers are boring! yes, there is definitely a wrong way and a right way to answer a question, but keep your flare alive.. whatever you do, DO NOT say that your greatest weakness is that you are a perfectionist. please....

2) Dress the part. As superficial as it might sound your first impression can also be your most lasting one. Know what kind of job you are going into and make sure you look accordingly. First impressions don't end at your appearance, everything from your hand shake to eye contact to first words out of your mouth count!
Keep it genuine and professional. 

3) Research. Listen, you have got to know what you are taking about! Do some background on the company, the industry and even the person you are interviewing with. The more you know the more you will have to say, allowing the conversation to flow.
Not only will you feel more comfortable but you will also impress the socks of your interviewer.

4) Practice. This goes hand in hand with research but it is so important. Practice makes perfect and although we don't want to seem like a perfect robot we do want to be prepared. There are basic questions that are bound to come up in every interview.

1. Tell me about yourself
2. What is your greatest strength/weakness
3. Why do you want to work here 
4. Tell me about a time....
5. and the list goes on 

Sit in front of a mirror and have a conversation with yourself... uncomfortable, yes but it will pay off. You will be so much more comfortable in the actual interview.
If you are unsure what to say talk to friends and family for some insight.
[Or Google is a great resource, Ha]

5) Fake it till you make it. I believe this is applicable for most areas in life, but it is so relevant in the world of interviewing. You have made it to the interview, the hardest part is over. BUT it can still be very nerve racking. Although you may be having a mini panic attack on the inside no one needs to know.
Keep calm and carry on!
If you have done steps 1-4 then chances are you are doing fine.
Good luck!!!

with love

KB

Songs of February.

Here is the blend of music

 I have been listen to this past month!

Listen and enjoys.x

 

1) Riptide- Vance Joy

 

 

2) Don't Find Another Love- Tegan and Sara

 

 

3) All our Endless Love - The Bird and the Bee

 

 

4) The Way We Touch - WE ARE TWIN

 

 

5) Cool Kids- Echosmith

 

 

6) Do What U Want - Lady Gaga ft. R Kelly

 

7) Little Games- The Colourists

 

 

8) Towers -Bon Iver

 

 

9) Lightning Blot- Jake Bugg

 

 

10) Little Lion Men - Nina Nesbitt

(David Keller Remix)

 

 

with love

-KB

 

 

Five Tips to Maintian the FitFeb Life

Maybe it is that February ends two days shy of a
regular month but I must say this month whizzed by.

 Spring is around the corner, I can feel it.

The days are getting longer and
if you live pretty much anywhere in Canada
you can agree that the winter has been a very long, cold and dark one...

Keeping an optimistic mind
about the approaching warm weather
is pretty much the only way to get
through the last of winters rage.   

 

But this post is about maintaining your
 FitFeb lifestyle,

 so lets get to it.

 

1) Goals!

 It is so important to give yourself direction
and have goals to work towards.
But please keep them realistic.

I know there is the saying

"fail to plan, plan to fail"

which I totally agree with, but there is something
to be said about keeping your plans
achievable.

You can do weekly, monthly of even year long goals.  

A goal can be as simple as reading
a new book this month, or going for a walk once a week.

 

2) Balance.

 Maintaining health is all about balance.

I truly believe that being obsessed with healthy
 living can be just as damaging as being unhealthy.

Yes, your body will it great shape but mentally it can be exhausting.

If you aren't careful it can take over your life.

I  am a huge fan of the 80/20 rule!

Life is about living

 [& being healthy is totally part of living a great life]

we need to have fun from time to time,
so missing a workout to hangout with a friend or having a piece of cake at a wedding is okay!

 

3) Keep moving.

We all have weeks were we are just to busy
to make it to the gym or prep meals.

Choosing to keep active in everyday life will keep
you on track and feeling good.

Take the stairs, get off a couple spots before yours,
 take your lunch to walk. There are lots of ways to
 keep your body moving & trust me you will be happy
you did.

 

4) Don't let it get boring!

Spice it up, literally.
Make your recipes fun and different.
Unless you are a rare breed that can eat the same thing everyday and never get tired, you need to mix it up.

This can also be said about your workout routine,

try something new or simply
switch up your style of cardio.
 Don't let yourself get bored,

this I a lifestyle and you need to keep
 fresh and exciting.

 

5) Keep an open mind. 

Always be open to new ideas and expanding
your wealth of knowledge.

Read a book, find a new blog,
try out a new activity.

 Always be learning and experiencing.  

FitFeb: Black Bean Brownies

I am back in the kitchen!
This time with an more interesting combination of ingredients.
Today we are making black bean brownies.

As you may know from my past baking experiments is that is exactly what it is, an experiment.
So I did a bit of research to figure out the basics.

 

They actually turned out really nice!
The perfect consistency, texture and taste!
 

If you are use to the usual chocolaty brownies they are definitely a more settle taste, less sweet with the perfect hint of chocolate.
 

 

 

Start by pre heating your oven to 350 F

Grab a baking pan or even better a cupcake pan!
Grease it up,
 I use coconut oil as it adds a really nice flavour!

 

* FITFEB NOTE: Coconut oil is the best to use for cooking as it is the only oil that when heated does not change from its natural state and is still full of healthy fats and nutritional benefits.  

 

You will need!

*one can of black beans, rinsed well

* 1/2 egg white
[if you are vegan I saw a number of recipes that had alternatives]

* 1/3 cup of stevia or sweetener of choice

* 2tsp of maca powder

*1/2 cup of cocoa powder

*1.5tsp of  Vanilla extract

*1/4 cup od chia seeds

*1/2 cup of melted coconut oil

* a little sea salt

 

Blend it all up!

 

Note: if the blend is to thick add a bit of water or almond milk to help.
You want a achieve a  consistency similar to a pudding or watered down frosting.
 

Now these are all rough estimates, I tend to just throw things in and see how it goes.

[which probably isn't the best strategy when wanting to share my masterpiece with you all!]

 

Spread the mixture in to a pan and place in the oven for about 25minuets. [Give or take 5]

just make sure to keep on eye around the 20 minuet mark.

 

Once the brownies are done let them sit out for about 30 minuets, they will be brittle and need time to form.
 

I personally like the brownies cool.

They have a much more dense texture and I find the taste comes out a little more.

 

If you have the time let them sit over nigh in the fridge, that is perfect!

 

For an added step I made a little frosting.

 

 

you will need:

*1/2cup of melted coconut oil

*1/3 cup of shredded coconut

*1tsp vanilla extract

*2tsp stevia

 

mix the ingredients up and pour over the brownies!

 

 

Eat it warm of place it back in the fridge to harden and cool.

 

Serves them to friends, take them to work or wrap the up for a daily treat!
 

 

Hope you try them out and experiment with the recipe :)

 

 

And for the ones that don't come out so perfect make a fun breakfast bowl!

Who said having brownies for breakfast was bad??!

-With love

KB 

 

FitFeb: Reads: Not Just About the Fit.

Hello my lovely's,

In honour of FITFEB 
I have compiled some of my favourite reads on the topic.
 

Being in your best health
does not only mean working on your physical body,
but also the mental components.
 

These books are a great resource
 giving knowledge on metal health, spirituality fitness and nutrition.

 They have really help to give myself  a profound amount of knowledge on overall health.

 

 

& I love to spread the knowledge.

 

 

 

  

First up! The Lovely Tosca Reno,

this specific book is the

Tosca Reno Eat Clean Cook Book

 [a great resource for any kitchen] 

but she has a number of books including another one of my favourites

 The Eat Clean Diet.

Her books have a focus on diet and giving your body the best nutrition. 

 I have to say they have been a great resource in my life especially when I am focused on eating right for more intense exercise routines, Tosca loves her fitness.

 

 

 

 

A new addition to my little collection is

Kimberly Snyder and The Beauty Detox Foods.

This book is such a great reference and is full of practical nutrition knowledge.

Want nice thick hair, or glowing skin??

well this is the book for you.

My green smoothies are inspired from 

her very own recipe.

 The changes I have made from Kimberly's advice have been for the better and there is no looking back

The book has three sections;

*Beauty Detox 101

*Beauty Detox Foods

*Beauty Detox Recipes 

 

 

 

 

This next girl is one of the most inspirational people in my life. Miss Gabby Bernstein!

She is all about the mind and the power of our thoughts.

Gabby has three books,

 Spirit Junkie, 

Add More "ING" to Your Life

(a hip girls guide to happiness) 

& May Cause Miracles.

Gabby teaches you how to change thought patterns and become the happiest, best version of yourself.

 BUT

 what I really love, she does it in a real way,

she knows we are all human and is here to help better our lives [in a chill way].

She is just, uuuuh Fabulous.

 

 

 

Clean

is a book that is great for the person that may be feeling the need for change and to restore their body.

This book by Alejandro Junger

touches on the mental and physical needs of our body.

The book walks you through a three week cleanse

that's purpose is to help restore

the body and digestive system.

I read this one a while ago but still follow many of the principles,

[referring back to it from time to time].

 It is a wealth of knowledge even if your not into the idea of the cleanse. 

 

 

 

 

TONE IT UP!

I have literally been follow these girls from the beginning 

[since before they were Tone It Up].

 They are here for all your nutrition and fitness needs.

 You can buy their diet plan online for a one time fee,

but they also have a number of free resources on their website & YouTube channel.

These girls have personality and make the whole diet and exercise thing fun.

I would recommend them for the newbies, they are the perfect icebreaker in to the fitness world.

 

 

 

Well there you have it, some of my favourite books. Being healthy is about the mind, body and spirit.
Do your research and fill your mind.

 

 Their is no need to buy books if you are unsure or on a budget.

The internet is a beautiful thing,

 there are numerous blogs out there that give great information and are actually fun to read!

 [not to say these books aren't].

 

Read AWAY!!

-with love

KB

FitFeb: The Green Smoothie (KB's Eats)

Hey all,

I have declared it to be Fit Feb

(is that lame, I am not always one for words. Ironic seeing as I have this blog)

But, yes it is the midst of winter and if you are anything like me you love those baked goods while spending way too much time in bed watching your new favourite series.
Definitely not the healthiest of lifestyles.

 

So here we go! Lets get healthy fit and fab! (there I go again)

My first post is on my newest rendition of the Green Smoothie, You have seen it from time to time, but this is by far the best!

 

The ingredients:

* A Frozen Banana

*Frozen Blue Berries [about 1/2 cup]

*Spinach [a hand full or two]

*Kale [one or two leaves]

*Almond Milk  [eye it out]

*1/4 Avocado

* Cinnamon [to taste]

*Stevia [as much as you desire]

* For added thickness Chia Seeds

 

Yes it is green, but it is really good!

I highly recommend blending the kale and spinach with a bit of water first as to avoid any unwanted chunks.

 

This is a great breakfast choice but the benefits are great any time of the day.

 

With Love -

KB

Hey it's me!

Yes, that girl, the one who use to write on this very blog.

I know it has been a long time, and I am going to be completely honest.

The funk hit me, I was in a bit of a rut.

You know how it goes, the lack of motivation, sad slumpy feeling that hits now and then.

 

But better days are a on the horizon, my motivation is slowly coming back and I am certainly feeling inspired!

 

As I snuggle up in bed with a lovely cup or tea in an even lovelier mug, I miss my little rambles.
And I hope you did too.

 

It is a New Year [well it was a week or two ago] and I am ready to make a change. Even if I am not one for New Years resolutions, but that is for another time.

 

-with love