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!

View Post

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…

View Post

The Role of Travel in Healing from Breakups       

Table of contents 

View Post

Speaking: AI’s Impact on The Travel Industry

Daydreaming at the White Lotus hotel in Maui…🪷☀️🌴 Daydreaming for real because I used photos, magic, & AI to go there! On May 22nd during Toronto Tech Week, I’m speaking on a panel about AI’s Impact on The Travel Industry. Look forward to sharing my thoughts about AI as a marketer & content creator. Details here. I was at the Social Next conference about a week ago and the whole theme was AI in marketing. I’m fired up for this travel talk, it’s gonna be a spicy conversation! AI & Content Creation Now, how did I make it look like I was in Maui using artificial intelligence and a green screen? No Gatekeeping! I started with an image of me on a green screen, grabbed photo from the Four Seasons Hotel in Maui website (where White Lotus S2 was filmed), then pasted myself on the balcony. I added a filter using InShot app to the entire image (me + balcony)to make it look more of a vibe and like it was actually taken that way. In order to make the landscape photo fit into a square for Instagram, I used a technique called ‘outpainting’ to fill in in the top and bottom of the image with AI. The app I used for this is called Photoleap, you can also do this in Photoshop using Generative Fill. It’s amazing what can be done, but is it cool or is it scary? What does this mean for content? Content creators? Brands? Travel companies? How can AI be used effectively for travel? If you’d like to learn more about AI or join to our talk about AI & the travel industry, register here. P.S. As I was checking the SEO for my post, looks like I can now use AI to write meta…

View Post

Sailing in Bahamas 2024

I went sailing in Bahamas! Earlier this month I flew south to spend a week with mum on their boat in the Exuma, Bahamas. It was so beautiful! From the moment I saw that blue water I knew I was somewhere special! I flew from TO to Atlanta then landed at the Exuma airport on a sunny Friday afternoon. My driver was there waiting to deliver me to the parents in George Town, Bahamas. They picked me up and we took the. little dinghy over to their sailboat. The next day we sailed 4 hours to Lee Stocking Island to spend a few days in this stunning + remote location. It was stunning! We went to an island with iguanas and then to another island where we had the beach all to ourselves! Grateful for my friend Danica, designer of Bathing Belle swimsuits for hooking mum and I up with these GORGEOUS swimsuits. Every suit I wore on this trip was by Bathing Belle, her shop is is in Roncesvalles, Toronto and you should totally check it out. She’s got tons of prints & styles, you can get a custom suit, or have your suit adjusted to be the perfect fit. Highly recommend! I’ve posted about Bathing Belle before here.

View Post

Art Basel Miami

I spent a week in Miami with the Weaver & Loom team to attend Design Miami, Art Basel, and host two lunches for interior designers at the 1 Hotel. Scroll down for a gallery of my favs from Art Basel. I love Miami! I really enjoyed Design Miami, great event with so many cool boots. Each day was really busy so I didn’t hit up much of the nightlife. I went to the beach in the mornings before to put my feet in the ocean and soak up a little bit of sunshine. Our hotel was a block away from the beach and we also had a nice pool. It wasn’t crazy hot but coming to Miami from Toronto winter, it was warm to me!

View Post

Venice Film Festival

At the start of September, Sean and I flew to Italy for the Venice Film Festival. His immersive documentary, Spots of Light was accepted into the Venice Film Festival competition! It was also my first time in Italy! We arrived in style with an Official Festival car picking us up from the airport and taking us to the airport boat dock. I’d been dreaming of taking a fancy water taxi and arriving just like Lady Gaga’s iconic arrival in 2018. It was close to that, aside from the paparazzi and me dangling my feet off the side of the boat lol. We arrived at the Excelsior Hotel (where all the celebrities are dropped off!) and were whisked away to another festival driver for hotel delivery. I was loving every moment!

View Post

The Perfect Glamping Getaway

If you’re looking to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and immerse yourself in nature, glamping in Ontario is the perfect solution! Combining the comforts of modern amenities with the tranquility of the outdoors, glamping offers a unique and luxurious experience. To ensure that your glamping trip is a success, here are some helpful tips to keep in mind.

View Post

What to do in Niagara Falls?

What to do at Niagara Falls? When we think of Niagara Falls, our minds instantly wander to the group of three waterfalls that span the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The image we have in our heads has been printed on millions upon millions of postcards and sent around the world by the estimated 13 million visitors that go each year. Niagara Falls is a unique location and has a lot more to offer than just the waterfalls. The great thing about a trip to Niagara Falls is that you can do so heaps of activities in a short period of time. If you’re looking to get the most out of your weekend away, here’s a list of five of the best things to do. Horseshoe Falls Horseshoe Falls is the largest of the three main waterfalls in Niagara and even though it is an obvious pick, your trip would not be complete without a visit. Additionally, if you want to experience the falls firsthand, you can take a boat trip and get upfront and centre. Be ready to get a little wet! Gambling When it comes to nightlife, gambling is something that is at the heart of Niagara Falls, on both sides of the river! There’s a great selection of casinos so you won’t find it difficult to find one you like. If you’re in the mood for gambling, try your hand at online sports betting. You can take in the excitement of a game and the activities of Niagara Falls at the same time. A win-win to me! Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens & Butterfly Conservatory Horseshoe Falls is spectacular, but if you are looking for the perfect peaceful follow-up, then head on over to Niagara…

View Post

South Western Ontario Road Trip!

This week I’m making my way from Toronto to Cambridge, then to Leamington, Ontario visiting my family along the way. I’m really excited to visit my dad’s new house. He’s lived there for 2 years and I’ve never been! Leamington is the most southern point in Ontario, on the same latitude as Northern California, with a slightly warmer climate than Toronto. The last time I saw dad was in the summer when he came to the city in his hot rod. I’m looking forward to hanging out tomorrow and exploring the area. Ford Canada lent me a 2020 Ford Edge for the week. This vehicle is a great compact SUV, it’s good on gas, has a great system, and I’m in love with the heated steering wheel. I’ll share a more thorough review of the car after my trip this week. I drove around the city quite a bit this past weekend visiting my sister, hanging with friends, and helping a friend move some new furniture. Today I’m going to my hometown (Cambridge, ON) to spend some time with mum. I can’t wait to see the house renovations and spend the night in my childhood home. It’s always an adventure at home, especially going through my old stuff in the basement. It takes about 4 hours to get to dad’s from Toronto so I’ve downloaded Jessica Simpson’s ‘Open Book‘ on Audible and I can’t wait to listen. I’ll also catch up on The Papaya Podcast and listen to my favs on Spotify. I love road trips and being in the car by myself. The last time I took a long solo drive was in New Zealand two years ago. It’s a great way to clear your head and get some perspective. I’m hoping to come back with a few new…

View Post