Mindful Drinking: My Journey with Sunnyside

You probably don’t know this about me but for just over 2 years I’ve been tracking my alcohol use with an app called Sunnyside. This app has had a huge impact on my life and I feel it’s truly helped change my mindset around drinking and encouraged me to be more mindful in other areas of my life. I was recently on the Sunnyside Podcast talking about how I use the app, scroll down to watch or listen! For years I went out all the time to media events, product launches, restaurant openings, and parties. Most of it has been documented here! In 2020, I started to take a healthier approach to my life by going to the gym, running, and eating healthier. This was just before the pandemic, and although I stuck to my workouts, there were times during that period when I consumed more alcohol than I cared to admit. I reached a point where I decided something had to change, I wasn’t looking to go totally sober but I knew that drinking regularly was having a negative impact. I’m unsure how I found Sunnyside, but I’m glad I did. I started with a trial which included setting up text alerts, tracking dry days, and being intentional with the times I was going to consume alcohol. The trial moved to 3 months and I began paying for the app. Now, two years later, I can confidently say it’s had a huge impact. I’ve swapped all the random events for weight lifting and yoga and am much more intentional when I do attend something. Watch this video to hear my story with the Sunnyside app or listen to the podcast here on your favourite platform. Today marks 745 days with Sunnyside and I have no plans to quit the…

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Pantone: Unlocking the Language of Branding and Culture

Earlier this year at SXSW in Texas, I had the opportunity to sit down with Elley Cheng, President of Pantone. In this exclusive interview, Cheng discussed the profound impact of colour on communication and branding + shared an exciting collaboration with Grammy-nominated Tierra Whack. I also had to ask her, what’s your fav colour?! Known for its widely used colour-matching system, Pantone sees colour as more than aesthetics, it’s a language that conveys emotions, messages, and brand identities. Colour and Culture After noticing that Elley wore Pantone shoes, we discussed evolving colour trends in culture and society. Elley pointed out that colours are constantly evolving, with their meanings shifting over time. For example, the evolution of pink illustrates a dynamic relationship between colour and culture, from gender norms to millennial pink, and the evolving brand of Barbie. “Color doesn’t stay static, just as culture doesn’t stay static,” Elley mentioned how pink has “gone through a vibe shift.” What was once a colour with limited gender connotations, pink now carries diverse and complex cultural significance. Understanding these cultural shifts is an important consideration for brands as they craft their identities and messages. As Cheng emphasized, “We want to showcase the way colour can express a thought, a brand’s meaning, or what they stand for. It’s the most direct and quickest way to hit the person’s psychology.” Building a Brand with Passion Elley highlighted Pantone’s role in facilitating communication through collaborations, such as the recent partnership with Grammy-nominated rapper Tierra Whack for her album release. Working with conceptual artist Alex Da Corte, a curated palette of colours was inspired by Whack’s persona and artistic vision. This collaboration is a testament to how colour can powerfully express a brand or person’s identity. “Color and culture are very strongly tied because one creates and…

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Lavender Blu: Very Demure, Very Mindful

In a mattter of days this phrase has taken over the internet. Brat Summer is over, we’ve moved on to Demure Girl Summer. It seemed like the perfect title for a post where I visit a Lavender Farm in the country. On my recent day trip to Durham Region, we stopped at Lavender Blu Farm, a small eco-family farm that’s been making artisanal lavender products since 2007. This quaint farm is located in Seagrave, Ontario, along the Sideroads of Scugog. Their mission is all about cultivating calm, something I can totally vibe with. The farm offers a variety of events throughout the summer including yoga, painting, and lavender picking. It can also be booked as a wedding or event venue. I would love to do yoga there! I loved learning about places to visit in the Durham Region, I had no idea there were so many farms an hour away from Toronto. The area is full of great places to check out including markets, pubs, museums, and galleries, see a full list at sideroadsofscugog.ca. The studio has lavender hanging from the ceiling and features over 80 lavender-inspired products. You will feel calm the moment you walk through the doors. The whole atmosphere of the farm is relaxing. Here’s to living a calm life! P.S. If the title of this post makes absolutely no sense to you, read this and watch this. It’s a TikTok thing and it’s taking over!

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Take a Visit to The Sunflower Farm!

This week I visited The Sunflower Farm on the edge of Lake Simcoe along the backroads of Brock, Ontario. If you’ve been looking for a great summer adventure with family or friends, get to Durham ASAP. The sunflowers are only in bloom for 2 weeks! Durham Region is about an hour from Toronto and is made up of eight cities and towns; Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa, Clarington, Uxbridge, Scugog, and Brock. On my adventure with the Toronto Blogger Collective and Durham Tourism, we visited four of their scenic rural routes, A Country Path, the Leaksdale Loop, Backroad of Brock, and the Sideroads of Scugog. I will share more about each route in my upcoming posts! I truly loved visiting The Sunflower Farm! We got to meet Ursala, the farmer of this multigenerational family farm and she introduced us to the animals including the cutest little goat named Feta. The farm has thousands of sunflowers, a sunflower-shaped trail, and plenty of great spots for taking photos. You can also purchase merch or sunflowers to bring home. Planning Your Visit to The Sunflower Farm Something that made the day really special was travelling around the area with Town Trolley Tours. Our hosts, Michael and Pauline, took us to each stop in their replica “San Francisco Trolley”, sharing stories about their lives, the region, and playing tunes on request. We even had a sing-along to The Tragically Hip! You can rent the trolley for events, weddings, and more, details here. If you’re looking for a great activity to get in before the end of summer, I highly recommend taking a trip to The Sunflower Farm and North Durham. There’s lots to do in the area! Check out durham.ca to see their curated collections of farms, markets, breweries, wineries, historical sites, and attractions. You’re…

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Summertime in the City

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