ROLLERCOASTER DAY

Some days I have it all together and others I am just a mess. This morning I woke up and started planning my outfit for Booby Ball on Friday in support of ReThink Breast Cancer. I left the house feeling positive and ready to attend a talk with the Rebel Mamas on talking to kids about cannabis put on by Drug-Free Kids Canada & Aphira. Dropped my stuff off at the office grabbed my ‘Rebel Mama’ clutch and jotted down the street to be there for 11am and GUESS WHAT?! The restaurant said ‘CLOSED’, not like, just for the day, closed as not-yet-a-functioning-establishment-closed. Checked the email again, then the initial DM. Location changed. I could have easily gone to the right location but it was too late now. Or, had I not left the house, I could have casually worked from home until late afternoon. Urghhhhhh. And I stepped in a puddle, in Converse. I’d planned to stop by Dollerama so I went there to get some supplies for Friday’s costume. Grabbed a sandwich. Set up my computer at the office. Stared at the screen. Felt garbadgey. LIFE IS SO EMOTIONAL. I considered going home again but I’ve got hair…

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Interview: Vocab Comm Influencer Tuesdays

I recently did an interview w/ Chrissy, longtime friend, OG PR, and founder of Vocab Comm. I talk about the social media landscape, influencers, and my career. I included part of the interview below, read the whole thing here. Chrissy used to host MMVA and celebrity gifting lounges at the beginning of social media, we worked together on a few. This was a fun one. Tell us a little about yourself. I grew up in Cambridge, Ontario. My parents immigrated here from New Zealand and my dad had a custom Hot Rod shop growing up. I created my first business in grade 2 and at 14 I wrote a book and started a publishing company. I went to Conestoga College and last year was given an Alumni Award for my work from the President of the college. I went to university in Australia and have a B. Com in International Business. I have lived in Toronto since 2005 when I started my blog. Through my blog, I’ve built some amazing brand partnerships (Pepsi, Telus, Aeroplan, Sassoon) and traveled to incredible amazing places in the world (Thailand, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Disneyland). How do you define an influencer? I think the…

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Portugal Pt.2: Sintra & The Yellow Castle

I went to Sintra, Portugal, the most romantic place! The true romance was really how great this blazer matched the Pena Palace.  I bought it just before leaving Toronto knowing full well that it would match perfectly. Ha! Aeroplan was open to me picking the places I wanted to visit for this trip and Sintra was top of my list. It’s a small resort town in the foothills of the Sintra Mountains, about a 20min Uber from Lisbon. It’s amazing how close this is to Lisbon and yet so different than the city. There are a couple beaches nearby, but unfortunately, I didn’t make it there. Casa do Valle I stayed at a beautiful place in Sintra about a 10 min walk from the centre of the tourist area. I booked it almost 2 months ahead and paid $149.42 CAD the garden suite near the pool. When I check to extend my stay there, it was almost double the price. Book early! Get $40 if you use this booking.com link.  Casa do Valle is owned by a family from Finland, they built it to have family stay with them but they didn’t come so they turned it into a bed and breakfast. We met them they…

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Portugal Pt. 1: What to Do in Lisbon

Portugal is amazing! My trip with Aeroplan this month was great and if you were following on social you’ll know because I posted heaps of photos!  The air was hot, the food was good, and I found inspiration in the bright colours and kind people. I took over 2,000 photos and kept notes during the trip. I did a bunch of research before I left and have been asked heaps about recommendations, so, I’ve broken down my trip into 5 posts based on things I did, which is only a fraction of what there is to do. Next trip I’ll rent a car and drive around to see the Algarve, Braga, Cascais, Coimbra, Aveiro (the Venice of Portugal), and the historic town of Óbidos. I’d like to take a second to thank Telus for keeping me connected. I have an Easy Roam package on my plan where for the cost of a coffee & snack each day I could use the data of my Canadian plan without having to worry about roaming. It’s great to disconnect but for me, being able to still share my experience as it happens is part of the fun! Links to other Portugal Posts are at the bottom and I’ll…

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