Day 268: A Monday MOOD.

Feeling good today! I love Monday, it’s a day full of opportunity, a fresh start to the week. Yesterday’s outing left me feeling all kinds of happiness. When I posted this today on IG, a few people were surprised at how long my hair is now. It’s growing like crazy! Longest I’ve had it in over a decade. One friend even said they weren’t sure if it was my sister until the mask came off! Did you like the IG post yet?! This mask is a new design by my friend Anela, the designer behind Considerate Goods (posted about her here). I picked up a few new masks from last time I was in the city and they are SO STYLISH. I even got a special one for holiday and I look forward to sharing it with you! I also got the houndstooth which is super nice. I know things are hard right now and we wish it could be different but it’s important to see the joy in little things, to get outside each day, and find things to be happy about. Last winter I wrote a series about dealing with winter SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), you can find those suggestions here. As it gets colder and we have nowhere to go, it’s gonna be hard but WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS. HANG IN THERE MY FRIENDS! This post was featured on Links à la Mode fashion roundup by Independent Fashion Bloggers. More fashion articles: Day 268: A Monday MOOD by Casie Stewart: This Is My Life Made-to-Measure and Custom by Oliver Wicks Belgrade diaries: Life is a collection of moments by Ivana’s World 10 Most Relaxing Nintendo Switch Games For Mindfulness by Emily Underworld

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Just Take the Photo

2020 is bringing more of the #oneleggedselfie, a fav of @hey.maca and the original Man Repeller. This is the year I start taking photos of my outfits. If I see an opportunity, I’m taking it. I used to share my looks a lot but I stopped because I didn’t feel good in my clothes, in my skin. So, I made a change, I’m moving forward. I want to document what I wear so I can remember. Like this dress over a mesh t-shirt and pants, with running shoes? Oh, yes. I am finally, after all these years, starting to plan content out a little more long term. I have some great stuff coming including a series on beating winter sadness, cause we all need to try and avoid Seasonal Affective Disorder. Last winter really got me down so I’m actively attempting to stay in high spirits till summer. I am here when you need a pick me up on cold days or a reminder of what spring feels like. I AM IN BLOOM. Saw this on IG and thought it was a nice finish to a great week. Professional Cialis

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Make Time For Yourself

You only live each day once, tomorrow is a new day. How are you spending your time?  A few months ago I was feeling really burnt out and over everything. I had no energy to go out, write, do anything creative. May was a really stressful month and by the time June/July rolled around I was stressed TF out. All I wanted to do was stay home, watch Netflix, my room was a mess, I’d piled up boxes and paper that needed to be processed. I didn’t have the energy to do it. So I rested. I took time to chill. I’m grateful for the privilege to mostly work from home, to work on myself, and to breathe. I started spending a bit less time on asocial, taking breaks. I began to really love seeing the + beside my name on IG Stories, showing I hadn’t posted anything in 24 hours. That felt like a win with me. I’ve been updating the internet for 15+ years about my life and what I’m doing, burnout is real and it’s ok to take a break. I thought about what I wanted (even though I’m constantly trying to figure out exactly what that looks like!) and I focussed on it. Made some other changes too. I got serious about drinking less and explored being sober curious. I even spoke at an event where I shared some stuff I’ve never talked about. I was hesitant at first but I figure, if I can make this change in my life, it might be helpful to someone else going through the same things. It was the first TIFF in 10 years where I didn’t get drunk, I didn’t even drink at parties. And y’ know what? IT WAS AWESOME AND I STILL HAD FUN. I started intermittent…

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Milo’s 2024 Wellness Retreat

I recently had the opportunity to attend Milo PR‘s multi-brand Wellness Retreat designed to rejuvenate and inspire. It was so nice! The event was held at ARC (Active Remedy Club) in Liberty Village and it was my first time there. It’s beautiful! My afternoon featured an IV drip session, hot/cold therapy (my fav!) and the latest products from Shark Beauty, Matte Equation, Ardene, and more. It was the perfect opportunity to relax and reset. When I arrived I received a bag of goodies and a new swimsuit + tracksuit from Ardene. I had a guided stretching session in the sauna and then did two minutes in the cold plunge, twice. Next, I changed into my new tracksuit for an IV drip full of vitamins. It was so relaxing I nearly fell asleep, as seen here. 🤗 I was pleasantly surprised to see how nice the holiday & winter collections are from Ardene. I have my eye on a few items for the holiday party season! HUGE thank you to Doan & the team at Milo for curating a really nice experience & sending me home with so many things! I’ve never really been a tracksuit girly but I’ve been wearing this one so much! GHHMBMSM194470757 Selfies are all me and professional photos are by @itsjjmedia x @ricosoproduction.

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Day 608: Make A Walk Work

Dear Diary, today I went for a walk at 3:45 to pick up an order from Indestructible Mfg about 15 mins from the house. I went for a run this morning but I think I really need to stay prioritizing a walk in the day. With clocks changing this weekend I want to make sure I get some sun each day. Having less daylight and the colder temps has gotten the best of me sometimes and I know I need to actively prepare. In 2020 I wrote a series of things to help beat Seasonal Affective Disorder, see them all here. This is the first time, in a long time that I’ve had a full-time job and don’t want to fall into old habits. When it gets dark by 6 pm, it’s easy to keep working and miss the day. Note to self: make a walk work. Used a set of velcro rollers I ordered online and they actually looked better IN my hair than after. I need to practice and use a hair oil when I take them out next time, my hair was mega frizz. In other news, work is going great and I’m excited to tell you (SOON!) what I’ve been working on for the past year. Catch that sun while you can. ☀️

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Day 578: TikTok Plant Hack – Aerial Roots

Spent the whole weekend working on my room and WHOA what a job it was. On Saturday I had a bit of a meltdown once almost everything was outside on the roof, the thought of putting it back was overwhelming. Thankfully I stuck to it and am nearly done putting everything away, throwing out the carpet, and organizing my stuff. I also watched the entire season of MAID on Netflix, kinda sad but a good show. In other news, I am SO happy with my plants. Saw a TikTok Plant Hack (PlantTok) about putting an aerial root from a monstera in a small glass jar to help them grow. It works! I’ve got two tiny glass jars on different plants and a bunch of new leaves sprouting. It took about 2 weeks to see new growth. This monstera is the same large plant that I shared cuttings from in my post the other day. I am yet to post anything on my own TikTok yet but I must say, I am loving all the plant hacks. Learned so much the last few weeks and look forward to growing more and more plants over the winter.

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Day 403: In The Worst of Weather, Dress Appropriately

April is rainy and cold, we know this. Like winter, spring can be a sad season but if you have the right thing to wear, it’s not so bad. ? I wrote about my love for Transitional Coat Season (spring moody temps!) last month on Day 374 and my love for ‘coat season‘ back in October (Day 205), another transitional month. Remember, in the worst of weather dress appropriately, layer, accessorize and wear the right shoes. When it rains, I have two fav coats depending on humidity. One of my favorite raincoats is a rubberized cotton number from Stutterheim in Sweden. It is easily one of the most $$ things I own and cherish it! (I found out I’m 10% Scandanavian shortly after getting this jacket so maybe that makes me love it more?) My ‘Stockholm Red‘ jacket was a gift via my friends Leslie & Lindsay of WRG (What’s Really Good Studios) in Montreal back in 2015. This coat is MADE TO LAST and only gets better with age. If it’s realllllly raining and I have to face the elements, I also have cute rain boots and a nice umbrella. A wild weather day is an outfit adventure opportunity, or a reason to stay home, you decide. This is a photo from 2015 on the bridge near our house. It’s crazy to go back and read my own posts, memory is weird. I look at the photos and I read the post in my voice, but I don’t really remember the moment. The title of the post that day is “The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain.” “I dunno what it is about this time of year of this weather but it’s really got me down. I was feeling so meh today I could…

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Day 339: Self-Reflection

A meeting was canceleled this afternoon so I decided to take advantage of the time and go for a walk. It was so nice and sunny today, cold, but sunny. I did about 10km and by the time I got home, was freezing and tired. I’ve really been trying to get outside for a walk each day despite feeling kinda lazy. I haven’t been running much the last month as I am terrified of slipping on ice after my injury. I really can’t wait until winter is OVER. In other news, have you watched the Free Britney documentary ‘Framing Britney Spears‘? It’s good, will leave you feeling sad/angry about her life and how she’s been treated. I’ve always loved Britney, my sister and I went to her concert as teenagers, the first big show we ever saw! Hope your week is going well!

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Day 337: Family Day 2020

These photos were taken last year on Family Day. Michelle and I went on a big walk and decided to stop into Allan Gardens to feel the warm air and smell the flowers. We both kinda forgot it was Family Day it it was busier than usual, filled with families, couples, and the same idea. I was looking back on old photos and it really made me miss going places and doing things. Going on a walk with your BFF, stopping into planty places, grabbing a cocktail, shopping. Y’know, the things we used to do. Finding this third wave of the lockdown much harder than before. I have less energy than I’ve ever had in my life. My temper is short, my emotions are high, and I’m not nearly as active as before the panny. Winter is always a hard time but without the normal things we used to do to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder, it’s so much heavier. I guess the other thing making it hard it we really have no idea how long this will last. I’m really looking forward to spring, the snow melting, patios opening, and being able to hang out in the park. Even if we have to wear masks for another 365 days, at least we won’t be in a Stay At Home Order. Sending you love, we’ll get through this. Only a few weeks until spring. ☀️

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Day 310: No Blue Monday Here

On Monday I like to get up, exercise, and get fully dressed for the day. Read my post about why from Day 254 in November 2020. I *really* try to make Monday a productive start to the week. As mum would say ‘start out as I mean to go on‘. Ran 2k at 8am, had a shower, listened to some tunes, and felt the sun on my face. As I was getting dressed, for some reason, I felt it was a good time to wear the yellow Playsuit I ordered from Biddell this summer (Day 124). I didn’t realize it was Blue Monday. I hadn’t really been on social media yet but I guess the universe knew I needed to be a burst of sunshine. I posted my outfit and shared a dance video with a friend. It’s a small thing but seeing my sun shining (and smile!) brought joy and a smile to a couple of others today. We all need a little more sunshine this time of year. Don’t be shy to share yours with someone today, or any day. Post from Blue Monday 2011 Post from Blue Monday 2020

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