Vancouver: Hello from the other side!

Hi! I was up early and out the door about 5:30am, arriving in Vancouver just after 9:30am PST. Driving to the hotel it was clear today was going to be beautiful! It’s MUCH different from my last visit in March when it was cold & snowy! When I’m travelling for work I try to get there with a few hours to spare so I can relax, nap, eat, get some computing done, or check out the area. Fellow #TeamTelus friend, Christine (lifeonmanitoulin.com) was on my flight. so her and I decided to check out the area. We walked along the sea wall past parks and people until we got to Cactus Club Cafe. We’d been in Van for less than an hour before we found a great patio and refreshing cocktail.  I have a real knack for this haha. Our waitress said we had to check out the award-winning Bella Gelateria for gelato and MY GOD IT WAS FREAKING AMAZING. I almost always get chocolate and this was truly one of the BEST I’ve had in my life. There were chunks of brownies. I can taste this photo. The view from the Westin Bayshore is beautiful. My room overlooks the pool with mountains in the background. I popped down to the pool to sit in the shade, catch up on emails, and read my book in the pool. Tomorrow is a full day of activities with Telus and I’m excited to see what we get up to. I’m heading out tonight to meet the team for dinner. It’s so nice out, planning to leave early and walk.

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Crawl into your creative cave and come out a butterfly.

I was so looking forward to being in the city this weekend. We’ve been away for almost every weekend since March! I got a few things done around the house and took some good time to fully relax. It feels great! We all need days like this. After watching The Wedding on Saturday at Windsor Arms, I came home, changed into sweatpants, sat on my bed, opened my computer, and set up my iPad. It was the perfect day to chill. Tbh, I love sitting at home, quietly, on the couch or in my bed. I’ve got a great little setup using a small table I made last year. I originally found it on Etsy but was crazy expensive on Etsy so I made it myself! It’s great it for sitting or working in bed, and as a footrest at the desk. For my mouse, I use a book or a marble board I got at The Drake General Store. Another thing I use in my ‘bed office’ is this iPad holder from Umbra. I shared it in a gift guide video a couple years back (video). It’s $20 at Umbra but sold out and $35 on Amazon. ? The rest of the weekend I watched  The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon Video (good show!) and caught up on the Y&R. Drove to the beach with Sean. Hung out with some friends in Trinity Bellwoods. Did some fireworks, played with sparklers. It was the perfect city weekend! This week I’m in Vancouver with #TeamTelus.  I can’t wait! We’ve got 2 days of activities with the Canada-wide Telus influencer gang. Most of us are staying at the beautiful Westin Bayshore, the view looks amazing. My flight is super early so I arrive with plenty of time to explore before we all meet up for dinner. As usual, I’m leaving packing to…

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San Francisco: 5 Great Things to Do

There’s no shortage of things to do in San Francisco, you have the water, the Wharf, the city, parks the hills, and over 3,500 restaurants. The key is finding a few ways to see the city with enough time to explore. If I’m on a short trip to a new city, I like to pick 3-5 things I really want to see and give myself lots of time to do it. That way I can leave early in the day and take the scenic route, enjoy meals, take streets without a map, and follow the sunshine. In this list, you’ll find five great things to do in San Francisco if you’re on a short trip but want to see a lot. I’ve also included my runner-up for street art and FOOD.  Fisherman’s Wharf & The Grotto  There is no shortage of great food in SF but if you’re looking for fresh (and sustainably served) seafood, you’ll want to book a table here. The Grotto was first opened in 1935 and the first sit down restaurant at Fisherman’s Wharf. It’s recently been renovated, restoring many of the original features, giving a modern touch to the 1930’s decor. Here you’ll find great views of the bay, the bridge, and boats while taking in the incredible menu by Executive Chef Paul Bruno. Make sure you check out the new beehive on the roof as you walk in the dining area, it’s not be missed! Golden Gate Bridge & Alcatraz Tour I was keen on getting to Alcatraz and biking across the bridge but found myself a bit short on time. I found the perfect way to get some sun and see the sighs from the water with Blue & Gold Boat Tour. Over the course of an hour, you’ll get a great view of the city from the bay, get up close to the bridge…

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You’re like 9 to 5, I’m the Weekend

I am so happy it’s finally NICE OUT. I know I’ve been a bit quiet and not posting as much the last couple weeks but I needed a break. Sometimes I go through stages where I don’t feel like sharing my life online. It can honestly be kind of overwhelming. Last week we spent 6 days at the cottage and it was just the reset I needed. This weekend we’re heading back up for 3 days and I’m going to do some gardening with Sean’s mum. I think it’s important to recognize when you need a break. I’m feeling a bit more inspired to wrote and share. I’ve been working on a few things behind the scenes with 1188 and other clients. On a side note, the tray and plates in the first post were on sale at Loblaws, I love them! This weekend I’ll spend some time catching up on posts and fill you in on what I’ve been up to.  

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Be happy where you are, this is once where you wanted to be.

I was sitting here feeling a bit of Monday blerghs and then I looked at my computer and around me and said: “WTF, stop it!”. Actually out loud to myself. I’m working from home and I’m drinking a coffee I made downstairs with the patio door open and my plants are in the sun while I look at my little space and suddenly think I will eventually need a sliding door repair for my patio as the latch is becoming stuck more often than not, but that’s a different days job. I spent most of yesterday updating my speaker’s agency profile information sitting in my room watching Netflix. THIS IS ONCE WHAT I DREAMED OF. Ok, it’s not all roses and rainbows but I wanted to be here. I worked hard for this. I put in hours and days and years of work to get here and I have nothing to be so damn salty about. Sometimes all you need to do is remind yourself this is right where you wanted to be and fully be IN that moment.The sun is out and I am feeling good. It’s easy to get down or distracted and feel like your neverending list of tasks is piling up but there is a lot you can be grateful for. I talked to a friend this morning and a reminded her to make a list of things she’d already done, then she wouldn’t feel bad about the other list she had been meaning to do. There is enough time in the day or week to do the things you need to do. Some of the things I want to get done are not necessarily what I need to get done. Ex. my hair is a shag and the house is a little messy but that’s…

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