Happy Birthday: Gimmie Some Sugar!

Gimme Some Sugar
Brazilian - Sugar - Brow - Wax
Beauty Boutique
385 10233 Elbow Dr SW

Happy 1st Birthday Gimme Some Sugar!

After years of a nomadic lifestyle while growing her business and with over 10 years of hair removal experience, entrepreneur Maika Schulz and her beauty boutique Gimme Some Sugar has finally found its own permanent home in beautiful Calgary! 

I found Gimme Some Sugar 4 years ago when I was looking for a better alternative to naturally removing unwanted hair. I wasn’t pleased with dealing with waxes, chemicals or the idea of having to spend thousands on hair treatments…so after some research on what exactly ‘sugaring’ was, I booked my first appointment with Maika the sugarista and experienced how absolutely wonderful being sugared was compared to anything else I've tried in the 'hair removing realm'!

@Nikitaromane, @Maika_gimmesomesugar & myself @lov3stia : for a beautiful afternoon interview. 

For those who have no idea what 'Sugaring' is or looks like:

"The sugar (for sugaring) is a paste made of sugar, water and lemon juice. We wear gloves to protect ourselves and our clients and smooth the ball of sugar onto your skin. The sugar seeps into the follicle and lubricates the hair into coming out! There is no breakage, no tearing of the skin (because it doesn’t stick to live skin cells) but does help you slough off all the dead skin! It’s like a double treatment where you get both exfoliation and hair removal. " - (Maika) 

Maika Schulz:
The boss lady behind it all. A bit of why and when she began her sugaring journey:

"I was working at Westjet (in Winnipeg) at the time. I was a client of a wax technician there and a friend had suggested that I try the sugaring and simply fell in love. Soon after, I had transferred here (to Calgary) with Westjet. Transferring here, I was going through a divorce and wanted a fresh start. I started sugaring from home, very part-time. Myself, my sister and a few friends made up the clientele. Then it got busier so I slowly began working less Westjet hours and putting in more sugaring hours until I got busy enough that I could quit Westjet all together. I worked out of my home for 5 years. June (of 2016) will mark 11 years that I’ve been sugaring now.

I have 8 people on staff. All of my staff members are actually long time clients. It has never been about the money for me. I believe in “Build it, and they will come” I don’t want anyone here who doesn’t love what they do. "

Pictured above is one of the rooms where all the magic happens. By magic I mean services such as: Sugaring (For ladies & bros aka the Brozillian!), waxing, microblading and lashes!

DID YOU KNOW?!:
"Sugaring is very temperature sensitive. Each room has its own fan or A/C unit. It really is a science. Our sugar actually comes from a business out of Winnipeg, where I am from. It was a small mom and pop business that just grew and I really wanted to support that." (Maika)

image by: @niazlove

There are a multitude of products that Maika so proudly displays in her shop. Everything that we've picked up and sniffed had beautiful packaging, perfectly catering to the branding of Gimme Some Sugar. For your chance to explore their products and provided services check out their : Anniversary Special Promotions below!

" 🎉🎊 We want to celebrate with YOU and to thank you we have some amazing promotions all day today 💋
1.We will be gifting a bath bomb to the first 17 people that have a service booked and completed with us❣
2.Candy Bar and Champagne🍾🍬
3. Plume $20 off + Gift with purchase 👛
4. GIFT CARD Promotion (hint its time sensitive)
*spoiler!! flash sale 12-2pm & 6-8pm online and in store):
$10 extra on every $50 spent to a max of $200. Minimum of $50. Only to be used on future services.💋" 
 (via @gimmesomesugarcalgary)

@ilovemymuffofficial

@Coalandcanary

@sponegellebeyondcleansing

Now you’ve heard about people who are so passionate about what they do, that you simply cannot help but be inspired by them. Maika is one of these people. She believes so fiercely in empowerment and the simplicity of making someone feel good about themselves. For bubbly Maika; this is power. That is how she defines success.

"This business chose me and I have so much gratitude for it because I could have been in a different place. It chose me because it believed that I could build it. I truly love what I do. Everything is handpicked with love; from the staff to the décor. If I could pass along any sort of wisdom to an aspiring entrepreneur, it would be this: 

Pick one, maybe 2 things and make sure that you do them really, really well. If you don’t love what you do, then do something else."

---

Happy Birthday Gimme Some Sugar, may your team & you have many more fabulous years of celebrating to check off! 

xx
Nikita Romane(@Nikitaromane & Esther Lam (@Lov3stia)

6 Reasons to Switch to Spud

As you all may or may not know, I have recently challenged myself to 30 days of a 'pescotarian' lifestyle. (AKA: I eat like a vegetarian but I also include seafood) Rather than going out to a traditional grocery store that is very limited in fresh produce, I decided to give Spud.ca a go. 

A couple weeks ago, I attended the spud.ca open house and found myself falling in love with their values and way of life, so I wanted to share with you; my 6 reasons to make the switch to spud.ca!

1) FRESH. ORGANIC. PASSIONATE for health:
Now... I don't know about you but I LOVE knowing where my food comes from. With my brief studies in nutrition, I've learned to become more aware of what I should or shouldn't be putting in my body. Food is fuel and like a car, it's important to choose the right 'fuel' for the vehicle, and in this case... our body is the vehicle that carries us through life. SPUD's commitment of only offering quality, organic, wholesome products and produce can give you peace of mind and confidence with the food you're choosing. For reference, click here to see their "List of Banned Ingredients". 

2) ENJOY A DAY OFF (Save time + $) :
 I'm taking my grocery time back and turning that into whatever else I wish to do now (more happy cooking time is one thing on my list to start)! Most of my friends take a solid 3+ hrs to drive, shop, drive, unload, cook each week, but now with SPUD I have it delivered directly to my house with love and care once a week, and its just a wonderful thing.  In addition,  shopping with SPUD allows me to better budget my spending on groceries. For anyone who is wondering if the price VS value is comparable due to the home delivery option... I found most items were priced on par, if not they are just the tiniest bit more expensive because of their organic/non-gmo (which is typically more expensive in general). When I calculate together the time I save because of this subscription and how it supports my budgeting, it all evens out and I still remain on the happier end of things with the saved time. Being able to shop online also means fewer impulse buys so that I can stay on-track with my health and budgeting goals. 

3) MEAL PLAN wins:
Seriously, meal planning can be so much easier now because you get to coordinate the ingredients you purchase to what you want to make. A problem that I have had in the past, is envisioning my meal only to be disappointed with the shopping experience. This usually ends with me having to go back to the drawing board or settling. I'm not stoked for either or... so instead, I get to look at their list of seasonal produce and gain the benefits of "eating seasonally". Did you know in-season produce is fresher, sweeter and has a higher nutritional value and better flavor? 

 

KOMBUCHA LOVER?!
You NEED TO CHECK TRUEBUCH OUT: 
I love True Buch SO SO SO MUCH and I am so happy to have met them at the open house! They are a local kombucha brewery in Calgary which offers refillable kombucha around the city when you purchase one of their beautiful glass bottles (available in 33 oz or 64 oz) . For less than $11-20, you can have a week+ worth of kombucha instead of a bottle at a time! 

Macarons to my door? Yes please! @Monplaisirdelicacies

Coffee drinker at home? How about Rosso coffee beans to your door too? @RossoCoffeeRoasters

VIABAR : organic superfood bars of goodness to keep your energy flow throughout the day! Gluten free, high source of fibre made with raw seeds and grains. 

LIGHT CELLAR : curator of superfoods all around the world, available to deliver to your door. 

Do you know how many nutrients are in these tiny little micro-greens?!
@Hotchkiss

Gelato, GELATO, YYC GELATO  ~ tis' the season for Christmas flavors, available to be delivered to your door! @FIASCO

4) SUPPORT small businesses: 
They bring in many vendors from local to surrounding cities and I'm a big supporter when it comes to growth of small businesses around me. When I purchase from a local vendor, I feel like I'm supporting a friend and their goals. I met many incredible small businesses owners at the open house and I left feeling connected, happy and purposeful with each dollar I spent. (Win win purchases!) 

5) COMMUNITY LOVE: 
SPUD is resourceful and supportive of a multitude of different "organizations" in and around the city. During my tour at SPUD's Calgary office, I learned that the delivery bins that contain your orders have a dual purpose! They are also used to collect clothing, toys and other household items to be delivered to neighbourhood charities in need which makes my heart go 'Yay!'.

6) EARTH <3 : 
When I used to work in the food industry, it often broke my heart when I witnessed a ridiculous amount of 'food waste' that went on behind the scenes. I mean, in the business aspect in America, I understand why - however being someone who just never 'got used to' the idea of food waste, it really doesn't sit right with me. SPUD realized that and set up a program where local food banks are on the receiving end of items that don't meet their 100% consumer guarantee. Whatever does not make it to your doorstep or to a food bank finds itself in organic compost which is then returned back to local farmers for use!

If you're interested in giving them a go:

Use code:
CRCAL-LAMEST
for $20 off your first purchase of $50+

xo

Esther