Hello, and welcome to my blog “Celiac & the 6ix”. If you’re just meeting me for the first time, my name is Ashley and I’ve been living the gluten free life now for over a decade. Yes, I have Celiac Disease but I will reserve my story for a post later on. 

I bet you’re probably wondering how the name Celiac & the 6ix came to be. My boyfriend Daniel and I were casually kicking back some cider and brainstorming over a Toronto Maple Leaf game at our local bar. I said the name out loud and I instantly knew it was perfect for me. In case you were wondering, “6ix” stands for Toronto and is a term coined by local rapper Drake. Perhaps you’ve heard of him!

I always love learning about people through fun facts so I thought why not share 31 things about me for my first post. That’s one fact for every year I’ve been here on this lovely planet. Without further suspense…

31 Fun Facts About Me

1. I charm people into getting discounts or free items.
2. I’ve been living the celiac life since 2005.
3. I purchased my first home in 2016 with my boyfriend of 6 years (almost).
4. Speaking of my boyfriend, we met at the gym. I actually gave him the cold shoulder the first time he attempted to speak to me. Somehow it all worked out. 
5. I grew up north of Toronto, in suburban Vaughan. If you don’t know where that is, think of Canada’s Wonderland and Vaughan Mills. 
6. I cannot apply makeup for the life of me yet I am VIB Rouge member at Sephora year after year. Figure that one out. 
7. My family is Italian, and yes the pasta obsession is real. 
8. I am slightly addicted to learning and personal development. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Law/Sociology from York University, a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Queen’s University, a French Language Certificate from Humber College and most recently, a certificate in Project Management from the University of Toronto.
9. I am super clumsy, I honestly can trip over air. Somehow I’ve only managed to escape with bruises, never broken bones.
10. I’ve never had a cavity. I bet a lot of you envy this one!
11. I am a huge Toronto Maple Leafs fan and was featured as a fan on an episode of Leafs Nation Out Loud. If you have Facebook you can watch the video here.
12. I am the pickiest meat eater. I typically won’t eat anything on a bone. Consumption of red meat is a rarity for me unless it’s bacon. 
13. I’ve been in 8 bridal parties, twice as a flower girl, six as a bridesmaid to date. Not yet my own… 
14. I am a first time dog owner. Prior to taking home my goldendoodle Frankie I’ve only had small pets like fish and bunnies. 
15. I prefer sweets to savoury tastes always. 
16. I am a social butterfly, I have a ton of friends and sometimes I find it difficult to juggle seeing them all.  
17. I am extremely bad at sports (and dance). I’ve tried jazz, swimming, basketball and tee ball growing up, I excelled in none of them. 
18. I laugh in haunted houses and am not the least bit spooked out. Daniel on the other hand…Shhh!
19. I’ve worn glasses since I was 3 and only started wearing contacts just over two years ago.
20. I leased my first car at age 29, a white Volkswagen Jetta.
21. I cannot stand grapefruit, I think it is disgusting. 
22. I also cannot swim. Yup, one of you will have to save me if I’m drowning.
23. Although I like to cook, I learned to bake first and will always prefer baking.
24. My favourite tv shows are This is Us, How to Get Away with Murder & Suits.
25. My favourite movies of all time are Mean Girls, Wedding Crashers and 27 Dresses.
26. My favourite pizza toppings are mushrooms and black olives. I’m seriously obsessed with all kinds of mushrooms.
27. I win a lot of contests. From Leaf tickets to a trip to NYC to a Google home mini, the items are endless. I promise there are no hidden horseshoes.
28. I wanted to be a lawyer back in the day until the LSAT and I didn’t quite get along. Grad school was more of a match for me.
29. My favourite restaurants in Toronto are Terroni & Impact Kitchen.
30. I once touched Chris Martin at the Coldplay concert as he walked through my section. 
31. I am a sleuth. Not as bad as Joe Goldberg in “You” creep, think more Nancy Drew and solving mysteries. I know how to put two and two together and can dig up dirt if need be :).

Well, there you have it. Although my focus will always remain gluten free food and lifestyle, sometimes you’ll see me open up more about real life issues that you might be able relate to. I hope you’ve enjoyed these fun facts!