Beach Date

I took myself on a beach date yesterday and it was lovely! It’s been years since I went to the beaches, and I don’t know why I haven’t done this sooner!

Found a nice little spot on the beach and started a great new book by one of my fav authors, Lisa Jewel. Felt like I needed a little escape, found out yesterday that my grandma in New Zealand passed away. She was my last living grandparent. It’s always hard when someone passes but this hits right in the heart and really makes me miss my family in New Zealand.

I walked around the neighbourhood and was reminded how cute The Beaches are. I used to live in the East End years ago.

Stopped into the store my sister works at, Charming Parrot. They have so many nice things in there! Resort wear, cute tops, beautiful silk dresses, and accessories. Say hi if you see her!

I’m planning to get back to the beach more this summer. I want to visit the island too!

Collision Conference 2022

I went to Collision Conference 2022 and it was great! I’d been once 2019 and after two years of a pandemic, it was nice to be in a conference environment. There were 35,000 attendees and 600 speakers over three days + events and more. I shared some tweets from the conference on our @FundayAgency account and soaked up as much marketing knowledge as I could.

One of my fav things was the TikTok booth, they had a 360 photo op. I loved it. See the video on Instagram.

Nelson and I attended a few sessions in the afternoon and walked the conference floor. Some of my favourite talks were Global Marketing Trends, What’s in for Gen Z This Season, Censorship in the Era of Misinformation, and the Future of Journalism. Also met TikTok & Instagram superstar, Bruce, aka @falafel.kimchi.

On Wednesday night Nadia went to the Collision After Dark party at Stackt Market. It was super fun.

On Thursday, to close out the conference, Nelson and I did four episodes of Cast of Creators, our new podcast. The first ep we did there was with Raine Maida from Our Lady Peace. We talked about web3, NFTs, connecting with his fans and more.

Collision is back in Toronto next year and if you can make it I highly recommend checking it out. I’m thinking about going to their next conference, Web Summit in Lisbon.

In other news, making our show is super fun! I can’t wait to share the first three episodes of Cast of Creators with you on July 20th. We have really laughed and had some seriously good conversations.

Bisha Toronto: Work, Stay, Play

It’s been a busy couple of weeks and I’m back with updates! Events have definitely returned and summer is here. Earlier this month we celebrated the official opening of the Bisha’s summer season, poolside on the roof. If you’re looking for a place to work, stay, and play, this is the place to be. I’ve stayed here a few times and the hotel is amazing.  

Hand fun seeing a bunch of familiar faces, many I’d not seen in 2+years, and having drinks with Miche & Nadia.

Saw Bretty Boop IRL, such a cool babe. Girl crush! Have been following her on IG for a while, check her out at @bretttyboop and find her DJing around the city.

Thank you Lori & team for the invite, hospitality, and gift bag! Had a great time and look forward to my next visit to Bisha, especially the rooftop pool. Next time I’m bringing my swimsuit!

Photo credit: @arthurmola 

May Long Weekend in Muskoka

We drove up to the cottage on Thursday night to spend the May long weekend in Muskoka. I haven’t been up North much this year but was really looking forward to a few days out of the city. It was meant to rain all weekend but Friday was a magical sunny day. I took FULL ADVANTAGE.

Went for a nice 7K walk/run in the middle of the day and it was beautiful. At Funday, we get a bonus vacation day during our birthday month so I booked mine to make an extra-long weekend.

We took the boat out and Sean wakeboarded even though the water is still pretty cold. I don’t mind being captain lol. Fun times!

With love from the woods!

Friendship Like This is a Magical Thing

Met up with Carmela for a much overdue catch-up. We met in high school and were the best of friends. One summer she spent almost the entire 2 months at my house. We danced, had parties, and got up to some mischief haha.

The last time we hung out was about 20 years ago but as soon as we saw each other it was like we never missed a day. Both of us recently got a jumpsuit from Zara kids so we wore them to match, just like old times!

Friendship like this is a magical thing. We literally laughed together from the moment we got there to the moment we left. It was nice out so we walked home and I got to see where she lives. LOVE YOU CARMELA!

Ok, I Like It, Picasso

The weather has been kinda nice and that makes me happy. Can finally wear cute outfits & transitional coats. Totally forgot about this stunning pearl duster jacket I got in New Zealand a few years ago.

Had a pretty good week. Spent Thursday/Friday at the Hvr office and Nelson and I are really getting things together for the podcast. I can’t wait to start recording!

Shoutout to Flow Water for sending over a case in honour of earth month. Flow has saved 150+ million plastic bottles from entering the environment and they’re focused on replacing plastic bottles with mostly renewable-resource-based, recyclable cartons. NICE WORK. GREAT WATER.

Saw this on my commute to the office, ok I like it, Picasso.

Gladstone House Opening 2022

Last month, I attended the opening of Gladstone House after their huge renovation. The space looks amazing! I’ve been going to the Gladstone for the last decade and it holds a lot of great memories for me. Their last reno was in 2011 and I blogged about it here.

It was great to see so many friends and familiar faces. Hadn’t seen some of those people in 2 years! Can’t wait to go back. Thank you Rockit for the invite!

It was heaps of fun Lauren and I sang karaoke w/ Tim’s Good Enough Karaoke Band! If you haven’t been to an event w/ them I highly recommend it.

After spending the last two years in a pandemic, it’s nice to go out to events again. Even though things are still not entirely back to before pandemic times, it’s nice to have somewhat of a normal experience. I’ve missed going out and being around people. I GET SO EXCITED.

Have a few events coming up this week so stay tuned for fun times!

A Different Kind of Busy

Busy at the gym, making good meals, getting good sleep, taking care of myself. Before the pandemic, I spent so much time out in the world doing things that didn’t reallllly make me happy. I was in this pattern of going out all the time, eating garbage, drinking. It was fun, at times. I still like to go out here and there, but not as often.

I’m happy being a different kind of busy.

Bingo Babes!

The other night Natalie and I went to Delta Bingo, it was FUN. We dressed up cute and got to the Friday night game starting at 7 pm. I hadn’t gone to Bingo since I was a teenager with my dad. Neither of us won anything and tbh we weren’t taking it too seriously. We ate a lot of snacks and laughed pretty much the whole time.

At one point, a very serious lady player came over to tell us the tricks of the trade. I think she was annoyed at how much fun we were having.

Would deff go back again with a few more friends. Hopefully we’ll get lucky! Bingo babes ftw.

Warmer Weather & All The Things

After what felt like the longest winter ever, spring has finally arrived! I don’t know about you, but I’m so excited for sunny days, warmer weather & all the things that come with this time of year. It’s just over a month until my birthday and this year is a big one. 🎉

One of my favourite things about spring is that it’s a time for new beginnings. Everything feels fresh and new and there’s always so much to look forward to. I love seeing the trees and flowers start to bloom and the days getting longer.

It’s a reminder that no matter how dark and cold things may get, there’s always the promise of better days ahead.

In other news I’m going to Bingo on Friday so picked up a couple of dotters for myself and a friend. I haven’t gone since I was a teenager with dad and tbh I am so excited. I’m 100 now.

It was so nice to be at the office today. I love a good IRL LOL. Requested a full-length mirror for the podcast Studio and Nelson delivered! Sometimes I can’t believe my life is real, sometimes when I look back at the day, It feels like a dream.

Go Outside. You’ll Feel Better.

Last week I was so tired. Pretty sure it was Daylight Saving time, mixed with pandemic anxiety, and maybe a little burnout. I was wiped. Slept for most of the weekend and felt much better going into this week.

IDK about you but I always feel great after I workout. You know, when your heart is pounding and you’re sweating, but you feel alive and energized? Some days I don’t feel like going but I know it will only take a few minutes for my mood to change. Also, I paid for the classes so I REALLY hate to miss one lol.

There’s something about pushing yourself physically that makes you feel alive, saying “I can do this. I am strong.” I love that feeling, it’s been great for my mental health.

If you’re feeling down or stressed out, go for a walk/run, lift some weights, or do something that gets you moving. I guarantee you’ll feel better. ✌️😊

P.S. Here’s a video of me skipping. I used to LOVE SKIPPING.

Five Good Things

It’s been a hard few months but winter is nearly behind us and hopefully this pandemic too. I’m looking forward to wearing my transitional coats, rain boots, and flowers starting to bloom. Hang in there, things are getting better.

Here are five good things helping me stay positive:

1. Connecting with friends and family. I went to see mum last week, it had been months since I’d seen her. We had a nice walk and laughed over dinner. Nothing quite like a hug from mum. LOVE YOU! 💖

2. Getting outside. Even if it’s just for a walk around the block, fresh air and vitamin D are magic. I try to run each morning but if I don’t get there, I go for a mid-day walk or an evening stroll. Longer days make all the difference. ☀️

3. Keeping busy. The gym has been keeping me busy and I’ve been planning dates with friends I’ve not seen in a while. Now that things are opening up there’s more fun to be had out in the world. 🤗

4. Practicing self-care. You don’t need to wait for the weekend to do that face mask, have a nice bath, or pamper yourself. I love a good self-care hour or evening during the week. I’m pretty dedicated to sleep lately and rarely go to bed without a calming meditation. 🛌

5. Trying something new. A friend and I have started a crypto class and Nelson and I are launching a PODCAST. YAY, NEW THINGS. 🎉 I’m pretty excited about it and it feels good to step out of (…or maybe into?) my comfort zone. I’ll share more on this soon.

Hippie Market Spring 2022

Went to the Hippie Market with Lauren & Jen last weekend. It was so fun! Honestly, if you haven’t been, you need to follow @hippiemarketlife and mark the next one in your iCal. See my posts from previous events here.

There were heaps of vendors, vintage finds, and housewares. Lauren and I got matching necklaces and we took lots of photos. Of course. Cowboy, Lauren & Brock’s new pup from Texas came too and he was a hit with everyone!

It was a really cold day but I didn’t mind the walk from home to Dundas & Ossington. The sun was shining and I felt happy in my heart! 💖 A good outfit always helps too!

I Need A New Passport Photo

This post was written by AI.

I asked GTP3 to write a blog post in my voice about getting a bad passport photo and this is what I got hahahahaha.

I recently had to renew my passport and I was absolutely mortified by the photo. I mean, it’s not like I was expecting to look like a supermodel but I definitely didn’t expect to look so terrified. At least I’ll be able to laugh about this photo for years to come. Whenever I pull my passport out to show people, I’ll be able to say “Yep, that’s really me” and watch their reactions. If you’re ever in a situation where you need a new passport photo, just know that it’s not the end of the world if it doesn’t turn out perfect. And if it does turn out bad, just try to laugh it off like I did. I’m going to get a new passport photo taken as soon as possible.

Hope you all have a great day!

What is GTP-3? Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3 (GPT-3) is an autoregressive language model that uses deep learning to produce human-like text. 🤓 ✌️