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tippedbykreider · 3 years

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it’s all coming back to me | c. kreider (i)

Word Count: 8.2k Warnings: Slow burn, exes to friends to lovers, relationship breakdown, swearing, alcohol mention. Author’s Note: So many of you have been requesting for this to be brought back! The consensus was that you’d rather have it in smaller chunks so I’ll be posting each new part weekly and they’ll come in between 6 & 9k per chapter. Not only is it more manageable for you guys but it also gives me chance to keep writing new content for it 💖 There is a playlist for this fic which I posted separately, it gives a chronological feel for their relationship and their story. This has been a tonne of fun to write so far and I can’t wait to tell the rest of their story. Summary: Chris Kreider x Reader Insert. They say that all good things come to an end, that you can never have too much of a good thing, but when Chris decided to end your relationship you wondered how anything could ever be good again. A chance meeting 9 years later drags up all those feelings you both thought you were done with. Can you work through your hurt and pain to see what it is that Chris is trying to show you? Or are some things better left forgotten? Tagging: @danglesnipecelly - this girl deserves a writing credit on this thing because she’s pushed me to keep going with this and her input and advice has been invaluable. Thank you for all the support on this one, K 💖

*Italics indicates a flashback*

The notion of fresh starts is often something that is associated with the arrival of the New Year. People use the turning of the calendar to turn over a new leaf, to learn a new skill, to challenge themselves to be better than the year before and to let go of all that was and focus on all that will be. There’s something inherently magical about a new beginning, a fresh start; sometimes it’s the excitement of what might lie ahead and other times it’s the comfort in knowing that you can seize the opportunity be whoever you want to be and to reinvent yourself. It’s the line in the sand and the final full stop at the end of the chapter and it’s the anticipation of picking up the pen and writing those first few words on the new page.

For Chris Kreider this feeling wasn’t one that was brought about by the strike of the clock at midnight on New Year’s Eve because while the date on the calendar changed and while he still spent the next couple of weeks dating things with the wrong year just like everybody else, it still often felt like nothing really changed for him. Chris could only feel like the year was truly coming to an end when the first petals of spring exploded like fireworks in a symphony of technicolour blooms and he found himself giving the locker-room clearout interview. That was the end of the year, the full stop, the line and the warmer days and the balmy nights would give him the opportunity to decompress ready for the turning of the page come September when his focus would once again turn back to hockey.

Chris loved New York; that much was undeniably true. He loved the vibrancy of the city but he also loved the way that he could melt into the background or enjoy the feeling of quiet solace his apartment gave him. It was oftentimes a bolthole, an oasis of peace during an otherwise hectic few months between September and May but the end of the hockey season and the arrival of summer had him seeking the cry of gulls on the breath of a gentle breeze and that crisp, purifying sea air that always managed to fill his lungs differently. Rowayton wasn’t far, a little over an hour on a good day but with its coastal Connecticut charm, slower pace and pretty houses, especially the ones that overlooked the water, it was a world away from NYC and exactly what Chris needed to reset and recharge.

It was a Saturday morning in mid-July and for the first time in a long time, longer than Chris could recall, he allowed himself to sleep in. His bedroom window had been open all night and the welcome breeze snaked through the slats in the blinds and carried on it the faintest smell of salt and sunshine. Chris stretched his muscles in big pulls around the bed before he settled on his back and inhaled deeply, the fresh air clearing his mind and filling his body as the last remnants of sleep slipped away on the exhale of breath. Imbued with energy, he climbed out of bed and pulled the blinds all the way up, flooding the bedroom with beautiful incandescence born out of a cloudless sky. He didn’t make his bed though, not yet, because while he had left his room and was padding down the stairs, he had every intention of returning to the still warm sheets to read a chapter or two of the book on his nightstand with a fresh cup of coffee, a cinnamon and raisin bagel, that invigorating coastal air and the oceanscape outside as the soundtrack.

One chapter turned into two and two became three and before Chris knew it, the sun was high in the sky and lunchtime beckoned. It was shaping up to be a beautiful summer day in Rowayton and Chris thought it would be a crying shame to spend his time at home, even if the page-turner he’d held in his hands moments ago seemed incredibly appealing out on the back deck overlooking the water. It was then he decided to take advantage of that gorgeous sunshine, take in the scenery and stretch his legs by going for a walk into town to pick up a few essentials at Rowayton Market. For all it was a small, it contained everything he would need to keep him going for a few more days until he’d finally need to drive into Norwalk to do a more substantial grocery shop, something that he’d admittedly been putting off. The Market also had some of the best baked goods and fresh coffee in the village and if you asked Chris it would be pretty rude to not take advantage – it was right there, after all, and Chris never could say no to a still-warm Danish and Americano.

He walked slower than he usually would, a conscious effort on his part due to the fact that his legs seemed to want to go into an auto-pilot primed for life in New York City. He was in no rush though, he never was whenever he came here and even though it was a route he’d walked hundreds of times before, and one he would walk hundreds more, Chris still wanted to soak in all the pretty trees and shrubs that were nestled in amongst those classical New England style homes, all shingled exteriors and white, gridded windows in soft muted colours that mirrored the coastal landscape of the village. It was a world away from the brick and the concrete and the bright lights of the city and while Chris loved all of those things about New York and loved wandering through the streets of Tribeca and Soho, getting lost in bookstores and hole-in-the-wall cafes, he also loved the sand, shale and stars and those were things that he just couldn’t find in the city that never slept.

There were quite a few people out and about, Chris noted, most of them he recognised as being residents with their friendly smiles and waved greetings, but there were a handful of tourists too; there always was on weekends during the summer. Not that Chris minded, of course, because for all the village was a popular escape for those seeking a break from the metropolitan life of the nearby hub of cities, it never succumbed to the all-too-often inevitability of commercialisation and still managed to hold on to its peaceful charm, despite it not quite being the quaint fishing village it once was back in the days before the Civil War.

It was one of the reasons why Chris found himself retreating here in the summer and not making the trip back home to spend the off-season in Massachusetts. He would go back to Boxford for a couple of weeks, naturally, because family was something that had always been important to Chris and he would never miss an opportunity to spend time with his parents and sister, but if he had the choice between spending his entire summer being bitten to death by mosquitoes back home (his father always did say that they were the town bird, after all) or feeling the gentle kiss of the ocean breeze against his skin, there was no real contest. Rowayton would always win.

The main street through town was busier, which wasn’t exactly unexpected and if anything it only seemed to add to the charm of the village. Chris decided to head straight to the market to pick up his groceries, if only to facilitate the Danish eating in a more timely-fashion. He picked up a basket as he entered and proceeded to add only the essentials he’d need to get him through the next couple of days. He’d pay for his shopping before going to the coffee bar, because trying to pack his reusable grocery bag with a full takeout cup was a mistake he’d made once before and was sure to never repeat again.

With his groceries purchased and bags packed in such a way that the couple of bottles of wine he’d picked up wouldn’t clink together when he walked (it was three to be exact but after seeing the selection of cured meats, cheeses and olives available he thought it’d be a crime if they didn’t find their way into his basket to come home with him, and if there was cheese there had to be wine), Chris made his way to the coffee counter situated near the Market entrance.

You couldn’t remember the last time you’d taken a trip away without the company of anyone else but the last couple of months at work had been incredibly stressful, with projects seemingly coming out of your ears and while you knew your mother had been worried by your suggestion of taking off somewhere alone for the weekend, she also knew better than to fight you on something you’d quite clearly already set your mind to. If you were being completely honest, your plans for the first full weekend you’d had off in months would have consisted of not setting foot outside of your apartment or engaging in any kind of unnecessary conversation had you decided to stay home in Hartford, at least this way you’d be getting some fresh air and the sun on your face.

It was just shy of a two hour drive down to Rowayton, which had the dual benefit of being close enough to home that it didn’t feel like a huge trek just to get there, but also being far enough away that you would be a complete stranger in this town and could take the time to decompress and recharge while blending into the background, and the place was pretty to boot. You’d found a little studio Airbnb not too far away in South Norwalk, figuring that you’d only be using it as somewhere to sleep as you’d planned on spending as much of your time as possible being right by that ocean with the wind in your hair and the warm sun on your skin.

That’s how you’d planned on spending your Saturday afternoon, sat on the sand of Bayley Beach with a good book and a cup of coffee. It was set to be a balmy day, with temperatures sitting in the mid-eighties and the last thing you wanted to be doing in the heat was any amount of excessive walking. So with that in mind, you’d spent your morning exploring the village and taking in the sights and sounds. The gentle protest of your stomach told you it was lunchtime before you’d even taken the opportunity to glance down at your watch and a quick Google search pointed you in the direction of somewhere to get that all important cup of coffee and a small bite to eat.

Rowayton Market didn’t look like much from the outside in the sense that it was a little on the petite side, but the reviews were great and the coffee was allegedly some of the best in the village and that was good enough for you. You were greeted with the smell of freshly baked goods and ground coffee, which was welcoming enough before you even saw the bright smile of the girl behind the counter. Your eyes drifted over the selection of pastries, each one more delicious looking than the last and you knew that you were going to have a hard time choosing just one. You knew you’d have to make a decision, though, suddenly aware of the small line that had seemingly materialised right out of thin air behind you and while you were sure that these people were more accustomed to a slower pace of life, the city girl in you, who was so used to living life in the fast lane, didn’t want to keep these good people waiting while you deliberated. You’d go with your usual and that would be that.

Chris’s attention was fixed out of the large glass windows at the front of the shop, watching as people milled in the street and went about their daily business. It was something he quite often did, whether he was here or back home in New York. There was something oddly soothing about watching the world go by, he thought, and occasionally he’d catch something that would quirk his lips up into a smile, like the sight before him now of a rather large gull in the process of committing larceny against what he could only assume was an unsuspecting tourist. Their sandwich was held high above their head while their free hand attempted to shoo the bird away with little success. He chuckled quietly to himself then, not least because the gulls seemed to get more brazen with each year that passed and he was sure that one of these days he’d see someone’s lunch get snatched right out of their hand by the feathered menaces.

Chris had no reason at all to believe as he stood in that line that everything was about to change. Why would he? The day had started like any other. He’d picked up his groceries in this store more times than he could count, he’d waited in a line just like this one for his coffee and Danish and yet, in that moment, something as innocuous as a woman’s voice would bring feelings that he thought he was done with, and memories he thought had strayed out of his mind for good, flooding back to the surface. But it wasn’t just any woman’s voice, no, it wasn’t as detached and neutral as that. It was your voice; a voice he hadn’t heard in nine years and it was something as simple as a coffee order, an order that he now knew to have remained the same since the day you’d first met at Boston College all those years ago, that blew the dam wide open and every word the two of you had ever spoken, from day one to the last thing you ever said to him, came rushing back.

The sound of Chris’s voice calling your name was something you never thought you’d hear out loud again. It was a voice you’d only heard in your dreams for many years after he walked out of your life, but even that had faded beyond memory to where you weren’t a hundred percent certain that you’d be able to remember what it sounded like anymore. And yet, in the middle of a tiny supermarket in Rowayton, you heard him clear as day with his tongue rolling around the syllables of your name with the same fondness, even after all this time and it was like you’d never forgotten the sound at all.

Autumn was beginning to make her presence felt in Boston. The palette on campus had shifted from a spectrum of vivid greens to shades of deep russet, amber, ochre and vermillion; but even above the changing leaves, the turning of the calendar brought a slight chill to the air that had you reaching for your jacket on a morning as you left your dorm.

Today was no different. The temperature had dropped again overnight as November creeped ever closer and it was chilly enough that you had to draw your coat tighter around you as you walked across campus towards class. Your brisk pace had bought you enough time to make a stop at the coffee stand just outside of Campion where your first class of the day was being held. There was a decent selection on offer, but it wasn’t enough to sway you from ordering your usual.

You rooted around your backpack for your wallet while the barista prepared your coffee and grabbed you your cinnamon roll, unaware of the new presence to your right, before handing over the money and taking the coffee and pastry bag from the young man’s hands.

“Coffee and cinnamon roll, eh? Now that’s the breakfast of champions.”

You turned your head towards the source of the voice, lips quirking into a small smile at the sight of the stranger beside you who looked to be not much older than you were, incredibly tall and broad for his apparent age but not for his height. He was grinning at you with a fullness that made his eyes crinkle at the corners and gave him a unique kind of softness.

“My mom would disagree,” you replied with a smirk. “If she found out I was having this for breakfast she’d be in her car so fast and dragging my ass back to Hartford.”

He laughed at that, loud and bright with his head tipped back slightly before running a hand through his dark brown hair that was shorter on the sides but had the faintest hint of a curl at the longer strands on top.

“I won’t tell her if you don’t.”

“Oh, I’m definitely not telling her,” you grinned as you swung your backpack over one shoulder. “So looks like you’re sworn to secrecy.”

You studied him for a brief moment, with the way he was still grinning at you and his eyes that seemed to sparkle behind his dark lashes before your brain gently reminded you that you, in fact, had somewhere you needed to be. “Well, I hate to impose a vow of silence on you like some sort of mafia boss and then immediately split but I uh I gotta head to class.”

“No problem at all and hey, your secret is safe with me. In fact, I’ve forgotten already. What were we talking about?”

There it was again, that smile of his that made you want to stay rooted right where you were standing and look at it all day, but class beckoned and so you gave an awkward wave of your hand and a soft laugh before you turned and headed into the building behind you without another glance back. If you had you’d have seen the stranger from the coffee stand watch until you’d disappeared from view, with that smile still on his face.

This little routine of yours would continue over the course of the next few weeks. Every Tuesday morning, at around 8:45am, you’d find yourself stood at that coffee stand outside of Campion to get your coffee and cinnamon roll, and every Tuesday morning, at around 8:46am, the tall stranger would appear beside you with his kind eyes and his bright smile. You’d exchange a ‘hello’ and a friendly grin and you’d laugh more often than not too while you made pleasant small talk before you both said your goodbyes and went to your respective classes, though you would always leave first and he would watch you go until you’d disappeared into the building.

It was mid-November, now, and the campus of Boston College was firmly in autumn’s frigid grasp. The temperatures continued to drop, seemingly overnight, which had you bundled up in your hat and scarf and the trees had shed their branches of leaves, crunching underfoot with the slight frost as you made your way towards Campion. Your hands were shoved deep into your coat pockets to ward off the gnawing chill and you were looking forward to being able to warm them around your coffee cup.

You approached the stand as normal, rooting through your backpack for your wallet ready to order.

“Hey!”

You looked up, your features fixed in a state of mild confusion while you looked for the source of the voice you recognised but couldn’t quite place. It was then you saw him though, all bright eyed and bushy tailed with a medium coffee and pastry bag held up in one of his large hands as if on display. He was grinning at you and cocked his head, beckoning you over with the wordless gesture.

“Hey, yourself,” you smiled as you approached. “What’s this then?” You tilted your head slightly at the items in his hand as he offered them to you.

“Breakfast of champions.”

Your eyebrow quirked as you took the coffee from him before taking a tentative sip, smiling while the warm liquid slid down your throat.

“You got my coffee order right.”

“It wasn’t hard,” he smirked. “You order the same thing every week and if you open that little paper bag I think you’ll find a cinnamon roll in there.”

Sure enough, as you opened the bag you were greeted with the sight of a perfectly formed cinnamon roll and you couldn’t help the grin that sparked at your lips and spread the full width of your face.

“I don’t order the same thing every week.”

“You do,” he replied with a laugh. “Every Tuesday for the last 5 weeks you’ve come to this coffee stand and ordered a medium Americano with half and half and a cinnamon roll and every Tuesday for the last 5 weeks I’ve been meaning to ask you your name.”

Your face flushed warm at that, not only at his words but at the sure little smile he was giving you and the way his eyes were sparkling. In fact, now that you were really looking at him properly, you were knocked back a bit by the perpetual kindness that seemed to rest in them and you couldn’t help but notice how they really were the perfect shade of hazel, like a forest with a deep bark heart surrounded by leaves that were every shade of green. You’d been quiet a little too long though and so you took a settling sip of coffee to give you enough time to find your voice again and tell him your name.

“Nice to meet you,” he smiled as he offered you his hand, which was large and warm as you shook it.

“And who should I thank for the coffee?” you asked.

His smile grew into a grin then, the kind that you’d noticed over the course of the last few weeks that made his eyes crinkle and happiness radiate from him, before simply replying:

“Chris.”

“Chris?”

It was as if time had stood still in that little Market in Rowayton, where your surroundings become a still-frame and there’s nothing but static in your ears. You’d often thought about what it would have been like to see him again. Those first couple of years after he’d left Boston College had you imagining all kinds of scenarios, much like the one you were in right now where you’d bump into each other in a supermarket or a pharmacy, anywhere really, but now that you were living it, seeing it, breathing it, there was nothing you could have conjured up in your imagination that would have prepared you for what it would really feel like to see him again. If you were to be completely honest, you were glad that your coffee and cinnamon roll were still on the top of the counter because you were certain that they would have fallen right out of your hands and onto the Market floor.

He abandoned his position in the line then, as if you speaking his name was a call to him, and maybe it was, on some level, but the truth and simplicity of it was that you were suspended in a state of pure disbelief and even in the short time it took for him to close the distance between you both, you were still yet to move and fix your features to something more neutral.

“Hey.”

It was a simple greeting that he gave you and logically you knew that there wasn’t really any tangible meaning behind that single word he spoke and yet there was something about the look in his eyes and the warmth in the smile he gave you.

“It’s been a while.”

“It has,” you replied, finally finding your voice. “You look, you look good.”

It wasn’t a lie either, he did look good. The tall college boy you remembered, who was just a little too slight for his height, had filled out; you could tell that just from the way the fabric of his t-shirt stretched across the broad plains of his chest and strained around his biceps, and he was no longer clean shaven, which was something that had always made him look quite baby-faced. Instead he was sporting a neatly trimmed goatee and while he had kept his hair short on the sides, just like you’d remembered it, it was longer on the top than it had been in college and the curls were sweeping in a way that reminded you of the waves just beyond the Market door. He looked older, yes, which is exactly what you would have expected in the nine years since you’d last seen him but his eyes were still exactly the same, sparkling and full of mischief , yet still soft, perhaps even softer than before on account of the faint lines around them drawn by time’s fair hand.

“So do you,” he grinned. “You cut your hair.”

“I did,” you looked down as your face flushed with warmth, unsure exactly what you were supposed to say to him.

It was something you’d thought about during those imagined scenarios where you’d magically bump into each other again and you’d thought about all of the things that you would say to him. You would tell him about how much you’d cried when he left you behind to live out his boyhood dream and how angry you were that he didn’t want you to be a part of that, how it felt like all the plans you’d ever talked about were nothing more than empty words and how hurt that had made you feel. You felt like you at least deserved that, especially given that it was never just a casual fling between you both. After all, you’d been practically inseparable for two years. You’d been inseparable ever since he’d said those three words that mean so much. But now that he was here in front of you, all those words that had swirled around in your head and in your chest like a hurricane for so long, dissipated into nothing and you found yourself clutching at straws to find something, anything, to say.

Chris could sense this though. Of course he could because he was Chris and he had always been so in tune with you and your emotions and the fact that he was still able to read you so well was both a comfort and a knife in your chest, and while he internally grimaced at the fact he was having to fall back on using small talk between you both, he felt like it was what you needed in the moment. He wouldn’t expect things to go back to how they were after all this time, he couldn’t, and so he started with something simple, something he knew you would be able give him an answer to.

“So, what brings you to sunny Rowayton?”

“I could ask you the same question,” you replied.

“Ah,” Chris grinned, trying to keep the mood light. “See I asked you first and also, I live here so therefore the ‘question answering’ responsibility falls back to you.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at that, at both his words and the silly little expression he was wearing and despite all the years that sat between you both like a void and all of your hurt that was held within it, it all seemed to briefly melt away and in that moment it was like you were back at that little coffee stand outside of Campion.

“I didn’t realise this was an interrogation. Wait is this one of those little weird cult towns? Should I be worried?”

Chris knew by the little smirk you were wearing that you meant no malice behind your words and so he responded by sucking in air through his teeth before speaking again with one of those smiles that went all the way up to his eyes.

“Watch it, Pickle.”

Your stomach fell right into your shoes in that moment, that name he used only for you slipped from his lips like it was the easiest thing in the world for him to do, like he’d never stopped calling you it and like it hadn’t been nine years since you’d last spoke a word to one another. Chris knew all this of course and he didn’t need to rely on intuition either because he could see every emotion written all over your face.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly on the exhale of a breath. “I um.. Force of habit, I guess.”

“It’s okay,” you muttered, not quite meeting his eyes. “Although not exactly ‘habit’, it’s been how long?”

Chris winced at that, the reality of how he left things between you both slapping him in the face and he was filled with the guilt that he’d spent almost a decade pushing out of his chest and shoving into the darkest corner of his memory where he would hope it would rest undisturbed. He knew that you were angry at him for leaving things the way he did, how could you not be? After all, he was the one who had broken your heart and left you in Boston, but it was never as simple as that, even back then there was so much he should have said but that was something he wouldn’t realise until much later when it was too late to repair the damage. The thinly veiled hurt in your eyes and the way your mouth was downturned was demonstrative of that fact.

“I know,” he all but whispered. “It just-“

“It’s fine, Chris. Can we just forget about it? Please?”

He nodded, watching with a quiet kind of sadness on his features as you turned to finally pick your coffee and cinnamon roll up off the counter before he cleared his throat softly to continue speaking.

“You never did say what brought you into town.”

You took a sip of coffee to give yourself long enough to settle the thundering in your chest before answering him, because for all your heart felt like it was about to burst from all the hurt you’d managed to hide away up until now, there was also a weird sense of nostalgia that came with seeing him and hearing his voice again, and even though he’d shattered your heart completely when he decided he no longer wanted you in his life, your mother had raised you right and you knew the proper thing to do was to indulge him in a little small talk, even if for nothing more than old time’s sake.

“Just here for the weekend,” you replied. “Work has been nuts lately and I needed some time away from home.”

Chris shuffled on his feet for a moment as you spoke while his eyes darted between you and the door that would lead to the outside world and the possibility of the two of you parting once more. It was an unexpected pull that he felt in his chest at that thought, you reappearing in his life out of the blue only to slip out of it just as suddenly by doing something as simple as walking out of that supermarket back out into the wide world. For nine years he’d thought about where you were, what you were doing, if you were okay, if you were happy and with each year that passed without seeing your face or hearing your voice, he’d resigned himself to the fact that you were lost to him, drifting out there in the seas of life never to see you again. He didn’t know why you’d suddenly come back to him now, whether by some stroke of luck or twist of fate, although Chris couldn’t have cared less which one it was. All he cared about was the fact that you were here at all and it was an opportunity that he was sure he wasn’t going to waste. He didn’t even know for certain that you would want to give him any of your time after what had happened when he left Boston, but he wanted to at least give you what he should have all those years ago and that was an explanation and an opportunity for you to tell him how his actions had made you feel.

“Hey, what are you up to this afternoon?”

“Not much,” you shrugged. “I was just going to sit on Bayley Beach and enjoy the nice weather.”

“Would you mind some company? No pressure, of course, I understand if you… I understand if you’d rather not want to spend any time with me.”

You exhaled then and Chris’s shoulders visibly sagged, bracing himself for your polite refusal, but your response was not one that he was expecting and truthfully, it wasn’t one that you had expected either.

“Honestly?” you started, getting swept up in the nostalgia of seeing him again before the rational part of your brain could catch up. “That would be nice.”

“Great,” he smiled in what you could see was pure relief. “Do you mind if I grab a coffee before we head out?”

“Sure,” you replied. “I’ll wait outside for you.”

You headed out the door and were sure to stand where Chris could see you, knowing him well enough to realise that he’d be worrying, at least on some level, that you’d slip off into the crowd. You’d never do that to him, of course, even after everything, because while he had broken your heart, he was also the first person you’d ever truly loved and when you’d put the pieces back together, you couldn’t help but keep a part of him wrapped up amongst the tape and string holding those pieces together while you healed. It was in doing that that you understood that he would always have a special place in your heart and honestly? You were kind of okay with that because while the ending hadn’t exactly been perfect, the two years you’d spent together were and you wouldn’t have changed that time for anything.

You weren’t sure what exactly had possessed you to let Chris talk you into venturing off campus and out in the early-February snow to get burgers at Eagle’s Deli but you were cursing those sparkling eyes and that roguish grin of his for wearing down your sensibilities as you righted yourself after what felt like the hundredth near-fall. It was slushy underfoot, the kind that’s a twisted ankle or sprained knee waiting to happen and while you’d dressed weather appropriately in your winter boots and heavy parka, you were still very newborn lamb-like in your movements which was amusing Chris to no end.

“Come on, slowpoke,” he called from up ahead as he grinned at you over his shoulder.

“Not all of us can be hockey prodigies and thrive in this kind of inclement weather,” you grumbled, shuffling slowly so as not to slip.

Chris laughed as he came back towards you with confident and purposeful steps, surprising you when he offered his arm for you to loop yours through.

“Now, I’m no expert in geography or meteorology but it snows in Hartford, no?”

He was grinning at you, the kind of grin that you had to fight with every fibre of your being not to reciprocate because you’d already committed to your grumpy act and you couldn’t have him thinking he’d cracked you already, even if he, in fact, had.

“Yes,” you stressed. “But I don’t make a habit of going out in it to get burgers like a crazy person.”

The cackle you received from him in reply was loud and a little wild and you couldn’t help but be completely captivated by the way his cheeks were ruddy from the cold and the snowflakes clinging to the curls on top of his head and long eyelashes. Tuesday morning coffees with him outside of Campion before class had turned into coffees in actual cafes during free periods and getting lunch together. It was even dragging your body out into the cold to the Alumni Stadium with your blanket and your thermos to watch Chris play with the BC Eagles because you couldn’t say no to that damn smile and those damn eyes and even now, as you looked at him taking in the scenery along the Chestnut Hill Reservoir pathway, you knew that they were going to be the death of you.

“It’s really pretty along here,” he spoke, more quietly than before; softer too. “You wouldn’t think we were in the middle of Boston.”

“Yeah, it’s a nice walk,” you agreed before shooting him a smirk and a look. “Would be nice in the spring sunshine too.”

“Yeah, yeah. I get it, Little Miss Chilly.”

“I don’t know what you have against being warm, Kreider. Warm is good, warm is nice-“

You shrieked as your feet went out from under you, courtesy of a patch of black ice hidden under slushy snow and you squeezed your eyes shut in preparation for the impact of your ass hitting the cold, hard ground. But it never came.

“It’s okay,” Chris spoke reassuringly, one hand tight around your bicep while his other arm was curled around your waist, holding you upright. “I’ve got you.”

You opened your eyes then to be met with Chris’s looking right at you, all moss and bark and warm. He was smiling at you but it was different to the easy grin he usually wore around you, this was softer somehow and all rational thought was replaced by one of those monkeys playing the cymbals. For the briefest of seconds, and for reasons completely unknown to you, the monkey tried to take the wheel and the idea of kissing him right there, in the middle of the pathway that had made an attempt on your life, flashed into your head.

Maybe it was the snow and how perfect and picturesque the scene around you felt? Maybe it was the fact he’d just saved you from slipping? But the reality of it was that those eyes and that smile held some sort of power over you that you couldn’t yet fully understand. You shook your head quickly, if only to take back control of the situation before you did something more embarrassing than almost falling on your ass.

“Thanks,” you muttered as you regained your composure. “This damn pathway.”

“I’ve got an idea,” Chris grinned as he turned so his back was to you and stooped slightly. “Hop on.”

“You can’t be serious?”

“I never joke about piggy-backs,” he replied in a faux solemn tone with the face to match. “Come on, we’ll get you to the Deli in one piece one way or another.”

And that was how you ended up with your arms looped around Chris’s shoulders and his strong hands holding the backs of your legs as he carried you on his back to Eagle’s Deli.

Not twenty minutes later, the pair of you were shuffling into a booth as you shed your coats, gloves and scarves, Chris grinning at you while you blew on your fingers in an attempt to restore warmth into them.

“See, told you I’d get you here in one piece.”

You scoffed at him and shot a playful glance across the table separating you both.

“You’re not human, that is the only explanation for how you’re able to walk in that,” you nodded towards the window where the snow was still falling to illustrate your point before continuing, “and not fall flat on your face.”

“Or my ass,” he added with a grin.

“Hey, that never actually happened!”

Chris’s face split into an even bigger smile at your little protest and the pout that had formed on your lips and while the gentle teasing between you was simply a part of the dynamic of your friendship, Chris would have been lying if he didn’t admit that the reason he did it so often was because you always looked so adorable trying to rebut him.

“No, you’re right. It didn’t,” he mused with a smirk, not needing to remind you that it was him who had come to your rescue judging from the unimpressed look you were throwing his way.

“All I’m saying is that we could’ve just gone to Hillside for lunch.”

“But the burgers here are superior,” he countered, smiling at you. “And you got to enjoy a beautiful walk in the snow with me so who’s the real winner he- mmpf!”

Chris was cut off by your damp mitten hitting his face, brows knitting into a slight frown before laughing at the proud grin you wore at the accuracy of your throw.

“That wasn’t very nice,” he said with mock hurt.

“Maybe I’m not a very nice person.”

“I don’t believe that for one second,” he replied, but there was no teasing in his tone this time, only the kind of sincerity that had your face flushing warm and had you reaching for the menu to hide behind under the pretence of looking at the choices available.

He couldn’t help but smile at the awkwardness with which you were trying and failing to hide from him but soon joined you in picking up a menu and perusing it, despite already knowing what he was going to order.

It was a few moments before the waitress came over and while neither of you spoke the silence between you both wasn’t exactly awkward even though Chris knew there was something about his last words that had had some kind of effect on you. He was right, of course, because despite the fact that you’d had hold of this menu for a good couple of minutes already, you hadn’t actually looked at a single thing on it even though you’d made such a show of doing just that and now that Chris had ordered, a cheeseburger with fries and a chocolate milkshake, the waitress was looking at you expectantly. Unable to form any kind of rational thought under that kind of pressure, you found yourself simply saying “same” and soon enough it was just you and Chris at the table once more.

Chris was looking at you like he had something he wanted to say and the unreadable expression on his face had you feeling somewhat uneasy for reasons you hadn’t quite ascertained but probably understood on some level if you let yourself think about it for more than a second. He could feel the nervous energy radiating from you though and so rather than pursue his current train of thought, he picked a topic of conversation that was much safer and knew you’d be comfortable with: school.

You talked about your classes and upcoming assignments while he listened intently and you returned the favour while he spoke earnestly about hockey and his own academic workload. It was so easy to settle into a natural rhythm with Chris whenever you talked, as if you’d been having conversations like these for years when in fact it had only been a few months of knowing him and a few weeks of meeting up like this. None of that seemed to really matter though, not when the conversation was good and the chemistry felt right and especially not when it was clear that you were both on the same page when it came to your friendship. There was something else there though, something that was beyond being purely platonic, that much was becoming crystal clear and yet despite the ease in which it was to talk to him about literally anything else, there was something that had you stumbling over the thought of bringing it up.

You were saved from falling down that particular rabbit hole by the reappearance of the waitress, two burgers that were big enough to have your eyes popping out of your head in her hands. Chris chuckled from behind his milkshake at the look of disbelief on your face as your burger was set down in front of you before he reached for the bottle of ketchup between you both. You took the top of your burger bun off, nose immediately wrinkling at the sight of four pickle slices resting on top of the lettuce and tomato.

“Ugh, I forgot to ask for no pickles.”

Chris looked up from where he was squirting ketchup onto his bun, his eyes meeting yours briefly as his face split into a grin.

“You’re not one of those people, are you?”

“Shut up,” you grumbled as you began to pick the offensive green menaces off your food and set them at the edge of your plate. “I like what I like.”

Chris reached across and began to transfer the pickles from your plate to his burger, smiling widely at you as he did so.

“Well, I might have found a solution to this particular pickle you find yourself in,” he chuckled at the exaggerated groan and roll of your eyes at the expense of his joke. “You see, I love pickles.”

“You love anything,” you countered. “You’re like a human dumpster.”

“Hurtful,” he replied as he clutched at his chest. “But also true so I’ll allow it.”

You picked up a fry from your plate and threw it at him, immediately filled with equal parts surprise and a strange sense of awe as he reflexively moved and caught it in his mouth.

“You really are a dumpster,” you grinned as you shook your head at the proud little smile he was giving you.

“I am, so how about you don’t ask for no pickles on your burgers and you just give ‘em to me instead?”

It was easy to agree to his proposal, not least because his logic actually made a lot of sense when you thought about it, but mostly because of the way his eyes were sparkling and the way his smile made you feel warm all over, like the falling snow and freezing air outside didn’t exist, like your fingers and toes hadn’t been numbed by the biting cold during your walk here, like there had only ever been sunshine. It was also why you’d agreed to let him carry you back through the snow to your dorm, his large hands hooked around the backs of your thighs and your arms draped over his shoulders much like during the walk to the diner. You’d protested initially, of course, not wanting to burden Chris or put you both at risk of an injury due to the slippery conditions, but he wasn’t about to be convinced otherwise and remained unperturbed by the weather, gently reminding you that he had in fact got you to the diner in one piece in the first instance at your objections.

Truthfully, despite the mild embarrassment you felt at your complete ineptitude when it came to walking on ice, you couldn’t help but be more than a little impressed at Chris’s sheer strength. You wondered then, about how hard he must work in the gym to develop such a strong core because while you knew from first-hand experience how slippery it was underfoot, he didn’t falter once throughout the entire walk home and with the way he was talking amiably about his favourite places in the city he called home, and how his hands were holding your legs so surely and securely, you felt safe as houses with your chest pressed into his back – even with your thick coats and layers of winter clothing between you.

He walked with you on his back right up to the entrance of your dorm, setting you down carefully on the pathway that looked to have been newly shovelled before he turned to face you, his cheeks once again ruddy from the cold and your walk home.

“I don’t want to say ‘I told you so’ twice in one day,” he grinned, sucking air in through his teeth and shaking his head slightly. “But didn’t I say that I’d get you home safely?”

“So what if you were right twice?” you rebutted with a playful nudge. “It’s not like it’s ever gonna happen again.”

“Watch it, Pickle. I’ll have you know that I’m right about a lot of things.”

“Pickle?” you barked out a laugh, watching as Chris walked slowly backwards down the path away from you with that smile still on his face. “What kind of a name is that? I don’t even like pickles.”

“I know,” he called out into the growing distance between you both. “But I do, remember?”

You shook your head at him, chuckling to yourself with a smile on your lips that mirrored his as you watched him.

“See ya Tuesday then, Trash Can!” you hollered.

His raucous cackle cut through the silent flurry as he continued to walk slowly backwards, his grin clear as day even through the falling snowflakes.

“Trash Can! Fucking, Trash Can! Man, you got some serious chirps, Pickle. Can you throw hands too? I mean, I know you suck at keeping your balance on the ice but we could use an enforcer! I could push you around?”

“Anytime, anywhere!” you laughed, watching him with a grin until he had waved his goodbye and turned away before he retreated into the heavy snow.

Part ii

#it's all coming back to me fic #my writing #chris kreider #chris kreider fic #chris kreider x reader #nhl fic #nhl writing #nhl fanfic #nhl fanfiction #hockey fic #hockey fanfic #hockey fanfiction #hockey writing

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expensiveglasses · 4 years

Text

Charming Chapter 2

Summary: Prince Jungkook was as infuriating as he was beautiful. In line to one day be king, he requested your guidance in the ways of his people. In turn he will make you laugh, give your family fine gifts, and become an invaluable friend. Unfortunately, he will also make you fall in love with him. But the most unfortunate thing of all was his betrothal…to Snow White

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader

Genre: Fluff, Fantasy, Angst, Snow white/au

Rating: NC-17

Word Count: 4538

Warnings: None for this chapter. Future warnings are TW: Major character “death” TW: Thoughts of suicide TW: Attempted suicide. Nothing is graphically described. Chapters will be noted when these things take place.

“Try this cheese, Alaric brought it to me this morning.” Else said, holding the wrapping out to you and you leaned across the windows ledge, taking a small piece of the cheese and popping it into your mouth.

Early morning had peaked, the sun still finding its place over the mountain tops and the village was slowly coming to life. Else’s family bakery was already wafting the smell of bread through the streets when you’d come up the gravel.

“It’s very soft.” You hummed, watching as she wrapped it and stowed it back in the ice barrel by her feet.

“It’s from his farm.” She replied absentmindedly, pulling a long braid over her shoulder and surveying the ends of her hair. “He made it himself.”

“You seem impressed.” You smiled and she blushed, pushing away from the window with a huff and walking further into the bakery.

“Not impressed, anyone can make cheese, you know. It does taste nice, though.” She admitted, using a cloth to wipe her hands.

“Does Alaric wish to court you?”

Else busied herself about the bakery, wiping flour down onto the dirt floor and sticking a loaf of uncooked bread in the bread oven to bake. “If he does, he should hurry. He’s not the only one who wishes to court me, you know.”

You watched as she flitted around the room, pretending to be busy in order to avoid your gaze and you smiled. “Well, you are very beautiful.”

“This is true,” she nodded, brushing a strand of hair from her face as she kneaded dough onto the bench in front of her, “so if Alaric wishes to have me as his wife he should move quickly.”

“Do you want me to convey the message?” You teased and she looked up at you quickly, eyes narrowing.

“Don’t be so forward.” She chastised. “A woman never chases a man.”

You opened your mouth to reply when suddenly-

“I agree, a man should always pursue a woman he wishes to court. Good morning, Ms. Y/N.”

You jumped, eyes widening as the prince came to stand beside you. “Your ma-” you started but as the prince’s face grew stricken you paused before continuing. “Jungkook. What are you doing here?”

Else looked up the two of you, eyebrows rising in interest. You doubted the prince was meant to be out in the village like this, though, thankfully, no one would recognize him. He was dressed simply and you wondered how he would have ever gotten clothing that allowed him to blend in. Else wiped her hands on her apron, coming around the table and leaning into the window, surveying the two of you across the sill.

You could see the interest in her eyes, the way she twisted the ends of her hair through busy fingers as she eyed the prince’s handsome face. You wanted to laugh; if only she knew how out of her depth she was. “Where are you from?” She inquired and you watched as the prince turned to survey her before turning back to you.

“I’m from a few villages over. I’ve come to visit my friend, Y/N. She promised to show me around her village.” He replied and you watched as Else’s gaze slid over to you, eyebrows perked.

“Oh? Will you go now?”

“If you have time, I would love to.” Jungkook replied, staring down at your face and you looked over at Else as she smiled, nodding.

Sighing, you pushed away from the lip of the window, dusting your hands off against your apron. “Very well, I will show you now. I assume I will see you later tonight?”

Else nodded, hands linking behind her back as she smiled out at the both of you. “Of course. Try not to have too much fun without me.”

You ventured further into the village, walking slowly to allow the prince to survey his surroundings. It must have been strange to know he would be needed by the kingdom and not know anything of its people and their needs.

He’d been away for such a long while, you imagined he knew nothing of the village at all. “Where did you find those clothes, your majesty?” You asked softly, gaze shifting around the faces of the towns people. They were busy with their lives, calling out to each other across the cobble pathways, buying and selling goods; too preoccupied to notice a handsome stranger in their midst.

“Jungkook, please.” He murmured, glancing down at you before up at the buildings as you passed. “One of the palace staff allowed me to borrow something from his personal closet; we are the same size. Has this village always had so many colors? It’s very charming.”

You looked around at the buildings and their respective pastels. It was odd the things you forgot to appreciate when they had become such a regular part of your life. The village was not overly large, but it was beautiful and filled with color.

“From as far back as I can remember.” You hummed, fingers linking together in front of you. Dirt kicked up from beneath your shuffling steps and the prince moved his hands into the pockets of his pants.

“I have so many regrets.” He sighed as you curved right, taking him down another small street, less crowded than the last.

“What do you regret?” You asked.

“How much time do you have?” He huffed, one corner of his mouth quirking, lackluster in its attempt. “I regret many things, but neglecting my people is the biggest. I don’t know anything about them, about this village.”

“Were you not being taught about your kingdom while you were away?” You queried, stepping closer to him as a child ran wild past you and up the incline before disappearing around the corner.

“I was being taught how to behave like a king and how to mind my manners, but no education is ever perfect and I’m afraid you can’t teach the personalities of people; only learn them through exposure and time.”

You hummed, nodding, “This is true.”

He clapped his hands together, smiling brightly and you looked up at him, blinking as the sun peaked over the tops of nearby roofs and into your eyes. “I’m grateful you’re willing to be my teacher.” He smiled, “I hope you will tell me about the village and introduce me to people…though my true identity shouldn’t be known, of course.”

You nodded, guiding him down another street where someone was selling candied walnuts and the prince’s eyes widened, a grin splitting his face wide. “My father used to send someone out to get these for me when I was a child!”

You watched as he rolled on the balls of his feet, eyes wide and pinned on the man as he stopped to sell a bag. “Did you bring coins? Surely you can afford them.”

The prince smiled, reaching into the pocket of his breeches and you could hear the telltale sign of coins bouncing together as his fingers sunk into the dips. “Would you like some?” He asked, moving slowly toward the man.

“Oh-” you stopped, feeling flustered, “that’s very kind, your…Jungkook. It’s not necessary, though.”

He watched you a moment before nodding and walking to the man and you turned your gaze to look through the windows of the butcher’s shop while you waited. The butcher waved, and you smiled with a nod. He raised his cleaver, cutting through the meat and bone in front of him.

“Here you are!”

You gaze switched suddenly to the prince as he moved to stand in front of you, holding out a bag for you to take, shaking it gently as you stared. “Jungkook,” you murmured, opening your hands to receive the gift and looking up at him as he dug around in his own bag and snuck a few walnuts into his mouth, eyes squeezing shut with his smile. “I told you it wasn’t necessary.”

“I know,” he nodded, grabbing a couple more nuts, “but you looked like you really wanted one. Plus, they smelled so good, I could hardly help but get two!”

You stared down at the bag, chest warming and you fiddled with a little yellow ribbon keeping the bag closed. “Thank you so much.” You replied and the prince chuckled, nudging your arm softly with his own.

“It is only a bag of walnuts.”

The two of you resumed your slow walk and you opened the pouch, pulling a nut out and chewing on it carefully. “So, tell me about your childhood, Jungkook. You told me you went to a place to learn how to be a king, but where was that?”

The prince hummed, sucking sugar from his thumb and you watched as plush lips smacked in thought. “It’s called Hallen des Efeus and it’s in Heidleberg. Many noble children go there for their education, though I mainly went for punishment.“ He grinned down at you and you couldn’t help the slow smile back.

“This was warranted.” You nodded and the prince laughed loudly, squeaky and surprising, but it made your heart squeeze with affection.

“Yes, it was.” He agreed, finishing off the bag of walnuts and shoving what was left in his pocket.

“At first I was very angry to have been sent away. I spent too many weeks in a state of rebellion and I wrote my father every day to tell him how cruel I felt he was. Finally, I made a friend. Her name is Margit, but she told me to call her Snow. I thought that was absurd, but she insisted and told me she’d call me toad if I didn’t. I found that even more absurd, but refreshing.” He grinned and the two of you stopped by the well to watch as women chatted, lowering buckets to fetch water.

“We had met before, of course, she’d come to my ball only the month before and we’d become acquainted but this was the first time really speaking with her. She’s the princess of Vildungan and was sent by her new step mother who insisted she needed more finishing. Snow thinks it’s because the queen doesn’t really like her.

Perhaps this is so, but she was only 12 at the time so she could have misunderstood. She was called home suddenly at the death of her father not long before I returned home. She’s become a very dear friend to me; she taught me what it means to be a good ruler and person. Her thoughts were invaluable to me, I don’t know who I would be if not for her gentle guidance.”

You hummed, watching as a small girl with a long golden braid down the center of her back peered over the side of the well, her mother swatting at her gently as she pulled her bucket from the darkness. “She sounds lovely. Perhaps you are in love with her.”

The prince smiled, bemused, turning to gaze down at you. “Why would you think so?”

You shrugged, ushering him to move along with you once more. Through the final bend of thatched houses as you began moving through fields, gated with stone and wood. A breeze brought with it the smell of snow crocus, sweet and calming. “The way you speak of her, it sounds like love. Or, at least what I understand of love. I do not pretend to be an expert.”

The morning was now nearing early afternoon and you wondered idly if you’d be expected home for lunch. Perhaps the prince would soon be found missing and you would hate to find out the consequences of being found with him, if that were the case.

“As a very dear friend, yes, I love her.” Jungkook finally replied, hands linked together behind his back as you paused at a gate, the wood splintered and rough beneath your fingertips. “I myself cannot claim to know what love feels like, though I hope to feel it someday. Do you, Ms. Y/N?”

He looked down at you, eyes wide and inquisitive and you fixed your gaze over the fields of forget me nots, watching the cows grazing quietly. “Do I what, your highness? Wish to fall in love?”

“Jungkook, please, and yes. Have you been in love before? Do you wish to find love?”

The sun was warm on your face as you closed your eyes, allowing the sweep of the mid spring breeze to bewitch you. “I have never been in love before,” you allow, “though I would like to know the feeling one day. I know of no one who does not wish this.”

“No one courts you now?” The prince asked and you looked up at him, watching as his gaze remained steady on yours.

“No, Jungkook, I am not presently attached.”

He watched you a moment before humming with a nod and switching his gaze back over the field. “Though you know of someone who would?”

Your fingers sunk into the wooden fence, slivers flaking beneath your fingernails. “Yes, I think so.”

“I believe you speak of Peter.” The prince replied and you turned sharply to look at him. Your questions were silent, but he understood them anyway. “I saw the way he looked at you, when you came to the castle. His concern for you when you were faint was touching.”

Burying your hands in the pocket of your apron, you leaned your back against the fence, feeling the snag of stray wood in the fabric of your dress. “Yes, you are correct. We’ve been friends since we were children and now, he is my father’s apprentice. He seems like a logical choice.”

“But you do not love him?” Jungkook inquired. You frowned; lips pursed as you watched a farmer tend to his field.

“I do love him,” you replied, “but I am not in love with him. I have no right to be particular, though. My life is as you see it.”

“Perhaps so.” He murmured; gaze distracted. “I’m afraid I must return to the castle now; my father will be looking for me soon. Would you be so kind as to show me the way?”

You nodded, pushing gently away from the fence and he followed you back into the winding village.

“I have some time again tomorrow,” the prince remarked, “would you be willing to receive my company again?”

You scraped a sliver of wood from beneath your fingernail, feigning distraction. “When would you wish me to make time?”

You looked up at him and he smiled, eyes scanning your face. You felt warm under his gaze; an intimacy you were unfamiliar with when it came to him. “Would the afternoon suit you? I have time after my morning lessons.”

You nodded, eyes moving to stare back at the cobblestone as you meandered upwards through the streets. “Yes, I will make time in the afternoon. Do you know the old oak tree, the one with the strange gnarl in the center over by the mill?”

The prince nodded, eyebrow quirking, “yes, I believe I do.”

“Then I shall meet you there tomorrow in the afternoon.” You nodded and he smiled.

“Wonderful.”

Else took her time sweeping that evening while you waited by the fountain, legs tucked under your chin and dress draped to the ground, dust caked along the edges. Normally she wasn’t this thorough, but you could see her father eyeing her with a scowl so you assumed she’d caused him trouble.

The lightning bugs were out before she’d finished, walking towards you with a frown as greeting. “Let’s go.” She muttered, and you followed after her, watching as her father finished closing the windows and doors to the bakery.

“What’s the matter?” You coaxed, “is your father upset with you?”

“He says I am too distracted.” She huffed, stomping across cobblestone, making her way towards the forest’s edge. The brook came into sight and she marched towards it, finding her favorite rock and perching on top of it. “But I was only doing what he asked of me.

“What was that?”

“Acquiring new customers!” She pulled one of her braids over her shoulder, tugging the band from the end and tangling busy fingers through dark tresses as she worked out the knots.

You smiled, watching as she moved, fingers nimble but sharp as she hastily undid her braid. “How were you acquiring them?”

She huffed, scowling over at you as she dropped her half-braided hair. “You know very well how.” She chided, returning to her task and pulling more aggressively at the strands that still clung together.

“And your father disapproves?”

“Only when it’s Alaric, I suppose.” She muttered and you grinned.

“Ah, so Alaric came by again? Did he make his intentions known?” You smile at her glare and she pulled her other braid forward, working to release the last of the strands.

“Don’t be so coarse.” She scolded but there was no bite to her words. Her anger was out of embarrassment and nothing more. “He only came to see if I enjoyed the cheese and I tried to ask if he wanted to buy some bread. I suppose we talked for too long.”

She removed her shoes and stockings, plunging toes into the water and shivering at the chill. “It’s too cold for a swim.” She remarked, subject changed and you sighed, sitting on the rock beside hers and dipping your fingers into the water.

It was cold from the mountain’s spring, biting at your fingertips and you quickly removed your hand to your lap. “It’s always too cold for a swim.” You remarked, staring down at the water, inky black with the night sky.

“Who was that man today? The one from another village?” Else asked suddenly, hands curving into the sides of the rock as she peered over at you.

You sighed, staring across the empty fields. “He is a recent friend.” You lied, “he is just visiting for a short time and I said I would show him around.”

“Is he in the same kingdom?”

You hummed, nodding. “Yes, he is.”

“He’s very handsome.” Else said, staring up at the moon. The sky was alive with stars tonight, shining down on the two of you. “Do you not think so?”

“No,” you sighed, “I know he is handsome, but I fear he knows it too.”

“Well, I suppose he does, with a face like his, he must know.”

Silence enveloped the two of you and you allowed your mind to drift with thoughts of the prince. He was so different from when he was a boy; all the pomp and circumstance of his position had somehow vanished and apparently you had someone named Snow to thank for the change.

Change couldn’t come without effort, though, and that change of heart was what impressed you most. Perhaps the prince did know he was handsome, but he certainly did not make it known.

“Where is Peter?” Else asked suddenly, swinging her feet lazily through the water. “I’ve not seen him in days.”

“He’s helping my father with the royal garments for the ball.” You hummed, pulling your legs back under your chin and linking arms around them. “I imagine he’ll be quite busy until they’re done.”

“Did you see the king and prince again? Was the prince the same spoiled child you remember?”

You smiled, twisting the fabric of your dress between your fingers for inspection. It was too dark to really see anything of substance. “I did see them both again, yes. It is too early to say, but I see some improvement.”

“And is he awkward and unattractive as the last time?” She grinned, long dark hair falling in waves around her face, the tips skimming the belt at her waist.

“He’s improved in many ways,” you sighed, “one of which is his looks.”

“How unfair.” Else tutted, “to be blessed with it all.”

“That’s what I thought.” You giggled. “I should go, though. I’ve been away from home most of the day and my mother will already be displeased with me.”

“I’ll walk with you.” Else said, pulling her feet from the brook and shaking them off before slipping her shoes back on.

Your mother was unhappy with you insisting on a few hours of freedom in the afternoon, but you’d finished your chores early so she allowed it begrudgingly. You’d made the long walk to the mill, finding the tree with the old, strange gnarl on its side and sitting beneath it.

You’d brought a small lunch with you for while you waited and you leaned back against the trunk of the tree, surveying the village down below you. The mill was quiet on this side, no need for people here while there was so much to do on the inside. It was the perfect location to meet with a prince who wished for secrecy.

A meadow pipit jumped from branch to branch above your head and you craned your neck to watch. Small and plain in appearance, it didn’t allow that to stop the beauty of its song; loud and unashamed. Sometimes you wished you could live as a bird. It seemed like there would be true freedom there in the sky, with wings spread wide and the rush of the wind as your companion.

As it was, you were not a bird, but time was your common enemy; ticking along with no thought for those it affected. It was cool beneath the shade of the oak, but pleasantly so and you laid back against the grass, staring up into the robin’s egg blue sky.

You imagined life wouldn’t always be this carefree. Someday, perhaps soon, Peter would ask to court you and then your duty as a wife would begin. You would clean and cook, tend to chickens, raise children when they came and live the rest of your life in the comforts you were already well accustomed to. You supposed it was time to accept this fate.

The thought made you sigh.

“Your thoughts seem heavy, this afternoon.”

Your eyes jumped to the voice, the princes face coming into view as he stood over you. “Your majesty-” you started, but at his frown you once again corrected yourself. “My apologies, Jungkook, you startled me.”

You began to rise to your elbows but he waved you back down. “Please, remain as you are. I shall join you.”

“A prince in the dirt?” You smiled as he settled beside you, one hand behind his head as he took in the views of never-ending sky.

“Here, with you, I wish to be nothing more than Jungkook, your friend.” His tone was carefree, but you could hear how deeply he was trying to communicate with you; to break down those barriers.

“You’re right. I am sorry; I find it’s quite difficult to break habits. My father would die from shock if he heard me calling you by your given name.”

The prince smiled, a little chuckle leaving his lips as he turned to look at you. “Then we shall keep it a secret, shall we?”

His eyes said more than you could understand, not yet familiar with his ways of communication so you simply nodded. Of course, it would be improper for the two of you to openly be friends. A prince and a peasant? Never.

“Tell me about your lessons today, Jungkook.” You said, staring back up at the sky. You could hear him shift beside you and you waited.

“It’s mostly stuff of no consequence.” He sighed, “language and numbers. I am taught politics, though, which is important; at least in maintaining peace between kingdoms. In a few hours I will be required to return and practice with swords. That is a part of my education I enjoy.”

“Sword fighting? Why do you practice swords?”

“In case there is war. I will be required to lead my people and I need to have a competent knowledge of war.”

The thought had you recoiling in shame. “Ah yes, I forgot. Men and women…we each have our uncomfortable roles to play in this life, don’t we?”

The prince smiled, nodding, “yes, I’m afraid none of us will leave this life without some discomfort. I hope not too much, though.” He turned to survey you, dark eyes rounded and deep. “Tell me about the kingdom, Y/N. I know you have not been to every village, but what of the one here? Tell me of the people.”

You smiled, wistful, staring back up at the sky as you pondered your words. “The people in this village are good and kind. Their main desire is to make an honest living for their families. Some find that easier than others. If you have a trade, you have a livelihood. It is difficult to build from nothing, you see, so often the men in the village will inherit their father’s work or they will take over the work of the father of their wife if he has no son.”

“What does Peter’s father do?” Jungkook asked suddenly and you glanced over at him.

“He is a farmer. Peter has an elder brother who will run the farm so he needed to find something of his own. I suppose I was also a logical choice for him.”

“It seems Peter is very lucky; his life has fallen in his lap in a way not many others could boast of. A good living to inherit and marriage to a beautiful woman that he already loves. I could wish the same for myself.”

“Well, you have a reasonable inheritance.” You smiled, face warm at his sudden praise and the prince chuckled.

“Yes, but I will have sole responsibility of a kingdom I know almost nothing about, the fears and desires of people I don’t know resting solely on my shoulders, I am betrothed to someone I am not in love with and with no say in the matter, and I am required to always keep my thoughts, feelings, and personal desires to myself. If they are not pertinent to the kingdom, they have no worth.”

“It sounds like you do not enjoy the role you’ve been born into.”

The prince was silent, lips pursed and your fingers went to twist in the curves of your dress. Perhaps you’d overstepped.

“No, I have much to be grateful for. A warm bed, a safe home, a father who loves me, and an abundance of food and clothing. I have never had to go without. I am very blessed. I did not mean to sound ungrateful.”

“But you still wish you could have a little more say in your own life?” He didn’t have to respond for you to know. “I understand you, Jungkook. It seems we are not as different as I had thought.”

“You must have thought I was such a ghastly child.” Jungkook remarked and you chuckled.

“I will admit I did not think well of you.” He grasped his chest and wheezed and you laughed louder, swatting at his arm. “Oh hush. You know this already.”

He nodded with a grin. “I was aware that you thought I was a foul child and when I grew up and reflected, I realized you were very right to think so.”

You could hear the miller’s children playing in the courtyard over the stone fence and you listened a moment before sitting up. The prince watched as you rummaged in your bag, pulling your lunch wrapped in cloth into your lap.

“Have you eaten, Jungkook?”

He shook his head, sitting up slowly beside you. “Not since breakfast.”

“Would you like some cheese and bread? I’ve also brought some fruit. Peter’s father grows apples on his farm and he gave me a couple this morning. I know it is not palace food, but I am hungry and willing to share.”

Jungkook smiled, dusting off his hands and settling them in his lap. “I would love to share. Thank you, Y/N.”

You took the bread from its wrapping, tearing it in half and handing a piece to the prince. “This was made by my friend Else’s father. This cheese was made by someone in the village named Alaric. He is learning how to make cheese, cream, and butter these days. My friend Else thinks well of him but she won’t say so.”

Jungkook thanked you, taking the offering from you as you pulled out an apple and a small knife to cut it into pieces. “Tell me about your life since I’ve been away?” The prince said suddenly and you paused, knife halfway through the apple.

“There’s not much to tell about it, honestly. Certainly nothing more exciting than your own.”

Jungkook scoffed, taking a bite of bread and cheese together. “Nonsense. Your life is just as interesting and valid as my own. If I’m to be a good king, I should care about all the details.”

You studied him a moment, eyebrows knit together before shrugging and cutting off a piece of apple to hand to him. “Very well. You know I have my mother and father, but I also have my grandparents nearby that I see often. My grandfather was the tailor before my father and now he raises goats and chickens. I’ve grown up with both Else and Peter; we used to play in the brook every summer or run through the fields where Peter’s father farms. One time Else pushed me in the manure and I was so angry I thought about shoving her head in. She would have cried, though; she’s very particular about her hair, says it’s her greatest charm.”

Jungkook laughed, covering his mouth. “And what say you?”

“I can promise you no man is looking at her hair. She has far better…assets on display.”

The prince laughed loudly, eyes crinkling in his mirth and you smiled, face warm. “I’m afraid I did not take notice of those particular assets.”

“I’m surprised; Else is very beautiful. I would not fault you if you had.”

“She is beautiful,” Jungkook admitted, “but I’m afraid I would need more than a pretty face to capture my interest.”

He looked down at you steadily and you cleared your throat, cutting out another slice of apple and taking a bite. “What is it you like? I’m curious to know.”

“I like a woman who doesn’t take no for an answer; someone who won’t allow themselves to be bullied. Someone who will be my better half and guide me when I have been misguided. Someone who makes me laugh at myself or smile, even when life is difficult. Physical beauty is important only to a certain degree, but it means nothing to the inner beauty.”

He watched for your reaction, like a curious fox with its prey and you took another piece of cheese with your bite of apple, allowing the salty and sweet to melt into your tongue. “It sounds to me that you’ve already met such a woman.” You surmised.

“Oh?” Jungkook questioned, watching you nod.

“Your friend, Snow. She seems to match your ideal.”

He smiled, shaking his head and staring back out over the village. The two of you were perched on the hilltop the village was located on, just outside the stone walls and to the side of the miller’s home. It provided you with shade and privacy, both necessary on this outing.

“Snow is a wonderful woman, I will admit, and I often find myself surprised that she’s not the desire of my heart, but I think you’ll find that again we come back to physical beauty.”

“Is she not beautiful?” You asked.

Jungkook shook his head firmly, eyes glazed over with thought. “No, in fact, she is very beautiful. I prefer a gentler beauty, though, and find myself drawn to someone else. Snow is wonderful, but she is soft spoken and gentle, always willing to give people the benefit of the doubt, even when it’s foolish to do so. This is not to say I dislike soft spoken and gentle, because I like that about her very much, but I fear her being taken advantage of by someone with less admirable desires. She would allow it purely out of the goodness of her heart.”

“Hopefully she will find a wise husband who will help to guide her.” You hummed and Jungkook stiffened from beside you, finishing off the last of his bread and cheese before standing and dusting his clothing off.

“I’m sorry, but I must return to the palace. They will notice my absence soon and I don’t want to cause worry.”

You nodded, standing yourself and Jungkook reached out, holding your elbow as he helped you to rise. You stuffed your lunch parcel back into your bag, dusting off your dress and gazing up at the prince.

“Thank you again for meeting with me. Perhaps we can meet again tomorrow?”

You nodded, slinging your bag over your shoulder. “I’m sure I can make time.”

And you did make time for a further two weeks and sometimes, while talking or showing him around the village, introducing him to villagers who were none the wiser, you wondered, “why me?” Why had the prince chosen you as his guide and when would he grow tired of all of this? Or was he really serious in his desire for your friendship.

And if so…why?

Hello gorgeous and welcome back! Leave a comment so I know what you think! See you all again soon.

Chapter 3

#jungkook scenarios #jungkook fluff #jungkook angst #jungkook series #jungkook #jungkook fanfic #jungkook fantasy au

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thathomesteadlife · 7 years

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Experience Necessary

You know how some job postings say ‘no experience necessary’ or needed or required? I learned this weekend that slaughtering is not one of those jobs. You need experience. And likely, a whole lot of it. But how do you come by this experience without just diving in and doing it when you don’t come from a family of farmers or homesteaders? When the only ‘experience’ you have comes from books and a few YouTube videos? When you understand the theory of it all but lack the hands-on practice? You dive in, head first. That’s what we did this weekend. It was slaughter day and we had spent several days prepping. We felt as prepared as we could be. We had good neighbor friends coming to help, everything, in theory, was set.

I had no intention of staying up at the shop when it was time for slaughter. I wasn’t sure I was ready to witness it. I won’t go into too graphic of details on this post. I’ll save those for when we’re on the experienced side of things, a proper how to, someday. When our friends arrived, we had a couple of things to finish up and then I was going to head to the house. First up, get the hose ready and stretched near for when it was needed. The spigot is quite a ways a way, so I gather up an extra hose. I soon learn that we have a leak in a line near the house and time is of the essence. Kirsten and I head down with shovels in hand and dig out the line, cap it off and run back to the shop in, I'm certain, record time. Okay, big problem fixed, crisis averted. All is well. Right?! Kirsten decided to stay up at the shop for the whole process and I reluctantly decide to woman up and stay as well. Allen and Lucas are all set to start after completing the hoist. The kill was fast and as humane as humanly possible. The men were ready to hoist the beast into the air to take care of the rest of the process when it became obvious our poles were going to rip straight out of the rain saturated ground. Eventually, with careful tractor work, ropes, hands on work, and a prayer or ten, progress was made, gross stuff handled and dealt with, and another location set up to finish with skinning. In the midst of all the, “what have we gotten ourselves into” moments, another neighbor came by to let me know a piglet had escaped. (If you’re wondering if these kind of comedy of error situations are normal for us, the answer is a very clear and loud, absolutely!) With her help and Kirsten’s continued help, we got piglet back in her Home and got back up to the shop to help the men again. At this point I went back to the house to parent the unruly munchkins and make the workers a much needed hot dinner after having worked in the wind and rain for the better part of the day. I didn’t really ask for details of the skinning process and this go around I’m okay with just the parts I was part of. The funny thing is, I wasn’t in the least bit upset or mad or even frustrated at the constant lessons being learned that afternoon. I was actually happy and proud. Proud of my husband for taking on a seemingly impossible task in my view. Proud of my friends and the lengths they went to just to help some new neighbor friends they’d essentially just met. Proud of our hard work and efforts to create a better way for us. Happy about the lessons we learned, knowing full well that when we decide to tackle it again, we won’t make any of the same mistakes, that realistically, next time will actually go smoothly. Happy that Allen pushed to do this himself, just so we could learn more. It was far from perfect, but in the end, we have a big ol’ hunk of meat hanging in our cold closet and I cannot wait to butcher it and have our freezer full. The lessons were invaluable, our friends were outstanding, my husband was awesome and worked unbelievably hard, what isn’t there to be happy about?

Clean-up.

The following day, the gross reality of clean up loomed over us. The insides had been carefully put in a barrel to deal with later, as it was dark and late when all was said and done. We had decided to make a large burn pile and burn the waste. The kids helped prep the large fire and helped keep it going while we cleaned up trash, washed tools and tarps, put everything away, spread clean straw over everything. We watched the chickens go nuts over the tidbits Allen had saved for them, the little velociraptors were in heaven! It was time to pour the contents of the barrel onto the fire. Connor volunteered to do the tractor work of moving the barrel and getting it ready to tip. He not only did an amazing job using the tractor but also wanted to stay and watch the clean up. It surprised me, as he was the one most upset about the whole thing. But he was curious and no longer felt sad after knowing how quick the kill went. He stayed, we dumped, and it wasn’t nearly as disgusting as I’d envisioned. Actually it was just fine. None of us were bothered by it and we quickly built the fire even larger and it all burned into nothing. I must say, our shop yard hasn’t been this clean in a very long time. It felt really good to be so productive. It felt good to complete such a huge task. It felt good to waste as little as we could of our animal, knowing that next time, we’ll waste even less. It felt good working together with our kids, to answer their questions, to show them the hanging meat when their curiosity peaked, to teach them what we learned about our mistakes and how we plan to solve it. To start their base knowledge off at such a young age.

The second steer:

Yeah, not this year. He’ll be done by the professionals this go round, we’ve had enough experience with steer slaughtering for the year. And I am 100% okay with that.

The pig:

Truthfully, we just ran out of time. It’ll happen soon, and I know it’ll feel like a tiny task butchering our little agh pig compared to the very large steer. With a little experience tucked under our belts, it should go much easier... in theory 😉

#homestead #homestead life #farmlife

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brunnhild · 7 years

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My First AR15 Build

I ordered the parts to complete my AR15 lower through the Palmetto State Armory on sale for $69.99. the parts came in the mail Thursday. Sunday I am going to a local armory buddy of mine to buy my lower receiver for about $40. That will give me a completed lower for $110! I watched an assembly video on Youtube and also purchased the tools and equipment they suggested like some anti-seize and thread-locker. I want to be sure that I buid this right the first time. The butt I got in the kit seems like it doesn’t provide much in the way of padding. I might want to purchase some sort of adhesive but pad to stick on there. I did some shopping on Palmetto’s website for a nice cheap upper build kit but couldn’t find anything but competed uppers, the cheapest completed uppers with charging handle and bolt carrier group seem to all be the shorter mid-length barrels.Oh well. My purpose for this build is for me to get some tools and familiarize myself with what it is like to build my own modern rifle with minimal cost, and keep things as basic as possible. I can tweak and upgrade things later. the best price I found on those completed uppers was $269.99. That would give me a completed AR15 for $380!! Not bad! The skills and experience of putting this together is invaluable. I’m kinda wishing I could have shared this build with my step-son, but he is too old to spend time with mom it seems. Today I also noticed that Palmetto has some great deals on ammunition too. I bought a good supply of ammunition for my other two guns. A shield maiden can never be to prepared Last week I also went out and filled everything out for my Concealed Weapons Permit, at least that is what its called in Michigan. I think it sounds better than concealed pistol license, Washington’s term, but that is just me. I must say I was a little surprised at how quick the application process was. I imagine my federal government ID may have speed things up a bit and streamlined the process. No need for a reason to want one, I guess, if I work for the Uncle Sam, right? Hopefully I will have a good and diverse supply of guns and ammo for this year’s hunting season. to hunt a bit of everything. I’m thinking there may not be any greater feeling than serving up a delicious turkey dinner this Thanksgiving of a turkey that I killed cleaned and cooked myself! Maybe some goose, or venison for Christmas/Hanukkah. I am so looking forward to supplementing my food intake with more wild game and freshly caught fish. It is just so much healthier than that crap we buy in stores full of genetically engineered animals pumped full of hormones for better food supply. Nature is full of over populated wildlife, why would I pay for basically man made meats when I can get fresh, wild, unadulterated meats for the cost of a bullet? This way I get better quality, healthier food and its easy to find with the over population and fewer and fewer people out there hunting.

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mitchell721 · 4 years

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Let me start by acknowledging I know the BSA has its problems. It made mistakes. Every organization has. Let’s focus on the good.

Right now our lives have been turned upside down. We are confronted with social distancing, isolation, going out wearing a mask and gloves. The closures of offices, restaurants, sports venues, and theaters. And more. Much more.

Growing up a scout the skills I learned are invaluable for today’s world or any other. I spent many years in summer camp where I learned to confront change and adapt to the circumstances. Let me cite a few examples from camp and other program areas and how its teachings have taught me to be prepared.

During Wilderness Survival merit badge we were left in the middle of the woods with our canteen, pocketknife, a camp saw, matches, mess kit, and sleeping bag. Each of us was given about a pound of chop meat, a tomato, green pepper, and onion. We were expected to make camp, cook, and well survive. We did not have the usual equipment we would normally have on a camping trip. I loved this training and did it many times as a camper and staff member. Every time I did the skies opened up from the time we set out to the time we packed camp and went back to our site. Did that stop us? No. We made shelter by building it with waterproof plant life. We stayed dry. We knew which plants we could eat and which would poison us. We built a small fire. Not a blazing one. But it kept us warm and allowed us to cook

We would often go boating in the lake. Our canoes would swamp sometimes naturally or our fellow scouts would swamp us. We had fun. Did we panic? No. We knew how to drain our canoe, flip it over and paddle

We camped in areas without traditional showers. We were able to wash up by boiling water and cleaning ourselves

I once had a leader, my mentor who took us hikes deep into the camp. There was not always a camp latrine along the trail. If you have to go you have to go. He always carried toilet paper. We learned to do so. I’ve seen panicked people on hikes I took later in life. I was able to help

On the trail to Eagle, we had to learn personal finance management it helped us budget our trips and other events. We learned how to shop for our meals and stay within the troops’ budget

We learned how to pack before we go on a backpacking trip and what’s needed and what we can leave behind

We learned to police our areas and keep everything as clean as we could. Hygiene was always paramount. Check out “Trashy Parks,” mitchellthoughtsblog.wordpress.com/2020/01/07/trashy-parks/.

Photos were taken at Ten Mile River Scout Camps, Narrowsburg, NY

So how does this help us during the Corona Virus?

Simple.

Our motto is, “Be Prepared.”

When business associates, family, friends, etc. were perplexed. The skills learned in scouting made it easy to adapt and be prepared to take on the changes we are beset with. Can’t do in-person meetings? Go to Zoom or Skype. I worked with the older scouts to teach our elders how to zoom. It was entertaining. But we did it. We were able to continue our business and scout meetings, religious services, and keep our community centers going.

We used to have to remember to be properly dressed for our camping trips. We’d put on our boots, camp pants, shirts and make sure we had a raincoat in our pack. Now we need to go out with our mask and gloves. Simple keep your box right at your door. Keep the trashcan nearby do you can toss them right in when you return. Remember to stuff and extra pair in your coat or pockets if you plan to be out longer than expected and/or your existing PPE tears.

Do you have to stay away from certain areas or go a different way to get somewhere because your normal route is closed off? Think of Orienteering merit badge. Remember when we had to get to a destination by taking a different path than usual along the trail. Can’t take public transportation? Again, remember Orienteering merit badge and toss in Hiking merit badge. Map out a trail and walk. The gyms are closed. So we need to exercise.

Is your favorite pizza place or other restaurant closed or too far to get to? Remember Cooking merit badge and your survival training. Cook.

The list goes and on. But the scouting program gives us skills that will last us our whole lives. I am glad I “leaaaaarrnned” so much and am ready. Be Prepared.

How skills I learned as a teen in the scouts help during the Covid-19 pandemic Let me start by acknowledging I know the BSA has its problems. It made mistakes. Every organization has.

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petsupplyandmore · 6 years

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The best way to Educate Your Canine to Fetch

True or false? All canine LOVE to fetch! I can guarantee you that is false. Whereas many canine do love a recreation of fetch (and others are obsessive fetchers), many different canine both couldn’t care much less about fetching or simply don’t get the sport. My two Border Collies have zero curiosity in fetching or tugging on toys. It wasn’t vital to me that they fetch, as they’re monster herders and wonderful, invaluable farmhands, so I wasn’t frightened about their lack of need to fetch. However what should you’re questioning how you can train your canine to fetch?

First off, beware the Google! I Googled “how you can train your canine to fetch” and obtained 7,300,000 responses! Yikes!

The best way to train your canine to fetch — ideas from the professionals

Fetching is a superb shared recreation between two species — each nice train to your canine and a terrific bonding expertise, too. Images ©FlairImages | Getty Photos.

Whereas my canine snobs sneer on the concept of fetching, I’ve taught numerous consumer canine to like it. One motive there are tens of millions of urged methods for how you can train your canine to fetch on the web is as a result of there are numerous methods to show a strong fetch. I’ll share a few of my most popular, efficient strategies for how you can train your canine to fetch under.

1. Do not forget that fetch needs to be enjoyable to your canine.

That is a very powerful rule on the subject of how you can train your canine to fetch! It is unnecessary to show a enjoyable recreation in a not enjoyable or a painful method. Dropping the retrieved object was as soon as skilled through ache, however fortunately we’re (hopefully) gone these days.

2. Begin coaching with the top in thoughts.

At first look, it might appear that the ultimate factor a canine does earlier than you start the sport once more is handy you the ball, Frisbee, toy or no matter object you threw for her to retrieve. There’s really a step that should occur even additional again: A canine wants to like to play with objects and put them in her mouth to start with. I like to start out with puppies when I’ve that choice — you possibly can prepare older canine as properly, however pet brains are formative and open to shaping new experiences.

I start instructing toy love by placing all kinds of toys out of the canine’s attain in an enclosed house to restrict distractions. Some toys squeak, some have feathers, some are tied to a string, some bounce, some roll, and so forth. I prepare in very quick bursts as I work to search out which toy is the canine’s favourite. I’ll begin, say, with a canine ball and bounce it on the bottom whereas speaking excitedly to the canine. If the canine engages or appears , I mark that curiosity with “Sure” and toss the merchandise to the canine. For the second, I’m not involved that I get that toy again — that comes later.

The canine could very properly sniff it and stroll away. No downside. I’m going on to the following toy. If the canine reveals zero curiosity after I check out a number of of the toys, I cease the session and check out once more later within the day. For these canine who could also be fearful of toys or who simply couldn’t care much less, I’ve smeared cream cheese or peanut butter on the underside of the toy to start getting curiosity. As soon as I’ve a canine occupied with toys, I transfer on to the following step.

three. Educate the canine how you can launch the toy.

Now that the canine has laser beam focus and curiosity in toys, the following step in how you can train your canine to fetch is to show her how you can launch that toy, ideally into our hand. One easy strategy to train that is to carry out your hand underneath the canine’s chin as she has the toy in her grip.

Maintain a smelly meat deal with close to your canine’s nostril. Mark it with an enthusiastic “Sure” when she drops the toy to get the deal with — then, in fact, give her the deal with. Decide up the toy and repeat, repeat, repeat. As soon as your canine is dropping the ball frequently, add a cue similar to “Drop” or “Give.”

It does nobody any good to face above a canine and repeat a cue that’s new to her. You might be actually talking a international language to her.

four. Get your canine to chase a toy.

After constructing curiosity in toys and instructing your canine to present you again a toy, subsequent work on getting your canine to chase a thrown object. You’ll be able to merely toss a ball just a few ft from you and encourage your canine to get it. If she does, reward and take just a few energized steps backward, away out of your canine so she is coming towards you with the toy in her mouth. Make it tremendous enjoyable! Regularly lengthen the gap you toss the ball in addition to the gap you step again away out of your canine as she’s working again to you. You could possibly additionally work with a second particular person and toss the ball forwards and backwards and get your canine enthusiastic about chasing the shifting object. Reward her with that toy on occasion so she doesn’t get pissed off.

Extra fast ideas for how you can train your canine to fetch efficiently:

Work first in a small, enclosed house to restrict your canine’s distractions. Work indoors in a well-recognized setting, so tempting new smells don’t pull your canine’s focus elsewhere. Have enjoyable instructing curiosity in toys, then fetch. Work in very quick classes, so your canine needs to play the sport many times. In the event you’re getting nowhere with fetch, return to the purpose the place your canine understood and was engaged, and begin once more from there.

The underside line on how you can train your canine to fetch

A canine surrounded by canine toys. Images ©damedeeso | Getty Photos.

Fetching is a superb, shared recreation between two species, assuming that each canine and human have an curiosity and discover large pleasure on this specific recreation. Simply keep in mind that canine and puppies don’t arrive on the planet understanding this recreation — it’s important to know how you can train your canine to fetch.

Thumbnail: Images ©Lunja | Getty Photos.

In regards to the creator

Annie Phenix, CPDT-KA, is an expert canine coach primarily based in Utah. She is a force-free coach specializing in working with troubled canine. She is the creator of The Midnight Canine Walkers: Constructive Coaching and Sensible Recommendation for Residing With a Reactive or Aggressive Canine. For extra data, go to phenixdogs.com.

Editor’s observe: This text first appeared in petsupplyandmore journal. Have you ever seen the brand new petsupplyandmore print journal in shops? Or within the ready room of your vet’s workplace? Subscribe now to get petsupplyandmore journal delivered straight to you!

Learn extra about canine coaching on petsupplyandmore.com:

from Pet Supply and More http://petsupplyandmore.com/index.php/2019/01/09/the-best-way-to-educate-your-canine-to-fetch/

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derrickappleus · 6 years

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Your Guide to Healthy Eating on a Budget

People oftentimes think eating healthy comes with a giant price tag. And in a world of juice bars, costly gym memberships, and expensive produce, it’s easy to fall into that way of thinking. Luckily, you don’t have to submit to this trendy “expensive” temptation to get fit and feel amazing. Yes, there is a way to eat cheap and healthy food.

In fact, you can employ a bunch of strategies to boost your health and get the physique of your dreams without breaking the bank. Although you’ll save more money tossing processed junk-food into your cart versus clean foods, you’ll pay for these choices in the long run. Regular consumption of junk-food can lead to numerous health issues down the road, including putting you at a higher risk for obesity, certain cancers, diabetes, heart disease, stress, and anxiety.

The bottom line? Taking control of your health now saves you cash down the road, not to mention it’ll boost your quality of life significantly! In this post, I want to point out some invaluable lifestyle advice on how to embody the healthiest version of yourself, while not going broke doing it.

How to Eat Healthy on a Budget

Budget-Friendly Nutrition

Contrary to popular belief, eating healthily doesn’t mean emptying your wallet at the grocery store. The following points will help you follow a budget-friendly diet plan your body and taste buds will thank you for!

Gather up your pantry staples

Eating clean doesn’t mean searching high and low for exotic berries or fat-burning spices. Stock your pantry with simple ingredients you can use in countless dishes. These include:

Oils for cooking: Healthy oils include extra virgin olive oil, ghee, coconut oil, and avocado oil.

Vinegar: Balsamic and Apple Cider Vinegar make great salad dressing additions, and carry a boatload of health benefits.

Grains: Simple grains like quinoa, brown rice, and whole grain pasta can be used as the foundation for many meals, and come at an affordable price.

Legumes: Legumes like lentils carry valuable, body-loving nutrients and surprisingly low price tag! Other legumes include canned or boxed beans, which come with filling fiber and protein.

Rolled Oats: Perhaps the cleanest, cheapest staple on the market, rolled oats are a pantry must-have and can star in numerous drool-worthy breakfast dishes!

Nut butter: Packed with protein and low in carbs, nut butters carry a clean, low-sodium nutritional profile and make wonderful companions to fruits like bananas and apples, especially for breakfast.

Trail Mix: A nutrient-rich snack with a slightly-sweet kick, trail mix makes a scrumptious grab-and-go solution when you’re craving something to hold you over between meals. Whip up your own by following this Healthy Trail Mix recipe!

For a full, comprehensive list of foods, you should gather up at the grocery store, check out this awesome Budget Weight Loss Shopping List! Jump-start your health by gathering all the necessary ingredients to enjoy delicious meals and snacks without busting your bank account.

Plan your meals and look for sales and specials

When you plan your meals each week, think about what kind of meals you want to eat, and gather up ingredients that can be used multiple times. With the grocery recommendations above, you have the ingredients to whip up affordable meals that cost significantly less than hitting the fast food joint or getting takeout.

Check out the following recipe archives for some delectable and affordable meal ideas!

$10 or Less Dinner Recipes 13 Delicious Budget-Friendly Dinners 6 Ways to Enjoy Fruits and Veggies on the Cheap

How to make budget-friendly meals that last

When whipping up a hearty dish, make extra to store in the freezer. This will save you cash and a huge chunk of time, especially on busy weeknights when you’ve forgotten to plan dinner! When it comes time to cook, make sure to account for your extra hectic days during the upcoming week, and pop your leftovers in the freezer strategically for these days. If it turns out you have time to cook on one of those nights, even better!

Need inspiration? Check out these 14 Healthy Freezer Meals to Make your Life Easier or these 5 Crockpot Freezer Meals with 5 Ingredients or Fewer. You’re welcome!

For more tips on how to live an uber-healthy, budget-friendly life, check out these 7 Tips for Eating Healthy on a Budget!

Use fewer ingredients

A shorter ingredient list means fewer items to pick up at the grocery store and, ultimately, more cash in your pocket. Check out these convenient archives for downright delicious recipes that require no more than 7 ingredients!

15 Recipes with 7 Ingredients or Fewer

10 Top-Rated Dinners with 7 Ingredients or Fewer

7 Lunches with 5 Ingredients or Fewer

15 3-Ingredient Dinners to Make your Life Easier

Cut back on meat (and use less expensive cuts)

Meat products typically come at a high price. Although packed with satisfying protein, meat consumed on a daily basis actually isn’t the best for your health. With the limitless possibilities of vegetarian recipes out there, you can easily whip up dishes that deliver ample amounts of protein and require no animal products whatsoever. In fact, protein-packed alternatives to meat tend to be cheap in comparison and offer more vitamins and minerals than the meat itself.

Learn more by checking out Go Meatless: 6 Alternative Sources to Protein, or throw together one of these tasty 7 Protein-Rich Meatless Sandwiches!

Freeze your produce

You can actually buy produce when it’s on sale and freeze it right away before it starts to go bad. You end up preserving your fruits and vegetables and you’ll have an abundance of produce on hand when you need it without worrying about it spoiling. I keep a bag frozen spinach, strawberries, blueberries, bananas that are pre-portioned out for morning smoothies. No produce should go wasted!

Getting Fit on a Budget

Exercising on a regular basis boosts your fitness levels and strengthens your body, while protecting you from health-related issues later on. That said, exercise represents one of the cheapest, most effective ways to invest in your future. Yes, we said cheapest. You don’t need an expensive gym membership to squeeze in an awesome workout; in fact, you don’t need a membership at all. Whether you want to lose weight, tone your figure, or simply boost your endurance, you can power through countless exercise routines in the comfort of your own home.

Workout at Home

Depending on your fitness goals, we’ve got workout routines for you that’ll torch calories, build muscle, and boost endurance. And best of all? You can do these workouts anytime, anywhere, especially at home!

Strengthening workouts:

Abs, Butt, and Legs Home Workout

3 Home Workouts for Getting Awesome Abs

Quick and Easy Bodyweight Workouts when You’re Short on Time

At Home Hamstring Workout

Equipment-Free At Home Core Workout

Fat-Burners:

5 Minute Fat Burning Home Workout

10 Minute At HomeFat-Blasting Workout

10 Fat Burning Exercises you can Do at Home

Fitness-Boosters:

At Home Workouts to Get you into Amazing Shape

Get Fit Home Workout Challenge

At-Home Crossfit Workout

Workout with Friends

Not only does working out with others make the process more enjoyable, it’ll also help you stick to your fitness goals without giving up. Meanwhile, working out alongside friends means constant motivation in times where you might otherwise feel discouraged. And if your friend’s bail or simply hate exercising, there are apps out there that connect you with your local community based on activities you specify and help you join groups that share common interests.

We like Meetup, an app that offers a directory of local communities built around nearly every type of category imaginable. It seems like there really is an app for everything, right?

If you do want to join a gym, strategically plan your joining time. Memberships tend to cost less during the summer since many people enjoy exercising outdoors and business is slower. Meanwhile, memberships also cut their costs towards the end of December oftentimes, so keep an eye out for discounts during the summer and winter season!

Keep Your Eyes Peeled for Bargain Classes

When you shop on sites like Groupon or Living Social, you’ll find discounted prices for fitness classes offered to new members. These sites slash the prices considerably, so you can save a boatload of cash on all sorts of classes, from hot yoga to kickboxing. Meanwhile, take advantage of freebies like guest passes and trial classes offered to new members.

Final Thoughts

Well, there you have it. When you begin to shop smarter, make meals at home, and practice healthy habits, you’ll soon realize that it’s easier to live healthy, rather than unhealthily, on a budget. We hoped you enjoyed this article, and we wish you great budget-friendly health!

Do you have any healthy eating tips you’d like to share with us? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure that you subscribe to our newsletter, so that you don’t miss out on anything SkinnyMs.!

For more tasty recipes, healthy lifestyle tips, and whole body workouts, check out our Facebook page and follow us on Pinterest.

The post Your Guide to Healthy Eating on a Budget appeared first on Skinny Ms..

source https://skinnyms.com/guide-to-healthy-eating-on-a-budget/ source https://skinnymscom.blogspot.com/2018/06/your-guide-to-healthy-eating-on-budget.html

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ntrending · 6 years

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11 easy ways you can help save the planet this Earth Day

New Post has been published on https://nexcraft.co/11-easy-ways-you-can-help-save-the-planet-this-earth-day/

11 easy ways you can help save the planet this Earth Day

Back in 2016, Gina McCarthy—the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency at the time—sat down with PopSci to talk about why Earth Day still matters. When the holiday first took place on April 22, 1970, pollution was a visible threat (in fact, you can see what per-EPA America looked like right here, and it wasn’t pretty). McCarthy argued that even though our air and water may be much cleaner than it was more than 40 years ago, Earth Day is more important than ever: we can’t see the greenhouse gases that threaten the future of our world as we know it, which makes the danger easier to ignore than smokestacks spewing black into the sky. Two years later, the EPA is under different leadership—and scientists are suing the agency for its attempts to roll back vital environmental protections.

With carbon emissions climbing, temperatures rising, and weather getting weirder all over, it can feel like the existential threat of our changing climate is impossible to stop. If the EPA isn’t protecting the planet, how do individual citizens stand a chance?

But don’t let the scope of the problem get you down. Here are concrete things that you (yes, you!) can do to help make the world a better place:

Make less garbage

There’s a lot of plastic lingering out in the world. Like, a lot. Scientists are scrambling to find solutions in the form of large-scale ocean clean-up operations and plastic-hungry microbes, but the 9.1 billion tons of plastic our species has created (and counting) wouldn’t exist if we didn’t use and throw away so much stuff.

We’ve got a bunch of tips for reducing plastic waste here, but the biggest pieces of advice are easy: just replace plastic items with reusable or more readily biodegradable options. Kick plastic wrap to the curb in favor of glass jars, take canvas bags to the grocery store, and bring a set of silverware to work instead of relying on the office kitchen’s plastic cutlery at lunchtime. Make sure you’ve got a good water bottle and coffee thermos, too; paper cups may be better than plastic, but you still don’t need to use them all the time. And of course, simply buying less stuff will lead to less junk. Do you really need to get takeout every night of the week? Because those plastic containers are growing into a monstrous stack in the corner of your kitchen, and you know you’re not actually reusing them. And of course, remember to actually recycle the plastic waste you can’t avoid. It makes a difference.

If the thought of buying less crap has you bummed, you can make one last round of purchases to replace your disposable products with reusable alternatives (and ones low on packaging materials). Here are our favorite picks.

Quit using plastic straws

If there’s one plastic item you should definitely quit cold-turkey, it’s the plastic straw. Because of their size and shape, they’re basically impossible to recycle. Yes, really. In addition to littering our landfills, they also wind up in the ocean and can cause serious harm to marine animals. Invest in a reusable metal straw, if you must continue to suck.

Mind your gadgets

Most of us don’t think too much about our old electronics. After all, compared to all the dang straws you throw away in a year, the fact that you might run through a laptop two or three times a decade probably doesn’t seem like a huge deal. But so-called e-waste is dangerous not just because of the plastic and metal you’re tossing, but because of the chemicals that can leak from your burned-out battery and into the soil and water around its new landfill home. Here’s a guide to recycling your smartphone once it’s toast, and here are some ideas for how to reuse computers that are old enough to replace, but not quite ready for the trash.

Waste less food

Food waste is an environmental concern for a couple of reasons. For one, food takes a lot of energy to produce. So by the time it hits your dinner plate—especially if it’s been processed into some kind of boxed or frozen product on the way—it has a big ol’ carbon footprint. When you toss some of your meal into the garbage, you’re wasting all that energy. And those little scraps add up; 2.9 trillion pounds of food (a third of what’s produced) goes into the landfill each year. The U.S. alone tosses something like 37 million tons annually.

To make matters worse, that food keeps causing environmental trouble once you throw it away. Because landfills cover up food and keep it away from oxygen, it undergoes anaerobic decomposition. That produces methane, which contributes to climate change.

Unfortunately, a lot of the country’s food waste happens along the industrial pipeline—not all the food we grow makes it to the grocery store. But you can still do your part to cut down on discarded food at home. We recently published an article on how to reduce holiday food waste, but most of the guidelines can be applied to any day of the year: plan out your shopping to make sure you’ll actually eat everything you buy before it goes bad, plan out your meals so you’re not making way more food than you’ll eat, save things like bones and veggie scraps in the freezer so you can use them for making broths in the future, pick ugly produce at the grocery store, and get creative with ingredients that are in danger of going bad.

Compost what you can

Of course, sometimes food just isn’t gonna get eaten. And we’re not trying to tell you that you’re an enemy of the environment if you don’t consume carrot tops or beet leaves (though you can totally consume those things). Most of what you don’t eat should get composted; that keeps it out of methane-spewing landfills, and can even provide rich fertilizer for local farms (or your own garden or houseplant). Here’s our guide on how to compost—even if you haven’t got a yard.

Eat less meat

Sorry, but it’s true! Meat and other animal products are incredibly energy-intensive. We’re not saying everyone should go vegan—it’s just not a realistic goal, for starters, and it’s worth noting that processed plant-based food can end up being pretty energy-intensive, too—but it is absolutely true that everyone should try to reduce their consumption of animal products. You can do this by making really small changes, like picking dark chocolate over milk chocolate.

We recommend starting off with a personal challenge like taking a month off of beef (which is the most environmentally unfriendly meat) or undertaking “meatless Mondays.” If you feel that meat is an important part of a healthy diet for you, you do not have to give it up entirely. But using that as an excuse to eat as many hamburgers as you want without thinking twice about the environment? Nope. Not gonna fly.

A recent study found that just one-fifth of Americans are responsible for half of the country’s food-based emissions. If these super-carnivores would switch their diets to a more average meat consumption, it would have a huge impact on our overall greenhouse gas emissions. The takeaway is clear: even if you have absolutely no intention of giving up meat, try to eat less of it. Please? Thanks.

Turn out the lights

Not all pollution is physical. Light pollution is messing with wildlife—and probably hurting our own sleep cycles, too. It also stops us from enjoying the beauty of the natural world in all its potential splendor. But unlike carbon emissions, we can deal with light pollution with the flip of a switch; just stop using outdoor lighting where you don’t need it.

When possible, stay put

Studies suggest that the best thing you can do to fight climate change is to do less traveling. Going car-free has a serious impact. It’s the single biggest thing you can do to reduce your carbon emissions. One recent study suggested that an increase in remote employment and online entertainment was actually helping to cut down on energy usage by keeping us all at home.

Of course, going car-free is difficult if you don’t live in a city. But driving less—whenever possible—is better than nothing. And having a fuel-efficient or hybrid car helps, too. Just don’t use that slight boost in environmental friendliness as an excuse to drive even more. And try to limit your airplane usage, too. Yes, driving a car is bad for the environment, but if you’ve got the choice between a road trip vacation or a flight across the country, go for the road trip.

Stop mowing your lawn

Okay, okay, we’re not actually giving you an excuse to let your lawn run totally wild. But one study recently found that spacing out lawn mowings by a couple weeks can keep yards more bee-friendly.

Pollinators—bees, yes, but also butterflies and less famous insects—help us grow our food, and pollution, pesticide use, disease, climate change, and habitat destruction have all put them in peril. If you’ve got outdoor space, you can do your part to help wild insects (and protect our food security!) by making sure it’s a hospitable waystation.

If you want to take a more active role (or you just can’t abide the messiness of an unmowed lawn) plant some native wildflowers to provide a source of food for passing pollinators. And absolutely avoid buying pesticides that pose known dangers to these invaluable insects.

Help scientists study the environment

If you’re looking for a cheerier way to kick off Earth Day, consider joining some citizen scientist projects. Researchers in all sorts of fields—including plenty that help protect our planet and the life on it—are desperate for as much data as possible, and regular folks can help them out. Your kids can join in, too.

Vote for science-based policy

Yes, you can and should make changes in your life to help protect the planet. But most of the actions that really hurt our planet are being carried out on a larger scale. So ultimately, the best thing you can do for the planet is to support politicians who make decisions based on scientific evidence. Climate change is not a partisan issue; the scientific consensus is clear. And all around the world, people who traditionally eschewed climate-related issues are realizing that. Republican mayors are switching their cities over to renewable energy. Farmers in Nebraska are turning into environmental activists and rallying for change. You can change your lifestyle to help protect the environment, and you can vote with your wallet by supporting companies who help protect it, too. But the most important thing you can do is vote. Find out where your representatives stand on environmental issues, and push them to follow reason. And if that doesn’t work? Push them out of office. If a politician isn’t fighting to protect the planet, they aren’t fighting to protect you.

Written By Rachel Feltman

#Environment

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omgstarstruckstudentbear-blog · 7 years

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Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte Nutrition Data

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jeremystrele · 7 years

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Nayran Tabiei · Cooking Instructor, Free to Feed

Dream Job

by Elle Murrell

Nayran Tabiei. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

Nayran works her dream job as a Cooking Instructor at Free to Feed. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

We joined in her Syrian Brunch class. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

The beginnings of our feast. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

It’s not always as straight forward as 1. graduate, 2. survive an internship and 3. land the full-time job you’ve always wanted. Nayran Tabiei grew up in Damascus, Syria, where she lived until she was 22. A worldly young woman, she travelled regularly to support her immediate family spread all around the world (United States, Thailand, Dubai, Sweden, and China). ‘I was the youngest and I would often go to my older sisters to help them through their pregnancies and things,’ she dutifully explains.

At 23 on one such caregiving stint, Nayran met Majid, who was working in the IT industry in Dubai, and the pair later wed. They lived in Iran raising their four young children, before relocating to Syria in 2006. There, Nayran was happy running her coffee shop and booming baklava delivery business, when the Syria Crisis began. After the bombing of her home and business in 2011, she fled with her family to seek safety in Beirut, Lebanon. ‘I don’t mention much about what happened in Syria, because the media tend to “bold” and focus on that. But that’s not all my story,’ says Nayran. ‘I like to focus on the journey since then… my life here. I want it to be happy and I don’t want to make trouble for myself.’

Majid flew from Lebanon to Dubai and Qatar hoping to secure longer-term stay visas, work and schooling for their children. but it was to no avail. Nayran decided it best to then send her three teenage sons to Iran to live with their paternal grandmother, while she and her young daughter travelled to her brother in Thailand, Majid later joining. The family was unable to stay and moved on to Bali, Indonesia, with the financial support of Nayran’s family. After months of hopping from country to country in grave uncertainty, they were down to the last five days of their legal stay in Indonesia.

Nayran confided in a local Syrian restaurant owner, who explained it would be near-impossible for the family to establish themselves in Bali, and advised travelling Jakarta to have their status changed and visas extended by the United Nations. ‘In the end, they did not accept us,’ explains Nayran. ‘If you could have seen our faces when we came out – we were crying, we had no idea what to do, and were honestly thinking, what will happen with us?’

In the moments of despair that followed, the family was approached by a smuggler, who reassured them in comfortingly fluent Persian and Arabic. He promised passage to Australia. ‘My brain just knew, ok, I am going,’ tells Nayran. ‘As he was talking, I imagined the sea and the sharks ahead, but then everything that was behind us. My husband was pulling me saying, “Don’t do it. What are you doing?” But I knew, yes I’m going, I will even swim!’

After 27 days of moving from place to place by night, hiding from police, trekking through dense forest, boarding boat after boat, the family made the crossing. The small fishing boat on which they were aboard with more than 65 others, reached Australian waters, and they were taken to Christmas Island on October, 18th, 2012.

‘When I arrived, for me, it was heaven. Some people talk of the wire, officers, guns, but I didn’t see any of that. I just saw heaven because they gave us shelter and food,’ remembers Nayran. ‘When I see the Australian flag now, as I first saw it then, my heart jumps, because I now feel myself to be Australian.’

Next, it was three-and-a-half months in detention, before one month in Adelaide, three months in Port Augusta, followed by three month’s curfewed community detention in Melbourne. Nayran now laughs, as she looks back on their Syria style-attempt of walking door-to-door on Ballarat Road, Sunshine, with all the cash they had and asking to rent a house. The trio have since settled in Braybrook, where Nayran has become an invaluable member of the community. Her contributions to the area, and Melbourne more widely, are nothing short of astounding… she’s also been a Salvation Army volunteer for four years straight!

Since late last year, Nayran has also dedicated herself to her role as a Cooking Instructor at Free to Feed – it is this casual position, and social enterprise we spotlight today for an incredible Dream Job story.

Amelia and I were fortunate to join Nayran, Free to Feed co-founder Loretta Bolotin, volunteer assistant Daniella, and course participants for Nayran’s Syrian Breakfast class last month. In between spoonfuls of the best muhammara ever tasted, and bouts of her contagious laughter, Nayran shared the next chapter in her story.

And the finished spread! Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

Nayran arrived to Australia in October, 2012. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

Loretta Bolotin, the co-founder and creative director of Free to Feed, and Nayran. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

I landed this job…

I was doing some casual cooking at Tiggy Café in Collingwood and it was Sarah, the owner of Tiggy Cafe, who introduced me to Loretta Bolotin, the co-founder and creative director of Free to Feed.

I remember when I first went to meet Loretta I thought she had a coffee shop not a cooking class, so I bought cupcakes and a mud cake to show her! I also had my books, records with photos of all the volunteer cooking, teaching and catering I had done – one for sweet and one for savoury!

She was surprised, saying, ‘You did all this?’ After that she told me I was perfect for the job, and to ‘come tomorrow!’ I started straight away, which was in November last year.

A typical day for me involves…

I work as a casual employee at Free to Feed. I am also a supervisor/facilitator for two playgroups, and as well as that, I’m teaching women’s groups two days per week.

This week with Free to Feed, I had one cooking class day and one catering day – it’s just beautiful! Beautiful because, when I open the door for a class I see people who have a passion for cooking and who love to learn and want to understand my cuisine and culture – with the spices, we all fly to Damascus! They smile, clap their hands, are engaged as I tell my story, and we share the experience of all cooking together for one another. This just gives me such a great feeling.

I wake up early, because I always have many things to do! I feed my chickens and collect their eggs and spend time with my husband and daughter. If I am teaching a Saturday morning brunch, at 7.00am, I travel from my home in Braybrook to our space in Thornbury to commence preparation.

When our guests arrive for the class, we chat and I explain the food. Then we prepare it, before sitting down to eat together and talk some more. The guests learn about me, I ask them questions too, and then we tidy up together. After they’ve left we do our final cleaning, making sure the Free to Feed volunteers take any of the extra food home, and then finish by around 2:30pm.

Learning to prepare Syrain breakfast staples like hummus with meat, tabouli, shakshuka and muhammara. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

Details of the Thornbury cooking studio. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

The diverse spice and grain supply. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

‘We are about sharing and celebrating the culture, food, stories and histories of people who are newly arrived in Australia, from refugee backgrounds,’ introduces Loretta Bolotin, who started Free to Feed with her husband Dan in 2016. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

The most rewarding part of my job is…

… knowing beautiful people and having a lovely time. These are the main things!

Also for the people of Melbourne to know these beautiful guys – Daniella, who was my assistant today, and Loretta who started this special project. All the time I am telling them how great they are. Because, I started with nothing and they supported me… and they’ve even made me famous! Although we don’t really talk about the money or the publicity, Free to Feed is bigger than that.

On the other hand, the most challenging aspect of my job is…

… needing to fill more and more forms or get certificates, for my cooking work with Free to Feed my own catering business, and then just for everything! I don’t know to deal with this kind of thing so easily. I have the all the certificates for food handling, but there’s always another one you need or and update and it can be expensive too.

On Job Day at school, I dressed up as a…

… a dentist! I loved my teeth to be bright and white all the time. But as I grew up I wasn’t so good with maths and preferred reading. In Syria, we have two streams: science-based or reading-based, I went with that one!

My colleagues always say I’m…

… a good heart. ‘You are always helping without thinking,’ they tell me.

The perfect workplace is…

… Free to Feed! It would be so wonderful if it could continue to grow, and that teachers from other cultures could join us to offer different experiences. The could all teach their different cuisines and build peoples’ understanding of the other cultures.

‘This is an opportunity for us to meet people in our community who we wouldn’t normally get a chance to meet, AND a chance to enjoy lots of really delicious authentic food,’ adds Loretta. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

The best piece of advice…

My grandmother was always saying, ‘Be a good heart, don’t judge!’ Because you can’t always know what people are going through. And then my Dad, he was always talking about unity – ‘Don’t strive to be the lone branch, the tree gets its strength from its intertwined roots.’ Among our community in Syria, we lived together, we didn’t think about someone being Sunni (like me), Shia (like my husband), Christian or Jewish… we just gathered as one. We wouldn’t be thinking about backgrounds, we would just be being!

Over the past nine months, things at Free to Feed haVE…

… become busier, and we’ve become more professional! The organisation is now working with 65 volunteers. It’s great; start with small and grow!

The public is more aware of us now and that gives us more opportunities. Loretta finds clever solutions to help us grow up in the community, especially for our dinners, spices and events too! Originally, we were just considered to be a cooking school, but now we’re recognised as a really professional catering service too.

In the next five years I’d like to…

I’m not a dreamer, you know. I’m not a dreamer, because of the way I came; I left everything and just came here. But in the future, I just want my family to be together. I also want to keep spending my time with good people, and feeding them good food!

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findandselect-blog · 8 years

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💪25 REAL SCIENTIFIC WAYS To BE HEALTHY & FIT This Year 👉 Health & Fitness Tips You NEED To Know 👍 has been published on Find and Select Business Reviews

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💪25 REAL SCIENTIFIC WAYS To BE HEALTHY & FIT This Year 👉 Health & Fitness Tips You NEED To Know 👍

So, you want to be healthy?? This video will show you how to be healthyand fit.

So lets start.

number 1.

Drink more water.

Adult humans should drink 2-3 liters(or roughlyeight, 8 oz glasses) of water per day, whilst children should drink 1-2 liters ( or roughlyfive, 8 oz glasses).

That is in addition to things like tea andcoffee.

Water keeps bodies at the correct temperature,and removes toxins that are the inevitable result of metabolism and industrial life.

You'll be healthier automatically.

• Water also clears your skin, helps yourkidneys, helps to control your appetite, and keeps you energized.

If being healthier, more wakeful, and havingbetter skin isn't motivation, what is? • It also keeps you from drinking unhealthybeverages like soda and juice, which are high in calories.

The body barely registers the intake of theseunhealthy drinks, and yet you still feel thirsty hundreds of calories later.

If you need the taste, splash some lemon,lime, or 100% juice into your water.

However, be sure that you eat plenty of calcium-richfoods, such as broccoli, to support healthy bones as you grow older.

number 2.

Eat breakfast.

A light, healthy breakfast is sufficient enoughto reap the benefits of eating early.

If it's comprised of lean protein and wholegrains, then it will keep you from gorging at lunch.

Research shows that breakfast-skippers actuallyeat more! So, to curb your appetite, don't skip thefirst meal of the day.

• Instead of two chocolate doughnuts anda coffee that's more cream than anything else, opt for eggs, fruit, and for a beverage, skimmedmilk, fresh orange juice, or tea.

The healthier your breakfast is, the moreenergized you'll feel throughout the day and the more you won't need to eat later in theday.

number 3.

Eat well throughout the day.

If half of your plate is vegetables and fruit,you're on the right track.

Add in lean protein, low-fat dairy, and wholegrains.

Once a steady eating pattern has been established,your body will feel more comfortable.

There may be a period of time when your bodyis wondering where the sugary foods went, but once you're over the hump, you'll feelbetter than ever.

• Remember that not all fats are bad foryou.

Good fats can be found in oily fish like salmonand tuna, avocados, nuts, and olive oil.

These are essential to a well-balanced diet.

number 4.

Eat at the right times.

A good time for a healthy, easy-to-digestevening meal, is between 6 pm and 8 pm; it's best to avoid late night snacks because theyfill you with unnecessary calories and can disrupt your sleep.

If you do need that midnight snack, stickto unsalted nuts, seeds, fruits, and veggies.

• Snacking isn't bad for you, if you doit right.

In fact, eating "constantly" can keep youfrom feeling deprived, and going for that third piece of cheesecake, when the cart rollsaround.

Just make sure it's all in moderation.

number 5.

Consider going meatless.

In case you haven't noticed, meat hasn't playedmuch of a role in what we've talked about so far.

Being vegetarian is a good way to reduce yourcalorie intake and get loads of vitamins and minerals, but that being said, it can be donewrong.

While it's not the best idea to go fully vegetarian,most people do eat far too much meat.

A good idea is to change the amount and typesof meat you eat: swap pork chops for lean chicken; steak for tuna.

• A high-fiber diet is easily had withoutmeat.

Fiber has been shown to lower your cholesterol,control your blood-sugar levels, improve your bowel health, and make you less likely toovereat.

The recommended fiber intake is 30g a dayfor men and 21g for women; after the age of 50, this jumps up to 38g for men and 25g forwomen.

Some good sources of fiber include fruitsand vegetables (with the skin), whole grains, and legumes.

number 6.

Read the labels.

Processed foods get a bad rap, and often forgood reason.

However, you've got to choose your battles.

That frozen bag of broccoli isn't nearly asbad as that boxed mac and cheese.

In short, avoid processed foods when you can,— but if you can't, read the labels and watch for added bad stuff: salt, sugar, andfat.

• Food that stays on the shelves often hasadded sodium, words that end in -ose, and Trans and saturated fats in the ingredientlist.

If you see these on the label (especiallyif they're in high amounts), avoid them.

You can find a healthier alternative elsewhere.

It's not worth it.

• Just because it says it has no trans-fatdoesn't actually mean it has no trans-fat.

Negligible amounts can be legally ignored,— so if you see hydrogenated vegetable oil on the list, you've found one of the maskedculprits.

number 7.

Get in shape.

In addition to helping you lose weight andgain confidence, exercising has a host of other benefits for your body and mind.

Having good cardiovascular health has beenlinked to a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s, just to name one.

So hit the pool, the pavement, or the parkas often as you can.

• Exercising boosts your immune system too;even a change as minor as walking briskly for 20-30 minutes a day, five days a weekcan improve your immune system by increasing both your antibody ,and T-killer cell response.

• Exercising is also one of the absolutebest ways to sleep better at night, —which can help you lose weight by keeping you fromovereating.

number 8.

Maintain a healthy weight.

Our physical frames vary in size and weight.

An individual with a large frame can carrya little more weight while a person with a light frame will be able to carry less.

• Being underweight isn't a good thing either! Do not use any form of crash diets.

There is no magic bullet for weight loss,—andeven if there were, starving your body of vital nutrients wouldn’t be it.

A slow change in your eating habits is muchsafer and the long-term benefits for your physical health are greater.

• Just remember that, only serious athletesare able to burn off enough calories to be able to enjoy massive indulgences,—and evenso, they tend not to because it’s hard on the body.

Even if you do consume more calories thanare recommended for you, be sure that they are nutritious; your heart, brain, muscles,bones, organs, and blood can’t run forever on empty calories.

number 9.

Cross train.

Just because you can run 5 miles (or 8 km)without stopping doesn't mean you're healthy, same goes for lifting weights the size ofa small car.

If you only do one activity, you're only usingone set of muscles.

You'll be shocked when you go swimming ordo core workouts that you can't keep up! • What's the answer? Cross training.

Not only does doing several different activitieswork all your muscles (which can help prevent injury), it also keeps you from getting bored.

That's the ultimate exercise killer! So include aerobic and strength training workoutsto your routine.

Your muscles will be glad you did.

number 10.

Exercise wisely.

It should go without saying that there arebad ways to work out.

Every time you get moving you put yourselfat risk for injury, so make sure you're doing it right! • First things first, stay hydrated.

You should always be sipping water duringyour workouts.

Getting dehydrated can lead to dizziness orheadaches during your sweat session (or lack thereof).

• Take breaks! It isn't being lazy, it's being healthy.

You can't go-go-go forever.

After 30 minutes or so of exercise, grab yourwater bottle and lighten up.

Your body needs a second to catch up.

You'll be able to go further in the long run.

number 11.

Take the little opportunities.

Being physically active isn't about poundingthe pavement, or joining a gym, it's a lifestyle that can be had 24/7.

If you can add extra 10 steps to your dayhere and there, they add up.

• Don't have any ideas? Park a bit farther away from work, the mallentrance, or the grocery store.

Ride a bike to work or school.

Take the stairs.

Walk the dog every day.

Take lunch to the park.

Bike to work or the local coffee shop.

Little opportunities are everywhere.

number 12.

Think positively.

It's amazing how much power our minds haveover everything in our lives.

A simple positive twist on a situation canturn an obstacle into an opportunity.

Not only will you have more gusto for life,your immune system can fight off colds and heart disease better! Harvard wouldn't lie.

• To start this difficult step, focus ongratitude.

When you start thinking about the bad thingswirling around you, stop.

Cut it out.

Think of two things you're grateful for.

Eventually, your mind will notice the patternand stop the negativity before you have to consciously do it.

number 13.

Be satisfied.

This doesn't mean "be content with your life"(well, it does, but give it a second)—it sort of means "satisfy yourself".

If you're on a diet, allow yourself a (small)bit of what you're craving.

If watching the Golden Girls for three hourson a Friday night sounds like heaven, do it.

Whatever the small things are that make youhappy, do them.

• Your happiness is invaluable.

If you're not happy, you're not fully healthy.

It's when we've got our heads on straightthat we can attack everything else.

If work, family, friends, a relationship,and money are wearing you down, the choice between that hot pocket and that whole wheatbagel doesn't really matter! number 14.

Think small.

When we concentrate on unattainable goals,we get daunted, frustrated, and lazy.

After all, why try to achieve something thatwill never happen? A healthy mindset has to be in the here andnow.

It should have concern for the future, sure,but it shouldn't be preoccupied with what hasn't happened yet or won't.

• Being emotionally healthy, (and happy)is easier to attain when you focus on the steps of your journey as opposed to the destination.

If you want to make it on Broadway, focuson getting your next audition.

Then focus on becoming equity, then focuson moving, etc.

Now will always come before the future, focuson them in order! number 15.

Manage stress.

This one is huge.

When stress takes over our lives, everythingelse falls apart.

Our homes get cluttered, our minds get cluttered,and our relationships get strained.

Take yourself aside for five minutes, andthink about your stress levels, how are you managing it? What could you do to be more calm and relaxed? • A very healthy way of managing stressis doing yoga.

If that doesn't sound appealing, how aboutmeditating? No? Then simply make sure to take ten minutesout of your day to just power down.

Sit with yourself and just breathe.

Make a point to get centered every day.

number 16.

Choose your friends wisely.

We all know those people that seem to drainus, but yet we're friends with them anyway because they have a nice TV or because, well,we get bored.

Unfortunately, for our emotional health, they'vegot to go.

They do us no good and we know it , we justignore it to maintain consistency, and avoid awkward situations.

Do your mental health a favor and tear offthat Band-Aid.

In the long-run, you'll be happier.

number 17.

Be productive.

One of the best feelings to easily come byis that, feeling of "I got so much done today!" For that moment, you feel virtually unstoppable.

Your mom saying, "If you put your mind toit, you can do it" is no longer a lie! Now imagine riding that high constantly.

• Start by creating a to do list.

A calendar or planner is a good idea, too.

And remember: think small.

Attack a few small things to get you going.

You'll get on a roll before you even realizeit.

number 18.

Take a break.

This is similar to the "Be Satisfied" step;you need to do what's right for you sometimes, regardless of what the world seems to be demanding.

Without feeling guilty, take that proverbialKit Kat Bar.

Spend a night in.

Take a morning off.

You'll be twice as energized when you getback to it.

• This goes for exercise too.

If you do the same thing over and over, yourmuscles get used to it, you get bored, and you end up plateauing.

So instead of pounding the pavement on Wednesday,go hit the pool.

You're not being lazy, you're being logical.

number 19.

Find emotional balance.

Even if you master every other aspect of health,it won’t feel complete if you’re suffering from inner turmoil.

Everyone needs a pick-me-up sometimes, andthere are many small things that you can do to feel better about yourself.

If the problem extends deeper, you may needto learn to cope with emotional pain or even depression.

• Once you have worked on yourself, youshould work on your approach to interpersonal relationships.

Learn how to recognize, a manipulative orcontrolling relationship and, if necessary, deal with emotional abuse so that you canhave a healthy relationship.

number 20.

Stop engaging in risky behavior.

Taking unnecessary risks is hard on the bodyand mind.

It can also have devastating long-term consequences.

Serious or established patterns of risk-takingcan also be indicative of deeper psychological problems, in which case you should talk toa healthcare professional, who specializes in a relevant field.

Start by setting your sights on one of thefollowing achievements:  Have Safer Sex Stop Binge Drinking  Quit Drinking without Alcoholics Anonymous Quit Smoking  Beat Drug Addiction• These things are doable.

While they are definitely daunting, they'redoable.

Often if one of these is accomplished, otherthings seem much easier and will fall into place.

number 21.

Exercise several times a week.

We've stressed the "get fit" part already,but now we want to make it a little less ignorable.

Your daily or weekly routine needs to includeexercise.

It will increase your metabolic rate, controlyour weight, and you'll feel fresh the whole week.

Triple win! • Here's something concrete for you: aimfor 150 minutes of aerobic activity every week (or 75 minutes of vigorous activity)and strength training twice a week.

Even mowing the lawn counts! number 22.

Get a good night's rest.

When you sleep, your body produces cells thatfight infection, inflammation, and stress, which means that getting too little sleepor poor-quality sleep, not only makes you more prone to getting sick, but also increasesthe time you need to recover from illness.

If you're not sleeping for you, sleep foryour health! • On top of that, a study conducted by TheAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition demonstrated that, men who slept for 4 hours consumed 500more calories than, they did after sleeping for 8 hours.

If you're looking for an easy diet, here itis! number 23.

Learn how to cook.

Cooking your own meals is a wonderful experienceas you can try out different recipes while saving money at the same time.

What's more, you get to control every littlething that goes into your body.

That's really the only way to turn your dietaround! • When you cook, avoid using fatty oilsand extra add-ons.

Stick to olive oil instead of vegetable oil,butter, or margarine and keep the extra salt and cheese to a minimum.

If it doesn't taste good without it, try cookingit differently! number 24.

Maintain your personal hygiene.

Wash your hands often, especially after visitingthe bathroom at home or using the restrooms in a public place.

Germs can spread like wildfire and bring usdown in the blink of an eye.

And as if it wasn't already clear, takinga shower is a good idea too.

• When it comes to your mouth, floss andbrush your teeth and tongue after eating; food particles are often the cause of badbreath and gum disease.

Visit your dentist regularly for cleaningsand to catch any problems before they become serious.

number 25.

Bolster your immune system.

Maintaining healthy habits and a high levelof energy is difficult for anyone, who constantly battles fatigue, colds, infections, or anyother effects of a weakened immune system.

• If you can help it, try to get all yournecessary vitamins and minerals from your diet.

Supplements should only be used as a secondarymeasure.

And of course, talk to your doctor beforeyou undergo any significant changes.

 Here is some Bonus Tips for you:number 1.

Educate yourself.

Every day is an opportunity to gain a littlemore knowledge.

number 2.

Don't get stressed.

Stay calm and encourage yourself to do thingsyou have never done before.

number 3.

When you feel your body asking for a rest,listen to it.

The body is a remarkable organism, which iswell equipped to repair itself provided we take care of it.

number 4.

Try snacking on celery, it actually burnsmore calories than it gains.

number 5.

Increase your intake of antioxidants to fightthe free radicals, that have been linked to cancer, heart disease, atherosclerosis, amongother diseases.

number 6.

Be grateful.

Stop and acknowledge things you are gratefulfor at the beginning of your day and at bedtime.

This will do wonders for your emotional health.

 Please be carefull:Incorporate a new routine slowly.

You don't want to send a shock to your system.

If you're undergoing a new exercise and eatingregimen, consult your doctor.

Always exercise caution when it comes to yourhealth!.

Source: Youtube

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