Spring Style: Highlights are BACK!

Yesterday I went to Sassoon Toronto for a much overdue hair appt! That was all me, I’d been delaying getting a cut to let it grow a bit longer and give me more roots. I am growing it out from shaving my head last summer. I met with Kim & Tricia, who I like to call the blonde dream team! I interviewed Kim a couple month ago about taking care of your hair, see that post here. She is a blonde WIZARD. This visit, I asked her what’s trending for hair right now and she said that looks for cut and colour are going back to basics, classic looks, freehand painting. They’re doing more highlighted looks but instead of the traditional highlights (we all had as teenagers), the sections are more interesting, geometrical. As a blonde, highlights take a little longer to do but the colour process is quicker than full bleach, also not as hard on your hair. Kim did mine in a sideswipe diagonal at the front and it was cool to watch. Kim told me balayage is still popular, given it is super low maintenance. Something to remember is it takes precision to have your hair done well, highlights should line up and balayage takes specific painting skills.   I love the Sassoon SS18 Collection images. Check them out here for inspiration. I especially love the image below with the pink background, swoon.  [symple_testimonial by=”” fade_in=”false”]“Sassoon plays with natural hair by enhancing the beauty of original texture, functionality and colour in the hair. This season, Sassoon is manipulating the form of hair by utilizing classic techniques from the inside out, literally, changing the look of hair by looking from within.” Lorraine McAndrew, Toronto Senior Creative Director[/symple_testimonial] Tricia finished with my haircut, leaving the little bits on the side and not taking too…

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Settling Back Into Work Mode

This week I have two Mondays. I woke up about 7am Monday in Auckland, NZ and flew to San Francisco in the afternoon. Then we travelled back in time, and here I am experiencing Monday morning again in San Francisco. It’s 8:30am now and my flight is at 12:30pm. The wifi is great. Luckily for me, I’m someone who looks forward to Monday, it always brings new opportunity and you never know what will happen. I’m glad to have North American power outlets, walk on the right (not left) side of the halls, and Starbucks everywhere. The wifi here is also great and I’m really glad to sit at my computer and settle back into work mode. Since I’ve been on vacation for the first part of the year I kinda feel like I’m only starting 2018 now. Well, when I get home and wake up in my own bed. I’m excited for what this year will bring. I’m focused on doing more directing, travelling, and speaking. My blog will always be my diary but it’s important to constantly innovate. You don’t want to get left behind and I prefer to be ahead of the pack!  The last month has been an opportunity to learn more about the things I really love doing and what I don’t want to do. I got a glimpse of lots of different lifestyles and perspectives. I strive to bring more joy into my life and keep my sunshiney positive attitude. The more you live that way the more you bring it into your life. Like attracts like. I have no time for negative attitudes, people, or perspectives. Last year around this time I had a big awakening during my trip to LA.  This post was written Jan 14th and this one on January 31st if you want a refresh. When…

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I’ve Got No Roots, But My Home Was Never on the Ground

People often think short hair is low maintenance, it’s not. I  mean it’s quick in the morning on a daily basis but this short blonde hair is totally high maintenance. Through my partnership with Sassoon this year, I’ve had regular salon trips to trim my hairline and bleach + tone touchups every 6 weeks or so. The crazy thing is, I’m almost always just between having it cut or needing a cut. I wouldn’t change it though, this short blonde hair is something that makes me unique, stand out, feel good, I love it. I really love getting my hair done at Sassoon Toronto. Kimberly, who does my blonde is hilarious and I would love to have beers with her. She is also blonde, same age, has a beardy BF, and incredibly good at getting the perfect blonde. Last week 2 things happened that were super great but stressful. One, I learned never to change my blonde and two, was in a commercial shot by 1188 (Sean’s company!). At my Tuesday hair appointment, I told Kim that I wanted to go ash blonde. A little more ashy blonde, this on someone with long hair isn’t that big of a change. On short blonde, it is major. My hair is normally the ‘Baby Blonde’ you see below, ash is the light blonde in the bottom right. Big difference! SO, Kimberly did what I asked and gave me a beautiful ash blonde. When I sat up from having the colour washed, I was like WHOA. No. Omg no. I didn’t like it. To anyone else, it was a cool ash blonde but to me, I looked like someone with brown hair! I don’t know what I was thinking changing my look. I’m never doing it again, and the week of a shoot fml. The team at Sassoon, especially Kimberly were so cool about it and we gave it…

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6 Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Lifestyle

Over the last few months I’ve been on a journey to take better care of myself. I feel better on the outside and inside, with more energy, and I’m less hard on myself. Every spring I do a big clean on the house but I never really thought about cleansing myself? I’m getting rid of old habits, old friends, old thoughts, and setting new intentions. This year is different! Here’s a few tips I’ve discovered that have helped me feel happy and healthy. I’m making this year a great one by making small changes in my lifestyle. Exercise You don’t have to go hardcore but it’s really important to be active and exercise. I’ve open to trying just about any workout and last week I did Function 45, that is a hardcore 45minute circuit workout. I’m planning t give it a go for 2 weeks to kick my summer bod into high gear. I’ve been going to yoga 3-4 times a week since the end of January which I find calms my mind and has started to lean out my bod while making me stronger. Drink Heaps of Water An old tip but a really good one. More water will energize you, help your skin, and it helps me snack a little less. After my LA trip in January, I saw a bunch of girls at yoga with the Bkr water bottles and I ordered on on Amazon right away. I take it with me everywhere now and I find I drink heaps more water. Get a Dentist to Check Your Teeth It had been a LONG time since I went to the dentist. When I finally went, my teeth looked good and I felt great. I had braces in high school so (my parents) spent a lot of money…

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Day 271: Do One Thing

Tonight I got wild and used my straightener for the first time in months. My hair is getting so long! I did a tiny trim to the ends, an ‘air cut’ as my Sassoon Stylist calls it. Barely noticeable, just a tiny snip! Over the course of this year, I’ve often had a list of things I want to accomplish each week. I set out to try and do one thing each day then, by the end of the week, I’ve accomplished a lot. It can so be super overwhelming to see the list and think, ‘where do I start?‘. Today I called the CRA to deal with my taxes and straightened my hair (aside from work during the day) and tbh, I feel pretty good about it. Some days it’s something as simple as dealing with a laundry pile or going for a run. What did you do today?

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Beat Winter SAD: 50 Self-care Ideas

Self-care can legit mean just about anything these days. For me, there are a lot of things I like to do and sometimes it’s as simple as putting away that pile of clothes or saying no to leaving the house. I made a list of things I like to do for myself, usually on a Sunday to prep for the week. Self-care is taking a few moments to yourself to do something for yourself, which makes you feel good and alleviate stress. Thankfully this winter hasn’t been as brutal as last year’s super cold months where everything was covered in ice. The 2019 winter blues really got me down and I am trying to best to make this winter not seem as dark, lonely, and depressing. It may seem like I am out on the town quite a bit but I assure you, it’s usually not for long. I love staying at home. I love hair masks, face masks, exfoliating, nice lotion, naps, cooking, and doing things inside the house. I started this list to make 10 things but kept going and now there are 50. Most of these you can do without leaving your house of opening your wallet. I added a shoppable section at the bottom in case you want to grab any of my favorites via Amazon Prime. If you are feeling down, do one little thing each day to bring happiness into your life. You DESERVE it. Treat yourself!

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Show Up For Yourself

I am no expert on self-love, recovery, or life, I can only speak from my own experience. I posted this image on my Instagram Stories 6 weeks ago and made a Story Highlight (the little circles) called 2020 MOOD as a reminder of the person I am going forward. Healthier, happier, a girl who can handle anything. It is definitely scary to be who you really are (especially to share it online) but I figure, there’s not really another option! Why not be the most YOU that YOU can be? Do what you want. Pursue all the things. Make a list and start checking off those goals. What are you waiting for? The time is NOW. Get creative, write your own story. It’s your life, you’re in control, you only live once. If there is one thing you can take from this post, it’s that you do not know your own strength or power until you try to use it. Put your mind in the right direction and push it further than before. Open doors for yourself. Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.

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The 2019 Breast Cancer Campaign w/ Estee Lauder

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, a woman is diagnosed EVERY 15 SECONDS. Multiple women will be diagnosed by the time you read this post. I was asked to be part of Estee Lauder’s 2019 Breast Cancer Campaign with a goal to raise $9M for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. By joining the campaign, I’m here to raise awareness and money to help fund more research so we can *hopefully* beat breast cancer. It breaks my heart hearing stories about how many people die from it and also talking with friends & family about our own personal connections to breast cancer. It can affect anyone. This year, an estimated 268,600 women in the United States will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, and 62,930 women will be diagnosed with in situ breast cancer. An estimated 2,670 men in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer. cancer.net 25 years ago, Evelyn H. Lauder created the Cancer Campaign and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (#BCRF) and since have raised millions to find research, education, and services. All Estee Lauder companies participate in donating the BCRF and you can shop their pink ribbon products here. It really is something that can never be done by any one person; it has to be done by a group. Evelyn H. Lauder For every in-feed IG post shared in October and tagged both #TimeToEndBreastCancer & #ELDonates, @esteelaudercompanies will donate $25 to @bcrf up to $250K, which will fund an ENTIRE YEAR OF RESEARCH. Hair @sassoontoronto MUA @beyondbeautifulbybrittLashes @true_glue_beauty Photo @aplus_creative Buy Abilify buy Aciphex No Prescription buy Isotretinoin online buy Nexium online

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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 word ‘influencer’ has really taken on a whole new (kinda negative) meaning with the rise of Instagram influencers. To me, influence is a product of something someone does. It’s not something you get by having a lot of followers. My influence has grown from being a pioneer in a new industry and constantly innovating. I share my life with the world and love discovering new things, my influence comes from building trust with my audience. What advice do you have for other people looking to become an online influencer? Don’t do it. Find something you love and do that! Don’t…

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Hello 2019!

Here’s a little update with what I’ve been up to so far this year, my latest Sunwing commercial, and some Netflix recos for the winter storm that’s coming this weekend. I’m prepping to stay inside for more hibernation! First up, I’m doing quite a bit better with the collarbone and took some much needed time off over the holidays. I got new x-rays today and my bone is healing slowly with no complications. Thankful it’s winter and totally a-ok to stay home for days on end in lazy clothes. Sean and I went to the cottage for almost a week during New Years and it was the perfect break from everything. We kept warm by the fire, watched movies on DVD, and went for walks on the frozen lake. Woke up New Years Day feeling fresh and ready for a new year. 2018 started pretty rough. I was in New Zealand with mum and on New Year’s Eve, I accidentally put diesel in the gas car the on New Year’s Eve. I was stressed out and upset when I got gas. I’d never done that before and hopefully won’t do it again! However, the car was toast! ? We had to have a flatbed truck come to our cabin in the park to bring a new car and take the old one. I was hungover, embarrassed, and frustrated. It also set us back a few hours on our trip to see Nana. The first 2 weeks of the year were pretty stressful as we spent time with family and Nana before she passed away. It was a hard time to go through but it also brought us closer. After all 2018’s ups and downs, I was ready to start 2019 with nothing but positive vibes. I’ve watched heaps of great…

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You Are My Sunshine, My Summertime, My Love

Hard to believe it’s already September! Where did the summer go? Remember back to March when we had the winter that felt like three years? It was so cold. We all rejoiced for those warm spring days and bright sunshine.  This summer was great and lucky for us it’s still feeling hot af outside so it’s not over just yet. There’s still a few weeks of warm days and cool nights. I love this weather. Enjoy these moments while we have them!  This week is TIFF and Toronto Fashion Week. I’ve got an appointment at Sassoon, I think it’s back to bleach blonde for me. After TIFF we’ll spend some time at the cottage. Hopefully Thanksgiving too. I’m booked for Cancun before October. Will be heading up to Blue Mountain, then Stratford, and Montreal in October.  Booked my ticket for New Orleans in November. It’s going to be the holidays before we know it! We were at Costco on Friday and they already have Christmas cards & decorations out.  I  took last week off from the blog to give myself some space and time. I’ve still been writing, I’ve got some fun stuff to share. The next few weeks are full of exciting events and great opportunities. I love documenting it all and sharing what I learn and experience with you. I’ve learned I need to give myself breaks to recharge my batteries. We are like a vessel and if we’re constantly putting energy out into the world and to other people, we need to do things that fill us back up so we don’t get depleted. For me, that’s taking cooking, reading, naps, snacks, and a good Netflix binge. This weekend I watched most of Sisters, an Aussie TV show on Netflix and there is a girl from New Zealand named Kasey. Ha! Sending you love from…

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