Live Different-- Eat a Cupcake

Cupcakes-- they are just the best.

Seriously, they are deliciousness just for you in a cute wrapper, sky high frosting, and decorated to be the cutest edible thing you've laid your eyes on. Part of the cuteness obviously comes from their size—they are just handheld and adorable. Can you imagine how much I would be gushing over mini cupcakes?!!? Let’s not get started on that one!

If you follow my blog, or have ever had even a single conversation with me, you know that my wonderful husband and I absolutely love, support, and are involved with the organization Live Different. Based out of our now home Hamilton, Ontario, Live Different is a youth empowerment organization who strives to teach the upcoming generation that life is about people, not stuff. They teach those in high school they can make a difference, they should strive to show kindness, and they truly can be the change they wish to see in the world.

Live Different has a program called the Live DifferentAcademy. The Live Different Academy is a program designed for students during their gap year (the year between finishing high school and starting their post secondary education). Most of the students who take part in the Academy have either seen the Live Different Motivational presentations at their high school, have participated in a Hero Holiday, or have been looking for a fun, educational, and life changing opportunity to take part in before they head back to school for the new few years of their lives.

The Live Different Academy has the students follow a Social Justice curriculum while spending half of their year ‘on the road’ performing the motivational presentations to high school students, and the other half of the year living in Mexico at Live Different’s base where they will build houses in the community they live, work alongside local individuals and participate in ‘the shack’ where they will live like most of the world lives—on less than $2 a day. Needless to say, the Live Different Academy is a program unlike any other an individual can take part in.

The individuals taking part in the program are exceptional students who have overcome their own adversity in life and willingly take the opportunity to share their struggles and new-found positive attitude on living life with their peers during the high school presentations. These students are brave, honest, and truly will change the world.

Live Different asked me to bake something delicious for their Academy graduation event and I took the opportunity to combine my love for Live Different and cupcakes into one. For their event I baked up over a hundred cupcakes in a few fun flavors. Those who attended the event enjoyed the following from-scratch creations:

Vanilla Funfetti cupcake with Coconut Lime Frosting

Classic Chocolate cupcake with Nutella Cloud Frosting

Fresh Strawberry cupcake with Fresh Strawberry Buttercream
Each cupcake was topped with a hand-painted fondant heart showcasing the Live Different heart logo.

Both the graduates and the other individuals in attendance enjoyed the cupcakes and I was so honored to be able to contribute to this momentous occasion in a way that also shares with them both my passion for baking and the appreciation I have for them as individuals who are committed to a living a life focusing on others before themselves.

Cupcake tower at grad.

*Special thanks to Meagan Tuttu-Peters for some of the lovely shots! Check out her blog!
*Note: This was the final year of the program with both living in Mexico and going 'on the road' as part of one program. Starting this fall, individuals will have the opportunity to apply for each portion separately--depending which part suits their skills, learning goals and future plans.