At this point, I’m committed to growing my hair. It’s going to be a long road and I consider cutting it once a day BUT I WILL NOT DO IT. Right now, I’m determined to have a cute lob (long bob) in a couple of months. This super cold winter we’ve been having has been great for hair growth because I’ve been wearing a hat almost every day!
I got a trim the other day at Sassoon and asked my stylists to recommend some tips for hair growth. Thought I would share for anyone in the same situation. Do you not just wish there was some modern version of the Peanut Butter Solution?
Here’s some style tips from Sassoonto to help your hair long and healthy. If you’re looking for short hair inspiration, feast your eyes on my Short Hair Styles Pinterest board. Heaps of looks for all different lengths from buzzcut to bob.
While we still have a few weeks left of winter, check out my Winter Hair Care Tips post from last year.
Tips for Growing Your Short Hair
Get regular trims, scissors are your friend!
Avoid heat as much as you can. If you can, air dry!
Don’t shampoo every time you shower
Cold rinse at the end of your shower. I have learned to love this!
Conditioning treatments – Pamper your hair with your hair with serums each week
Avoid hair ties, they can break your hair!
Years ago, my old boss gave her hair growth a boost by eating heating heaps of Jello. Apparently, gelatin helps hair and nails grow too! You can also take supplements (ex. Viviscal) but I haven’t tried anything just yet.
One of my tricks through the awkward stages is to do small braids, wear scarves, or throw on a hat. I’m almost at the half up/half down stage.
Scarves for the win!
Love this look.
If you have any tips of magical witchcrafy ways to make hair grow, I’m all ears!
Hope you’re having a great day! Remember, the most important person to love on Valentines is yourself! The more love you have the more you have to give.
Today I joined Cory Lee,Ish and a bunch of volunteers at NKPR for #NKPR26 where they are doing 26 Hours of Giving. We helped to pack sandwiches for #HashtagLunchbag, a global movement empowering everyday people in local communities to spread love, one lunch bag at a time. We packed over 700 lunches!
To learn more about Hashtag Lunchbag and find an event near you, visit hashtaglunchbag.org.
Tonight Sean and I are having dinner with Emily. We celebrate each other & our love all year but later this month we’re heading up to a hotel in Muskoka and going snowmobiling. It will be my first time and Sean hasn’t gone out on one in years. Yes, mum, we’ll be safe! ?
Sending you love and sunshine through the internet. Have a great day!
A few weeks ago I was looking for wireless headphones, I wanted something to wear to the gym but I wasn’t sure if I wanted noise cancelling or something else. There was a whole debate about what’s better on my Facebook page and I ended up ordering a pair of noise cancelling but they made everything…too quiet! I’m rarely in a situation where I want to silence everything, I feel safer when I can hear. I like to know what’s going on around me when I’m walking around outside, working out, or in transit.
Then something great happened! I got asked to review AfterShokz headphones with bone conduction technology in a program with PTPA. Over the next 4 months, I’ll be testing out the headphones in my daily life and sharing my experience. I was really keen to try how bone-conducting headphones work and the technology behind them.
First Impression
I can tell you right now that my first day I was pretty blown away. The cool thing is, since AfterShokz headphones don’t go IN your ear, you can still hear your music, a podcast, an emergency siren, or someone calling your name in the office. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I’m really quite into them, plus you can hardly notice when they’re on. [Don’t mind my hair it’s so wild right now!]
Comfort
Comfort is a big factor for me and these are small and lightweight, you can hardly feel you’re wearing them. I’m not that into earbuds, I’ve found most of them uncomfortable in the past. I feel like a bit of a dork telling you this but there’s been a few times I’ve had them on, forgot I was wearing them, then wondered where the music was coming from. Ha! They come with a handy carrying case for easy transport when you’re not wearing them but to be honest, you can wear them all the time with ease.
I love being able to hear what’s going on around me but also have a soundtrack to my life.
Me on Day 1 w/ AfterShokz
How Does Bone Conduction Work?
The sound is a little bit hard to explain but I like it, it feels futuristic. You can turn up the volume so you hardly hear anything around you, or keep it low and be fully tuned in to your surroundings. They also come with ear plugs if you want a noise cancelling effect but I don’t think I’ll be using those.
“Bone conduction is a natural part of the hearing process—sound travels through our eardrums and bones simultaneously. We’ve taken the concept to the next level through development of a suite of proprietary audio technologies and design patents. The result: headphones that deliver unrivaled situational awareness and comfort.
In my next post, I’ll be sharing how they are for working out now that my shoulder is better. They repel sweat and I’m gonna put that to the test. I love that you can wear them cycling or running and still feel safe and alert to sounds around you. I also have a giveaway with a pair for a lucky reader so stay tuned for that! Any questions about the sound or bone conduction technology, leave a comment or Tweet me!
Follow #ShokzSquadCAN to see what the rest of the review team is saying. ?
Over the next 4 months, I'm reviewing AfterShokz headphones in a paid partnership with PTPA (Parent Tested Parent Approved). All opinions experiences are my own and I get to keep them!
It’s a bit more work stay my sunshiney self during the winter. Today we had freezing rain that looks and feels like kosher salt. The last few weeks have involved a lot of staying inside and I wrote about a few ways to boost your mood here.
Today I had my first Light Therapy session at MOCA Toronto. It was cool!
I was here for an hour today! Light Therapy at MOCA Toronto
Light Therapy is included with your museum membership unless there is a private session booked. I had purchased a membership because I thought it was only open to members. I booked weekly sessions for the next few weeks and today I found out I have the room ALL TO MYSELF for each one!
There’s a cafe on the first floor and drinks are permitted inside the installation. There’s parking across the street and coat check on the first floor.
If you are interested in coming to check it out, please let me know. I have the room booked weekly and can bring a few people each time. We can chat or you can do your own thing!
View out to Drake Commissary
Booklets to study
Wifi and outlets if you want to work.
What is Light Therapy?
Light therapy involves exposure to intensive light under controlled conditions. The installation is designed to simulate a bright, sunny day with LEDs generating 5,600 K of low Ultraviolet, full spectrum daylight-balanced light. Everything in the room is white and you’re encouraged to wear a lab coat and white shoe covers to maintain the brightness. I am very into the lab coat. Light therapy can help with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). In winter we lack vitamin D from the sun, our skin is dry, and sometimes, depression sets in. This installation is an experiment as part of the Art in Use project and Light Therapy is by Apolonija Šušteršič.
History of Light Therapy
Light Therapy was originally produced for the Moderna Museet in Sweden in 1999, to explore how contemporary museums function as a public space, and as a social or healing device. The project was restaged at the Van Abbemuseum, The Netherlands in 2014, where Apolonija began to also consider new forms of artistic practice that are socially engaged — those which involve people and communities in debate, collaboration or social interaction. In its third iteration at MOCA, we add to this developing research, thinking about how museums might be places that support wellbeing, and more recently as spaces that support mental health.
I can’t wait till MOCA is open this summer and the park is built outside. It’s nice having this in our back yard. if you’re interested to learn more about Light Therapy, check out this resource.
Sending you warm thoughts and please let me know if you want to join me here sometime.
I don’t know if I’ve ever spent so much time at home, inside the house, as I have the past month and during the Polar Vortex. Thankfully, today our upstairs patio door is no longer frozen shut but winter is far from over. Long winters like these are often hard to get through and the constant dull weather can really bring down your mood. If you’re feeling stir crazy or craving some something to boost your mood, here are a few things I like to do to make me feel happier when the SAD kicks in.
Home Spa
Love yourself and self-care your mood to a higher frequency with a little time, DIY beautyhacks, and products. You don’t need heaps of money or fancy stuff to pamper yourself like the queen you are. I love doing masks and usually get them from Shoppers. Also recommend checking out the beauty section of Winners, they almost always have a good selection at a great price. I got this set of metallic masks to nourish, brighten, and hydrate plus an applicator brush there the other day for $7! ?
I Pinned a few DIY recipes with ingredients you probably have on hand here or scan the pin code in the Pinterest App. Make a quick body scrub by mixing your used coffee grounds with coconut oil. Or make a simple lip sugar scrub with and a combination of white/brown sugar plus olive oil/coconut oil/honey, with peppermint, lemon, grapefruit, lavender, or activated charcoal to brighten. My mum makes a GREAT, thick, face cream with marigold, frankincense from New Direction Aeromatics. I love it!
Mum has been making us this great cream the last couple years. It’s so thick and moisturizing with all natural incredients and aromatherapy oils.
Light Therapy
This helps to boost your mood, deal with SAD, and can (not an expert!) help depression. I have the Phillips Hue light system in my room that includes Hue Light Bulbs and Hue Go Lamp. I use them every single day and can set them to create the illusion of a warm spring morning or a summer sunset. I also created a custom setting to replicate natural light that makes everything seem sunnier during grey days. There’s a soft pink that’s really nice on sunny days. ??
Next week I start Light Therapy at MOCA Toronto not too far from home. It’s only available for members so bought a $50 individual membership and signed up for 1 session/week for the next 5 weeks. Can’t wait to see how it makes me feel.
Exposure to light is used as a treatment for seasonal affective disorder (SAD), milder winter blues and sleep disorders caused by jet lag and overwork, or lack of daylight. Because it has no proven side effects and everyone can use it, light therapy can improve our busy lives and make us feel happier.
I am turning into a plant lady and I love it. I’ve always been connected to nature and I love being surrounded by lush green leaves. It makes me feel warm and they inspire creativity. Plants always brighten my day and there’s always room for one more. I wrote about some planty places in this post. ?
Urban Gardener on Dupont
Urban Gardener on Dupont
Urban Gardener on Dupont
Some of my plants!
Get A Glow
I absolutely love a sun-kissed glow but it’s a little hard to get naturally when you live in temperatures like Toronto winter. Obviously, vacation is the ideal situation but that’s not always an option.??? I’m a big fan of St. Tropez products, you can get them at Shoppers. beautyBOUTIQUE. I’ve been using this brand for years and use the products year round. My favourite for a nice bronze boost is the Classic Tan. For a slight glow on light skin try the Bronzing Water Mist. If you want a deeper tan, the Extra Dark will have you ready for the beach.
Bronzing Water Mist, light glow
Classic Bronzing Mousse, my fav.
Extra Dark Tan, this is what I use for vacation.
Exercise
Get ff the couch. Go outside. Do some situps. Make a Pinterest board of exercises you might do. Take a walk. I’m trying to learn to love the gym and am getting back into yoga after my shoulder injury. I have to woek at not letting things get in the way but I like how working out it makes me look and feel.
Exercise is good we all know this, but most of us (deff me) need a reminder to get in gear. You got this.
Organize
No really. Over the last month (with the help of the Marie Kondo documentary) I organized almost everything in the house and I feel good. I hardly ever show photos of our house because, to be honest, it’s not always spotless and until recently, there was stuff everywhere. I started with the pantry, moved to the kitchen drawers, closets, clothes, under the bed ( was hiding a lot of clothes here), and Emily’s room. We’re not 100% done but the ball is rolling. I find clutter clouds my brain and stresses me out. I am a recovering hoarder, I used to keep everything! I’m having less stuff is bringing me joy because everything has a place now and I can get to it with ease.
It might seem daunting at first but start with something small and go from there.
My newly organized and much smaller closet.
New organizing magazine. I can’t be stopped!
Next space I’m looking to renovate is the entryway.
Hope you find this useful or inspiring. I’m sending you sunshine thorough the internet!
