I was feeling really distracted just and having a hard time focussing so I went outside for a little walk to get a coffee. A couple minutes later, Michelle rung and she was walking right towards me. What are the chances?! We had a little walk & talk, a few laughs, it was just the best thing! Amazing how a little bit of light from a sunshiney person can brighten your day!
Yesterday I stopped in to surprise mum on my way to Stratford. It was so great to see her face light up when I walked in.
Love you mum!
Taking a couple minutes out of your day to do something nice for someone else will instantly turn your day around.
Been a little bit busy the last couple weeks. I’ve been working behind the scenes on some political content leading up to the election. Definitely an eye-opener! I love learning new things and it’s great to see how it all works. The municipal election in Ontario us October 22nd. Are you registered to vote? Check your riding and candidates at elections..on.ca.
Tomorrow I’m heading home to Cambridge to make a speech at my high school and be inducted into the hall of fame. So exciting! Yesterday I was in Stratford and have some great photos and stories to share.
Last week I was a speaker at an exciting event hosted by Jones Media at 1 Bloor. We are T-16 days away from legalization and the world of cannabis marketing is something people have a lot of questions about. The worlds of cannabis and business like an online dispensary canada are really, truly beginning to collide. They are rapidly growing in popularity which is why the need for cannabis businesses is increasing! Anybody that is running or looking to run a cannabis business may want to think about hiring somebody like a cannabis consultant for their company to run smoothly and efficiently.
Specifically, this talk was about cannabis + influencers and what is allowed within the rules of the new cannabis act. The panel featured Chris Nyberg, a lawyer who specializes in this area, Lorilynn McCorrister from Weed Box, and Jen Newton who does the High Tea podcast and comes from an agency/brand background.
We talked about everything from how do you market in a space that’s so highly regulated, how to partner with a licenced producer, how to align with an influencer, and examples of creative marketing we’ve seen.
On Going to the USA
One of the topics we talked right off the bat was can you still go to the USA if you work in, invest in, or post about cannabis on your social accounts? Sorry to say, you can 100% get a lifetime ban if you do any of those things. Safe bet is to scrub your social accounts and make sure you don’t mention your connection to the wonderful world of flower if you don’t have to. On my last trip I remove Weed VR social accounts & email from my phone and didn’t take any business cards. I have cards Director cards from Occupied VR in case anyone asks what my job is.
On Working with Influencers
Another thing I feel is important to share about this new industry is influencer + brand partnerships. This isn’t like a consumer product, it’s much more individual to a person’s lifestyle and habits. Partnering with someone who has social influencer brings a whole new level to authenticity. How does this person use cannabis in their life? What is their history with the plant? Do they know about the vancouver dispensary no card options, or are they new to the scene? Are they willing to open up and talk about it? Does their lifestyle fit with the brand of the licenced producer? It’s not the same as working with something we might all use like coffee, clothing, or beauty products.
About the Legal Stuff
If you are an influencer, before you work with a LP or cannabis wellness company, make sure they are legal to sell their products in your state/province. Another thing to note is it is ok to write about cannabis from an educational point of view but not recreational. You are responsible for your content so if you’re not sure, ask the client or talk to a cannabis lawyer. If you need one, lmk.
Your Social Media Accounts
According to all the social platforms, posting about cannabis *could* be seen as promoting drug use and you risk getting your accounts shut down. As you have probably seen, there are heaps of cannabis-related accounts on social media. Chris aka ‘the fun police’ recommended use discretion and try to be creative, photos of you holding a big bud and smoking joints might not go over that well but an artful post about the lifestyle should be a-ok. Websites similar to www.saveoncannabis.com understand how to do this fantastically and also provide useful products and information.
If you have questions about this topic, I’ve been doing a lot of research and although I’m not a lawyer, I’d be happy to share what I’ve learned.
On Wednesday this week I’m speaking on a panel about breaking down the stigma attached to cannabis. I’ll share details soon. If you are interested in attending, LMK!
Hello and good morning! I’m feeling good vibes today despite not feeling great the last couple days. Spent the last 24hrs inside the house with Sean doing next to nothing but watching Netflix and taking naps. I feel recharged! Watched a good movie called The Angel, a few more eps of Maniac, and a full season of how to Live Mortgage Free (which really got us thinking!).
The past 2 months have been kind of intense. I went on to Portugal and Mexico, had TIFF and Fashion Week, all on top of my regularly scheduled work. I still have heaps to write about. I know from the outside it all seems like fun and vacation but let me tell you, there is a LOT of behind the scenes things you don’t see. Being on all the time is exhausting.
The start of a new month brings renewal and I am excited. We have 3 months left in the year and before we know it, it’ll be 2019! What’s your 2020 vision?
This week I’m speaking at an event on Wednesday and a TV commercial I’m comes out in a few days. Sean and will be spending the weekend at the cottage and most likely repeating our tradition of Swiss Chalet on Saturday and then hibernating till Tuesday.
I’m working out of the office all week and not doing many events so I can focus on getting into a routine. I’ve booked a few sessions with my trainer and evening yoga. Last week I made it to 2 yoga classes which is more than I’ve done in ages.
Today is a great day to make a change in your life. Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today. Your life is your movie, you’re the director, it can be any kind of movie you like! Make it happen.
Earlier this year I was in Vancouver for a city planning conference and stayed an extra day to pop by the Telus office and have lunch with a friend. I’ve been working with Telus since my days at Much/MTV Canada, about 8 years ago. I’ve had the opportunity to do some really neat stuff like volunteering, videos, city adventures, and making friends.
A couple years ago I helped them with some ideas to create their influencer program and it’s really grown into something awesome. Next month, they’re taking the ENTIRE GROUP of Canadian influencers (including me!) to their HQ in Vancouver.
Fuel for the day
Conference morning
Hotel Carpet
Vancouver Airbnb
Telus Garden
I was really stoked to visit this building. I remember when it started in 2012 and was opened in 2016. The Telus Garden building takes up an entire city block downtown Vancouver, totalling 1M sq ft. It has amazing energy saving features, a fantastic garden, and has won a bunch of awards for the design and sustainability. Unfortunately, I was there in winter so I didn’t get to see the outside areas, it snowed!
[symple_testimonial by=”” fade_in=”false”]“TELUS Garden is Canada’s most beautiful and ambitious LEED Platinum building, and one of the most environmentally-friendly developments in North America,” Darren Entwistle, TELUS President and CEO[/symple_testimonial]
Telus Innovation Centre
I met up with Ana from Telus (check out her IG @msanadouglas) and she took us up to the Innovation Centre where. I was amazed to see a beautiful bright space filled with technology.
One of the coolest features were the doors. Telus has created a set of doors that have screens instead of windows. Hello, why didn’t I think of that!? They’re the only 4 doors like this IN THE WORLD and they’re right here at Telus in Vancouver. A couple of them have cameras where you can host meetings and have the person you are talking with will show up on the screen. Other ones have touchscreen and heat sensors, so they can tell when there’s a person standing in front of them. This blew my mind. Imagine the possibilities? Our guide said they were originally developed for hospitals (Telus Health does heaps in healthcare, telushealth.co).
The space has a number of workstations, fully equipped with pop-up monitors for video conferencing. They pop up OUT of the tables! The card with wifi details doubles as seeds you can plant later at home. As a lifelong lover of tech, this was like being a kid in a candy store!
3D Printing
VR
Seed Paper
Video Conferencing
They also have a 3D printer where they create and test out innovative ways to make our lives easier. For example, this small purple object made with PLA plastic could never be made by hand but it is 3D printed in a way that makes it unique and super strong, you can stand on it without it breaking. It can hold up to 300lbs!
I was really impressed to check out the mock apartment they have to test smart home technology. I’m not just talking a couple smart lights, they’ve got smart home everything. It’s not just the appliances and light bulbs, there’s a laser that reads prescriptions in your cupboard, smart pillows, smart bed. It was like living in the future and tbh, I’m totally into it.
Everything here is smart even the bed, pillows, lamps.
Smartest kitchen I’ve witnessed.
I can’t wait to be back on the West Coast with the #TeamTelus crew. There’s some really rad people on the team, a few I’ve known for years and some I’ve never met. I’ll be documenting as I go next week and fill you in on the details.
Good morning and happy Monday! Spent the weekend at the cottage wearing sweatpants and a hoodie, cooking, reading, and relaxing. The cool Autumn air is a nice change from hot summer. We made a fire at night but it was still warm enough in the day to take Sean out wakeboarding.
The thing I love about Monday is not knowing what the week will bring aside from the things already in my calendar. I’m looking forward to being back to the office after a whirlwind month with Toronto Fashion Week, TIFF, and a trip to Mexico.
A couple weeks ago I sat down at a cafe near our place for a chat with Kate Robinson for Lift & Co. Magazine. We were discussing coming out the ‘cannabis closet’ and my story. Read my story on Lift & Cohere or click on the image below!
This week I’m moderating a panel for influencers and agency people about working together in the new cannabis industry. The panel will feature a few experts and you’ll learn creative ways to partner with brands, produce content, and work within the regulations. Before you shop marijuana seeds online in the hope that you can start your own marijuana operation, it may be worth finding out more about the regulations involved with the ever-growing industry. Once you’ve done that, then it’s probably smart to start researching different strains that you might want to grow, such as this gdp strain from Royalseedbank. For some people, there is no fun in growing it and they simply want to enjoy the end product. If you would prefer to purchase weed rather then grow it yourself you could easily use something like weed online ontario to sort yourself out. Just make sure that it is legal first where you live.
A panel discussion with Cannabis experts, covering influencer marketing and what to expect within a highly regulated cannabis landscape. We’re talking about how influencers can partner with Cannabis brands while being cautious of Bill-45 and the impact it may have. With the legalization of Cannabis in Canada, how will marketers and brands be able to work with Influencers?
Semi-permanent tattoos provided by Inkbox. Beer provided by Lost Craft. Munchies will be provided.
Who is Biome Grow and What a Good Business Plan Means to Cannabis Investors
Earlier this year a Canadian Licenced Producer acquired Weed VR, a company started by the team at Occupied VR (Sean’s company). This article has some great info about the current CEO and what Biome Grow Inc. is bringing to the growing cannabis retail industry.
There are some high profile board members behind the team at Biome including Steven Poirier, former president of Moosehead Beer, and George Smitherman, former Health Minister for Ontario. The article mentions Biome plans to go ‘public on the Canadian Securities Exchange soon through a reverse merger with a company called Orca Touchscreen Technologies Ltd. (CSE:OAA).’
Exciting times ahead, stay tuned for what’s next!
“Biome already has a license to grow with more to come, the production capacity, the technology and most of all, a solid business plan. Does this mean Biome will be the next major player in Canada’s marijuana industry? I don’t know, but from an analyst’s perspective there are not many missing variables.”
Sean took these of me when we were walking over to the MOCA Grand Opening on Friday. The mural is right by our house. Love having this great new gallery in the neighbourhood, the area is changing in so many beautiful ways. Go visit MOCA then stop by the Drake Commissary or Henderson Brewing. So fun!
If you’ve been near Queen West and the Ossington area lately you’ll probably have noticed a big blue building at 9 Ossington. Until September 30th it’s the home of the San Rafael Experience popup, a time warp that takes you back to 1971 where ‘4:20’ started in San Rafael, California. I went for the opening and honestly, it was really cool! Cannabis companies are being super creative with their marketing in order to try and drive sales of their products like a nitro cookies strain, for example. This is another great example brought to you by the same company that did the Altavie event in the spring.
Scratch Bastid DJ + Kelly from MedReleaf and I in our matching Hendrixroe X San Rafael ’71 Jackets
Once you step through that blue doorway, you enter a 70’s themed record shop with a bar, dj, living room, screen printing, vintage shopping, and plenty of photoopps. There’s live music every night in the basement and can use your San Rafael token to can peruse and pay for real records the shop. Scroll down for some pix and the list of artists performing this week.
Melani in Hendrixoe
Courtney
Carly
San Raf token
Record shopping
Old magazines
Old books
San Rafael ’71 Strain info on a record
San Rafael ’71 Strain info on a record
My fav Coup de Tête hat
Local shops pop-up
Screen printing
DJ Scratch Bastid
70’s living room
San Rafael ’71 Strain info
San Rafael ’71 Strain info
San Rafael ’71 Strain info
San Rafael ’71 Strain info
San Rafael ’71 basement, stage on other side
Thanks to the San Raf team for the invite and I’ll be back this week for live music & retro hangs! FYI there was no cannabis at the popup but if you have questions about anything before legalization, they’ve got answers. ??
You walk past a group of beautiful, stylish ladies outside a cute and classy coffee shop in a quiet neighbourhood. Everything looks normal until you get a little closer and see a cloud of smoke big enough for a rap video and realise what’s up! ? So much so you might be tempted to grab your TONIC rolling papers and join us!
The other week I had a really cool experience of attending an event called ‘See You Next Tuesday‘ hosted by the fine ladies of the High Tea podcast (listen here). It was a rolling salon and flower side chat where we had an in-depth lesson on rolling the perfect joint and talked about cannabis. As you can imagine we also spoke about some of the lesser known cannabis infused products out there such as moonrock canada. We each took home a few goodies and fresh cut flowers. It was fun!
Over the past few months, I’ve spent more time having great conversations with amazing women over cannabis vs. late nights with too much wine. It’s so much of a healthier lifestyle, I’ve cut down my drinking significantly and even lost weight. The side effects of cannabis are much more positive including increased creativity and less pain/anxiety, instead of a hangover. When talking about the effects of cannabis, many often wonder, “are cbd terpenes important?” When it comes to people’s experience with the drug, it does look that way.
There are lots of different reasons why someone might use cannabis. For example, a good friend of mine who lives in Canada uses cannabis to boost her mood which, in her experience, makes living with depression a little easier. She orders her cannabis from bc buds online and gets it delivered directly to her door which is incredibly convenient. As with any natural remedy, if you are considering using cannabis, remember to do your research first.
Looking forward to their next event and more interesting cannabis events. A couple weeks ago I went to a cannabis brand launch at a strip club, Monday there’s another in a warehouse, and there’s a popup right now on Ossington hosted by San Rafael ’71 (details here!).
It’s an exciting time to be alive with legalization just around the corner!
It’s amazing what a few days away will do! This week I was on a client project in Cancun, Mexico and it was so great. In between the things we needed to get done I made time for some self-care. I read my book at the pool, drank piña coladas in the sun, and went to the spa. I walked along the beach, ate great food, made new friends, and danced at the disco.
I landed today in the crazy wind storm and it’s nice to be home. I’m excited to share more about this project over the next few weeks but for now, I’m looking forward to some family time. I’m feeling refreshed, inspired, and ready for the weekend!
We stayed at Riu Dunamar (via Sunwing) in Costa Mujeres near Cancun and it was so great!
Sending you love and sunshine through the internet!
A lot of my experience comes from making mistakes, wrong decisions, with the wrong people. I’ve learned a lot of street smarts this way. A lot of my business smarts comes from school.
I was really into business as a youngster when I made gym bags and sold them to students in grade school. I went to college and university and have no doubt that those experiences gave me the skills I need to do great work. I’m not saying everyone has to go to post-secondary but there you learn a foundation to build on when you’re out in the field.
When I was a teenager, I started a publishing company with a friend, published a book, and was awarded Young Entrepreneur of the city. I’ve done a lot of things since then but what I learned from my business teachers in high school, college, and university is with me every day. When I won that award my high school got a donation to go towards computer equipment which was pretty cool given the internet was just getting started.
Yesterday I got an exciting email. I’ve been chosen as the Preston High School Hall of Fame inductee for 2018. Me! An old friend from dance, who’s a teacher there now, sent me the nicest email about my career and life since PHS. I’m kinda in shock!
The PHS Hall of Fame recognizes and celebrates Preston graduates who have made a successful impact in our world and exemplify the spirit and ideals of the school. Well, lady, you have certainly grown yourself, your business, your brand, and your spirit into something really worth celebrating!
I’ve been asked to say a few words at the commencement ceremony next month. I’m excited to be recognized and am looking forward to sharing some words of wisdom with the graduating class. If I only knew then some of the life lessons I know now, who knows where I’d be?
I want to tell them to follow their dreams but not just in their minds, to do something each day that guides them in that direction. Not to worry too much about what they want to ‘be when they grow up‘ they might end up working in an industry or job that isn’t even invented yet. You have to believe in yourself and not let other people stand in your way. Sometimes you might be able to see something that they can’t so they’ll try to discourage you. Don’t let them. There have been countless times in my career where I’ve chosen to do things my own way or different than ‘the others’ and that’s what made all the difference.
I was looking up some of the most famous commencement speeches of all time and Steve Jobs did one at Stanford in 2005 where he’s quoted saying the title of this post. Some good ones here if you’re looking for inspiration.
I love this weather and the sunshine. It’s so nice to be out on the lake. Next week I’m going away for a few days and it feels like never-ending summer. ☀️?✌?
I think about Princes Diana a lot. I know that might seem a bit weird but she’s always been someone I admire mum was inspired by her so much she named me after her, Casie Diana Stewart.
I follow a couple accounts dedicated to her on Instagram and am always in awe of her poise, beauty, and kindness in helping others. She’s someone we can all look up to. It’s been 20 years since she passed away and I think about that night/morning when I found out. My sister called me at LB’s house (we had a sleepover for her birthday) and all the girls were in the basement. Jenie was only about Emily’s age, 10 or so and she called to say Pavorotti killed Diana. She didn’t know what a paparazzi was so you can imagine my confusion thinking Diana had an altercation with an opera singer. Diana, you live on in our hearts. ?
When I was a kid we spent a lot of time at the library, the park, on adventures, and had a few elderly adopted family members we helped with groceries, errands etc. Mum was home with us until I was in high school when she went back to work. It was so great to learn from her and with her. We were always reminded to be kind, give, share, we didn’t grow up religious but those were our virtues. I didn’t know this Diana quote until today but I imagine mum might have said the same thing.
Years ago I was a student of Kabbalah and one of the things I learned there (again) was the importance of giving and kindness. A positive attitude is something you feel and it shows in your actions. It shines right out from your head when you smile and with lasers in your eyes. It’s electric. Giving is great and the more you give, the more you have to give. Sometimes people can get so focussed on ‘what about me’ and that’s like a negative layer of paint on everything you do and everywhere you go.
Good news, you can change your attitude anytime you want.
As I’ve been writing this a giant blue heron has flown back and forth across the lake close to the water near the boat. Some things the heron represents are intelligence, strength, independence, tranquillity, flow, self-determination, and self-reflection. What timing!
According to North American Native tradition, the Blue Heron brings messages of self-determination and self-reliance. They represent an ability to progress and evolve. … Blue Herons reflect a need for those with this totem to follow their own unique wisdom and path of self-determination.
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!
Muskoka forever. ?
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.
Wearing this shirt today.
Got it at LX Factory, Lisbon!
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 across the internet. I hope you have a great week. Be the sunshine in someone’s day. Smile. Call someone and tell them you love them.
We just got a new Smart TV and I’m super stoked. Sean and I worked from home the day it arrived and we also ordered tacos which turned into a great game of tv or tacos?! It’s my first time having a *brand new* TV.
Our previous model was bought 2nd hand years ago, we’re retiring it to the cottage now. The Sony 4K Android Smart TV is so clear and it was really easy to set up. It comes with Google Play, Netflix, and internet connectivity making it easy to watch your fav shows, download movies, or watch videos on YouTube.
Over the last year, I’ve been making our home smarter with the addition of Hue Lights which I’ve heard a friend managed to build some of his own, wow! He told me he built some with parts he found at Octopart but I digress, a Dyson fan, Alexa, and now an Android Smart TV. As we start to make our home smarter, we’ve got so many entry points putting us at risk for privacy and hacks.
The solution is to make sure we can browse the internet and watch all our fav shows without having personal data compromised. ESET is a leader in security solutions for home computer & mobile. They’ve created the world’s first ever security solution for Android Smart TVs, using tech to guard against cybercriminals with their eyes on connected TVs.
I quite like their i-Robot style dude below.
Accept from the Home Menu
Good to go!
There’s a free version available for download as well as a paid version that gives you premium features for a year at $14.99. I went for Premium. If you have a Sony Android TV, the app is already downloaded you just have to pop into the HOME section from the remote and click Accept.
Android TVs are run on the Android OS used for phones and tablets meaning the software can extend to more of your devices. ESET can be used on up to 5 devices under one Google Account.
You wanna watch more Wild Wild Country tonight, honey?
There’s Anti-Virus and Anti-Phishing and the ability to set up regular scans anytime. It also keeps an eye on any browser you might be using on your tv. One thing that really peaked my interest was the ability to watch for spying using TV sensors like the microphone and camera. Audio spies really creep me out, we’ve all seen ads on Facebook after having a conversation about something.
In a time where we’re getting smarter with our gadgets, it’s time to get smarter with our home security.
This post is in partnership with ESET. Smart home security is important. Take the time to secure your networks and always use a smart password!
What would you do with a Million Miles? Where would you go? I visited New Zealand and Portugal #withAeroplan this year and if I had a million miles I’d be off to India, South Africa, and Japan. I’m so inspired by adventure! Travelling is the best way to enrich your soul, feed your curiosity, and expand your mind. Portugal #withAeroplan
Porto!
Portugal is so beautiful.
Seafood!
Aeroplan is back this summer with their incredibly cool contest, Moments Worth Millions. They’re giving away 5 Million Miles over the course of 5 weeks where 5 winners will each win 1 million miles. Think of the possibilities?
5 weeks. 5 winners. 5 million miles.
Do you know how many trips you can take with a million miles? You can take 20 friends to Hawaii in economy or a handful of besties in business. You can take 40 trips from Toronto to LA or take someone you love on a first class trip around the world.
To enter the contest, follow @Aeroplan and share your favourite travel memory and tag #withAeroplan.
Last summer I wrote about the Million Miles contest and how I was planning to use my miles to visit family in New Zealand. Little did I know I’d be heading there so soon with mum over the holidays.
That trip created so many memories and was really special for mum and I. Road trip sing-alongs in the car while driving the other side of the road, exploring the North Island, Eketahuna, Taupo, Dessert Road, visiting family, friends, and spending our last moments with Nana. It was an experience that enriched my life in so many ways my heart swells with love thinking about it.
Beach walk
Sheep Farm
Driving was fun!
Leaving NZ with so many goodies to bring home!
If you win the contest and need a great travel buddy. I’m always here haha. Love you!
I love summer, vacation, being outside, boating, the cottage, and heaps of sunshine. I do not however like the idea of getting old leathery skin from sitting outside under UV and you could not pay me to use a tanning bed. (I did that heaps when I was a teenager, wtf was I thinking?) I wear sunblock on my face all year, my favs are Clinique and Laura Mercier but also love having a nice tan.
Sophie, the legend!
A couple years ago I went to Hammam Spa and got a body scrub + spray tan and I loved it but was pretty expensive and not something I can do all the time. A bit after that I went to a TIFF event where they had St. Tropez and I got a personalized tan sprayed on by their expert and totally kick-ass babe, Sophie Evans. She is super rad & has tanned heaps of celebs including Lady Gaga, Britney, and Kim K. At the start of summer 2018, I had the opportunity to be tanned my Sophie again!
I love the way St. Tropez looks, not orangey, streaky, or sticky, and you can do it at home by yourself. I’ve been using it religiously the last couple years before trips, after trips, winter, spring, all damn year. It’s THE BEST self-tan I’ve ever used.
BEFORE: Dark Tan
15 Min After: Dark Tan
St. Tropez Tan – My Picks
The original foam is my favourite but the new Ultra Dark is great if you already have tanned skin. The Bronzing Water face spray is nice to use daily to maintain and give yourself a light glow.
The EverydayTintedMoisturizer+Primer is great for events if you want to give your face/legs/arms/body/decolletage a nice glow.
Some great tips in this video from Sophie & St. Tropez about applying on yourself at home.
This weekend was super relaxing. Bed early on Friday, Saturday nap, made dinner & dessert, Sunday boating, blogging, reading. I love the weekend to slow down, talk less, sleep more, and take a break from email.
I didn’t use to be so good at it, I had to work at relaxing, I couldn’t sit still. Last year I went to regular yoga at a studio.One of my fav parts about yogayoga was the practice, making time for it, laying on my mat, moving through the poses, sweating, meditating. Something I learned from my teacher, Sandy was ‘not reacting takes practice‘. And although she said it in the context of trying to stay still in savasana, I carried it with me right out the door and into my life.
Not reacting takes practice. It took me a while to be able to lay there, still on the floor with my thoughts and not move when a bead of sweat dripped across my face. I’ve been doing yoga on our rooftop patio and it’s good but not that same as a quiet room and music lead by someones calming, familiar voice. [Studio is back open in January!]
The cottage makes me feel calm.
When I think back to Sandy saying ‘not reacting takes practice’ it’s so true if you apply that to stressful situations. Especially those where you could react with rage or anger, not reacting there is a real test of your patience and just how much practice you’ve had. My mum has a couple of good sayings like ‘water off a duck’s back‘ or ‘build a bridge and get over it‘. She always knows the right thing to say.
If you’re feeling stressed or holding something inside, let it go. Write it on a piece of paper and throw it in the fire. There is no sense carrying it with you for another day, week, or year. Free up that space in yourself to fill it with something that makes you happy, with sunshine. Step outside feeling lighter and put on a smile. I’m well aware that this won’t be as easy for some people as it is for others, and that’s ok. It’s all about finding the right method for you to help you deal with these stressful feelings. Some people may prefer to Buy CBD Oil
instead of writing their feelings down on a piece of paper. As long as you don’t suffer, you should do what feels best for you. It may be worth giving it a go first, just in case you find it to be effective.
Not long I went to an event at Only One Gallery featuring a reading by NYC poet Cleo Wade hosted by MedReleaf‘s brand, Altavie. It was one of the first cannabis-focused events I’d attended, it stood out with its classiness and the incredibly cool group of mostly women in attendance.
The night started with a guided meditation where everyone closed their eyes to take a few minutes for themselves. The panel was hosted by Briony Douglas who’s art was displayed around the gallery with a few other artists (Alpo Snow, Tahsin- The Good and Enzee Creative. Briony is one of my favs I have couple pieces from her recent show MOUTHPIECE in my room.
AltaVie by MedReleaf aims to help make mindfulness more attainable
Altavie is a high-end cannabis brand with a movement towards mindfulness, being present, and living in the now. Cannabis products are becoming more and more well known for their mental health benefits, for example, in helping with anxiety, depression and insomnia, and there are many different kinds of products out there, from CBD vaping cartridges (check out this CBDFX discount code if you’re interested in those) to products like Altavie. I was there thinking, ‘wow this weed brand is so ME right now, how is this really happening‘. Life is such a dream. It’s amazing how so much has changed – now there are more cannabis brands reaching customers with the help of an SEO agency specializing in the cannabis industry which once upon a time, not too long ago, would have been totally unheard from. How times have changed, and for the better too, I would say!
I am feeling this vibe ?
The only product currently on the website is a cannabis-free a nut bark that looks pretty good called Cannabis Crunch. It’s infused with cannabis inspired flavours (toffee, cinnamon, cardamom) and the product is already available at over 200, health food, drug and grocery stores across the country. A perfect product placement strategy.
“We are living in a fast-paced world that has us all constantly looking to the future and focused on getting somewhere or the next thing” noted Darren Karasiuk, VP Strategy at MedReleaf. “While the benefits of cannabis are far-reaching, for the launch of AltaVie we want to focus on the power of being in the present, allowing our consumer to appreciate life’s moments more fully – in the here and now, big or small.”
I’m really interested in high-end cannabis brands and products, and how they’re being marketed to women . I’ve already seen some really beautiful accessories. Um, hello weedbox.com?!
Another cool thing about this event was San Rafael ’71, another Medreleaf brand targeted at the classic consumer. Their 420 Lager doesn’t contain cannabis but it has exactly 4.20% alcohol. Nice one! ?The beer was released in partnership with Amsterdam Brewery prior to legalization to get the brand name out there. If you live in Toronto you might have seen the posters around. Smart idea.
This is the creative marketing I love, I live for this stuff. So exciting. I love being part of what’s happening in the cannabis space and it’s only going to get more interesting. Please invite me to all your events.
This week I’m going to a cannabis event for a ‘sneak peek’ at 3 new cannabis brands and it’s at ‘For Your Eyes Only’ (a strip club). I will be sure to take photos (if I can!) and share what goes down behind the black curtain.
I’m writing this from the cottage with the lake as my second screen. Last week was a busy one after being away but I love those weeks almost as much because things move fast and it’s motivating.
The other day I went rock climbing with Raymi and some friends at Hub Climbing in Markham. I like rock climbing but it gets harder as you get older haha. My arms were a bit sore this week from wakeboarding and my trainer. I’m chuckling a bit to myself writing this because back in 2001, I was a Sunshine Girl (Toronto Sun) and my bio said I liked ‘baseball, rock climbing, and want to work in marketing‘. At the time I had never gone rock climbing in my life. Safe to say I always knew what I wanted career-wise!
There’s a slide!
Climbed these walls!
Change room has lockers
We were invited to check out Hub Climbing‘s 18,000 sq ft facility with over 200 climbs and bouldering. They’ve got locations in Markham (where we went) and Mississauga where they offer camps, classes, school groups, and yoga. They were very helpful in training us to ‘learn the ropes’, climb safely, and push ourselves to the limits.
Ok here we go
I am so ready for this
Amazing light
BTS
Training
I DID IT
Raymi & Me
The gang!
All smiles
It’s definitely a fun experience, we had heaps of laughs. Martin from @Studenomics was REALLY good. He scaled the speed wall in under 10 seconds!
The thing I like about rock climbing is that you use every muscle in your body including your brain. You have to think strategically about where you’re going and how you’re going to get there. Such is life.
Thank you Rob & Hub Climbing for inviting me to climb at your gym. Looking forward to my next visit!
Today I cleaned some stuff ou out from the stage space under my bed. Every single time I do this it’s a mix of ‘why am I keeping this crap’ and ‘oh my God look what I found!‘ Like this great leather hat and vintage leather fanny pack lol.
We keep all kinds of crap and take it around with you, different houses, relationships, but you should really just let it go, clean it out. Why do we keep so many things?
Oh hey old friend!
I’m on a mission to cleanse everything from my life that doesn’t give me joy.Marie Kondo your life kinda thing. I did this a couple years ago after a great trip to LA. I came home refreshed with renewed self-worth and energy to go confidently in the direction of my dreams. I find, one of the best ways to cleanse out your internal demons is to get rid of crap around you in the physical world. It is so cathartic to throw things down the laundry shoot, in the garbage or toss in the bins at the dump (a personal fav!). After that LA trip I was pretty dedicated to yoga 3-4/week and eating better, but as time went on, I travelled heaps, got off my path and hardly went to yoga this year (or hardly worked out at all tbh). You can’t hate yourself for it though, life happens!
You always have the ability to start something today, shift your perspective, take a new outlook, or make a change.
Your life is your movie and you are the director, You decide what you do and how you handle the situations life hands you. NO excuses.
This summer, I started actually going to the gym and even booked a trainer for 6 months. I started wakeboarding (ok I went once but I did it!). I went rock climbing. I’m drinking less. It feels less like work and more like a challenge when you stick to your goals. I am in no way perfect or really great at this but I’m trying. I try every day and some days I’m really off my game, but that’s ok. The important thing is to keep trying.
If you’re looking for some motivation, start with clutter around your bedroom, house, kitchen, and clean it out this weekend. You’ll feel heaps better!
Tonight I am going to Diner en Blanc and I really hope it doesn’t rain!
It’s a great reset to take a break from your everyday lifeand escape to the woods. Sean and I had 7 whole days alone before welcoming guests on the last weekend. It was an incredible getaway. After my Portugal trip I felt like I needed some time to reset.
August is always a time where I asses the year so far, look at my goals and make a plan for the final quarter. Fitness, mental clarity, more work I enjoy, travel, and balance are key.
I hit the ground running w/ my trainer this week and after my first weekend of wakeboarding, it was kinda hard. MY ARMS WERE KILLING YESTERDAY. I’m determined to give it another go this weekend and hone in on my skills. I honestly never thought I would be a gym-loving wakeboard chick but here I AM.
Swipe for video of me wakeboarding (Cory Lee is screaming, not me! haha)
Feeling fresh and ready for a great month. Yesterday was my first day back and I’m already moving on a couple exciting things. Next week I have 2 speaking gigs, the public one is at the Apparel Textile Sourcing show and you can register to come here.
Remember, you will never be younger than you are today so make the most of it.
Helloooo and happy Monday Tuesday! It’s a short week and I’m happy to working beside the lake. Tomorrow is Sean’s birthday and each year we spend this week up at the cottage.
The weather this weekend was amazing. Got some good sun on Saturday. Drove the truck with the boat trailer and backed it into the water perfectly. Did dock yoga with coffee. Already finished a book and hope to get through another one or two on my Kindle this week. The lake is so warm and perfect for swimming. Went out on my stand up paddleboard (SUP). We have been out in the boat quite a bit and I’m comfortable taking Sean out wakeboarding. This was ‘relationship goals’ for him!
I love cooking at the cottage but I rarely share what I’m making. To social media all the things I create makes it feel like work. I love spending time prepping for dinner, making marinades, and finding recipes on Pinterest.
I have been working on perfecting bbq cauliflower, there are so many great ways to cook it. Grapefruit is a favourite for breakfast. Meat from Costco has been great for bbq, comes seasoned and these Korean ribs were incredible! I’ve had perfect avocados 3 days in a row. Brought back some incredible olive oil from a winery in Portugal and it’s amazing the difference from what you buy at the grocery store here. Good olive oil is worth the $$!
We made some lake friends this weekend who invited us to a concert. There was a full on band playing covers and heaps of people around our age hanging out. We boated over for a couple beers and it was so fun.
I’m grateful for rainy days just as much as the sunshiney ones to get things done inside or on my computer. It’s so nice to have a break from city life. I know I was just on vacation in Portugal but it was the opposite of relaxing, go-go-go everyday! My next post on visiting Porto will go live later today or tomorrow. Lots of great stuff from there to share.
I’m writing this post using the new WordPress Editor, Gutenberg. It takes some getting used to and I had almost finished my post when I accidentally deleted it so now I am paying more attention. It allows you to add content blocks, ex. a paragraph of text, image, gallery, audio, subheading, columns (beta). It’s similar to how Medium works or LinkedIn work for posts.
Search for a block
Easily add Twitter or IG embed
It’s much easier to move parts of your post around without cut/paste. I think that columns is a neat idea. Wondering how I can use this in a creative way to tell a story. The new format is similar to medium or LinkedIn where you are working with content blocks you add to the post. They’re easily searchable and you can add favs to a quick menu. [Columns didn’t work for me they looked ugly, still in Beta so I’m sure will improve]
WordPress Gutenberg – Columns
Backend
Frontend
One of the really great things is adding Twitter/Youtube/IG/FB embeds from the blocks.
You can also easily add almost any kind of content. I’ve been using WordPress for years and I think this is a real step in the right direction. I wonder if they will add more photos editing options?!
If you want to try the new Gutenberg editor you have to install and activate it as a Plugin while it’s still in Beta [dowload here].
WordPress dashboard has a welcome message for the latest update outlining some feature and benefits (I am using the fully hosted option not wordpress.com). I‘ve been thinking about editing my theme and might do that during my vacation next week.
I’ve decided I like the new editor.Hello Gutenberg, my new friend that I will spend countless hours with.Drop cap is kinda nice. I feel like using the old editor will be like going back in time. This post is not sponsored by WordPress, I just spend some much time using the platform I decided to blog about it while I was using it this morning. I love blogging about blogging. Ha!
A short story about this great card. I ordered it from Dani Kreeft‘s print shop, Dani Press before she shut it down. I loved her cards, the perfect short sentences paired with perfect photos she took herself. This one reminds me of mum, she’s always there slow clapping behind me. I talk to her a lot. She’s the person I ring when something exciting happens and sometimes that’s few in a day. This card is also a reminder for me to be that person for others, to remind them there’s someone in your corner. Even when you feel alone, you are not alone, someone is rooting for you. If you feel like you are all by yourself, reach out.
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.
My room
Always sit in the hammock
Castle view
Other units
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 were so incredibly nice. Breakfast was served in our room and we had a few different options to pick from + coffee and tea. Wifi was included and from the pool area, you can see Pena Palace and the Moorish Castle.
Pena Palace
This is the red/yellow castle. I mapped this place out and added it to my itinerary as soon right away. I was told to get there early in the day to avoid crowds but we went around 4:30pm and it was busy, but not ridiculous. I was still able to get great photos without too many people in the background. I was actually quite surprised how patient people were for everyone taking photos. Thanks, Instagram!
I purchased ‘Park & Pena Palace: Skip the Line’ mobile tickets from tiqets.com a couple hours before visiting or 14 Euros. I really didn’t need the ‘Skip the Line’, there was no line.
The hilltop 19th-century Pena National Palace is known for its design and bright colours. You can get a great view from the mountain top and explore the beautiful park before the castle. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes because you have to walk from the park up the hill to the castle and you’ll really feel it in your booty.
When leaving Pena Palace you pass the Castle of The Moors, a medieval castle where you can tour the grounds to a lookout over Sintra. (You’ll need to buy a ticket!)
Sintra
Sintra’s downtown is a cute little area beside The Palace of Sintra is in the heart of the old town. There are cabs, Uber, and tuk-tuks to take you around the tourist areas. I didn’t have any great meals but there’s a pastry you must have a Piriquita, the most famous pastry in Sintra.
I highly recommend going to Sintra. It’s magical!
This vacation was in partnership #withAeroplan. Earn miles and rewards by shopping at your fav spots (ex. Amazon) and redeem for travel almost anywhere in the world. I've been an Aeroplan member since I was 11 years old and love redeeming my miles to visit new & exciting destinations. Check out aeroplan.com!
I went glamping on a farm and it was amazing. Chefs cooked all the food, we did yoga in a barn listening to Tragically Hip, I went in a greenhouse, there was a pond, the outdoor showers were glam, and there were 250 people. I knew this would be cool based on the invite, it was unique. ?????
50 Luxury Tents for us!
The glamping trip was hosted by Up Cannabis at The New Farm. The Tragically Hip are big investors in the company and the band was there the whole day and had dinner with the group. It was the first big cannabis event I have been to. There were plenty of edibles floating around as well. Like the edibles online that people regularly order. Seeing as I was new to it all when they kept referring to their business as a cannabusiness and at the time, I wasn’t too familiar with this term. But the more I spoke to some of the people there, the more of a better understanding I had. I should have read This CBDistillery Review before going then, I would have had so much more knowledge.
There are so many things you have to think about when running a cannabusiness. For example, before this trip, I knew very little about the wide range of cannabis packaging options out there, but now I am something of an expert!
It was also the nicest camping experience I have ever had and would 100% do that again. Up Cannabis can’t actually share their product with us but for the 50 media that stayed over to camp, they infused the same terpenes found in the product into the soaps, drinks, food, and everything around us.
The event was really well done. The tents were like little apartments with electricity, real beds, furniture, lights, and fans. It was reallllly hot those days. In the morning, outside our tents were little baskets with reading material, breakfast snacks and cold brew coffee (that was cold!). They gave us heaps of little things to take home, wool Glerups slippers, snacks, and my favourite item is this soap which you will soon find in the Up Cannabis store soon.
Luxury camping
at its finest!
Welcome to camp!
Cannabis 101
The Upside-down house
Gord Sinclair from The Hip
Band played in the barn
They had alcohol non beverages
A breakfast option!
Dinner is served!
Morning packages w/ cold brew
The New Farm Owners
Up Cannabis Strains
The Up brand has positioned themselves in the ultra-premium segment with a strong connection to music. By having The Tragically Hip as major shareholders and strategic partners, the band weighs into every major marketing decision and infuses their brand music.
Given the upcoming legislation gives event sponsorship the green light, you’ll see more cannabis companies at festivals, events, and consumer touchpoints.
What a time to be alive. Back when social media started, new technology was bringing people with like interests together, all over the world. We were all on Twitter and it was magic. That same energy is floating around right now about the upcoming cannabis legislation. Working with Weed VR has been an eye-opening experience.
We’re on the cusp of a new $20 billion dollar industry with unlimited potential for retail, tech, marketing, education, and medicine. “It’s not like putting a new candy bar on a new shelf, it’s a whole new store” (4:19 Podcast). Great listen about the industry on the 4:19 Episode 1 w/ Shekhar Parmar Founder/CEO, Harvest Medicine Chief Strategy Officer, ABcann (here).
This summer I went to Vancouver to meet with the Canadian team of TelusAdvocates. I’ve shared my love for Telus over the years but this experience was truly amazing. They flew in content creators from across the country to visit their Vancouver office, tour Telus Garden, create, eat, explore, and build relationships.
I’ve worked with heaps of brands but I truly admire the influencer program Telus has built over the years. Ok yes, I am a little bias because I chatted with the team before they created the program and shared my likes, dislikes, and brand experiences. They have set the bar high for what it means to work with a telecom company or a big brand. The experience (as an influencer) is tailored to each person’s style of content and audience. This kind of influencer marketing service is bound to provide a great product for their clients too, as they clearly value quality and retention.
In this post, I’m sharing a few of my tips for creating a great influencer program with Telus as my example.
Build Relationships
The thing about being an influencer is that you’re usually sharing your real life, so when you work with a brand, it means authentically integrating their content into your own experience.
You have to get to know each other in order to learn what works and create opportunities that mutually benefit the relationship.
It’s cool when you work well together and even cooler when it becomes a friendship. I’ve worked with Telus for about 8 years now and we’re colleagues but also friends. I can text with jokes, links, or that odd time on the weekend when I broke break my phone. (Sorry!)
Since we’ve built a good working relationship, we all reach out whenever something cool comes up like an event, giveaway, or content idea. That’s why working with new brands is one of the best things you can do as an influencer, as long as you’ve got the audience for it, of course. That’s why so many influencers tend to use services similar to Socialfollow® in order to boost their audience numbers and make their profile more attractive to brands.
Customize Content
It really sucks when you’re scrolling Instagram and you see a sponsored post that seems kinda generic, but then you see another Influencer say almost the same thing, then another, and god forbid another. It doesn’t show personality, it’s not that creative, and it’s boring. Everyone is different and creates content (hopefully) in their own style.
Your influencer crew should be talking in their own voice and sharing photos that look like their real life, not just an #ad.
Telus is really cool about knowing what each of us likes and letting us create our own stories. At the start of the year, we have a 1-on-1 meeting where go through content ideas for the year. Each influencer picks out the events and ideas that speak to them, and we plan around that.
I am amazed that this doesn’t happen more. Brands have groups of influencers, sharing content around the same #hashtag, often in the same city, but they never hang out or have a chat. There are online platforms designed to help creators and businesses find each other like Socially Powerful, but I still feel more needs to be done. Bring your people together! It’s a great way to build relationships between client/influencer but also between the creators.
We like hanging out, taking photos together, meeting new people. It helps strengthen the team, give each other ideas, and the brand has an amazing opportunity to create original content.
If you have a great team of people you like working with who are sending out good vibes and great content, why not use that power for good? Telus gives $45M a year communities across Canada and half a billion since 2000. This year at TELUS Days of Giving events 35K employees will be involved in 2,000 events across Canada.
In Vancouver, the Telus Advocates (us) and a bunch of Telus employees joined forces to pack 200 bags with weekend snacks for Backpack Buddies. This charity was started by two women to help fill the weekend hunger gap for Vancouver kids in need. We went around the room in a circuit with people doing different jobs to hustle through packing. It was a lot of fun and it brought us together. Love to see more of this from other brands. See more at #GiveWhereWeLive.
We packed 200 bags for Backpack Buddies and Telus donated $10,000!
Ask Questions
If you’re building an influencer team or already have relationships, remember they’re good at what they do because they have experience. They work with multiple brands, agencies, timelines. You don’t need to get super specific but asking questions is a great idea. What do they like about other programs? Do they have ideas on how to make things better, faster, smoother? How could we use technology to tell stories in a different way? Asking questions helps you learn and when you learn you have more ideas, and everything gets better.
Telus Vancouver dinner and the day I first wore my fav dress.
Bring Them In
I love learning about a program while it’s still in development and giving feedback or sharing a related experience. I usually have a different perspective and turn it on its head. Last year, Telus brought a few of us in to ask about a new program they’re thinking about and while we were in Vancouver we talked a lot about Telus programs and the future. It’s great to hear about what the company is doing, planning, how you can work together.
Create
You know what all content creator influencer people have in common? They all like to make things, create things. A lot of them even like the camera. ? Make stuff with them!
Telus had each of into Telus Vancouver Studio (inside their building) to shoot some fun stuff on camera. They planned it out well, has scripts, full crew, and we each took turns for private studio time. It was fun and now they have a whole bunch of fresh-faced content.
Last year before Mother’s & Father’s Day Telus had a bunch of us come to the Toronto office and shoot us talking about gadgets & gift ideas. We also called our parents to ask about their favourite present we ever gave them. You will laugh at mine because I was born on Mother’s Day and like, what is a better gift than THAT!? ?
Learn & Grow
Through building relationships, coming together, and asking questions, you learn a lot about people, marketing, and what works best. Your program should be agile and change with the times, the content, technology, the people. New feature on IG or app to make something cool, try it. Find a great new creator, reach out to them. Someone not posting as much as they used to bc they just aren’t really into it, cool no problem, work with that or move on.
You need to be constantly innovating or you will be left behind. Innovate or die.
Finally, this goes without saying at this point, if you’re working on all this stuff with someone or a group of people, you should pay them for their time and expertise. It can be cash (cheques are good) or in-kind (must have great value) but please recognize the immensely unique perspective and value someone of this nature can bring to your program or organization.
Sidenote, Vancouver is really beautiful. Especially in the summer!
How to Build a Great Influencer Program
Build Relationships
Customize Content
Get Together
Give Where You Live
Ask Questions
Bring Them In
Create
Learn & Grow
I love working with Telus as you can tell from this post.
Check out some of my other stories over the years here. ?
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 Roampackage 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 update as each is published! Obrigada!
What to Do In Lisbon
I arrived in Lisbon with a loose plan of what to do for the next 10 days. It was my first visiting and I’d been building a Pinterest board of the things to see and do for weeks. The city is so beautiful, bright coloured buildings fill the streets and the hills make it so picturesque. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to walk a lot.
When you arrive from the airport it can be a bit confusing, if you don’t want to Uber or taxi, there’s a green bus that will take you downtown to a variety of spots for a couple Euros (the ticket is good for 24 or 48 hours).
The main streets will present heaps of opportunities to dine on a patio, have wine, visit a museum, or go shopping. We found a great little store for clothes at a good price at the bottom of Santa Justa Lift. I ended up getting a 2nd suitcase to bring home all the things I bought on this trip! You can go up the lift for a 360 view but there was a line so I didn’t bother (this is included in your Yellow Bus ticket, see below).
Yellow Bus Tours
For 20 Euros I got a 48-hour ticket for Yellow Bus Tours which allowed me to take 2 bus lines and the trolley unlimited for 2 days. This worked out really great because they have an audio guide on the bus that tells you all about the history and landmarks, it also saved me paying for Ubers to get to all the places I wanted to go.
Parque Eduardo VII
One of the great views from the bus tour is Parque Eduardo VII, the largest park in Lisbon. I would have loved to walk around the park. There’s some greenery that looks like a maze! The park is 26 hectares and in between Avenida da Liberdade and the Marquis of Pombal Square, right in the centre of the city.
Belem
One route on the bus tour took me to Belem and Torre de Belém (Tower of Belem). It was built on the northern bank of the Tagus between 1514 and 1520 and in 1983 was classified by UNESCO as “Cultural Heritage of Humanity”.
There’s also a place in Belem called PastéisdeBelém, the original spot for Pastel da Nata (Portuguese egg tart), since 1837. Be prepared to wait but sooo good!
LX Factory
This is a really cool area with bars, restaurants and shopping. It’s great for photos and has heaps of street art. This was where I saw the most hipstery people in Lisbon. There was live music and really cool shipping container/bus things to check out.
Barrio Alto District
Grab a beer at a little store and walk around, it’s really busy here! (Also, you can drink in the streets!) There are heaps of little bars and restaurants. We had dinner in an alley at an Italian restaurant. I was also surprised by how many police and families were walking around late at night. Hold onto your stuff though, if you were going to get pickpocketed, this would be the place.
Park Bar, Lisbon
If you’re looking for a great view, Park Bar it’s a busy hot spot on top of a parking garage with wooden seats and drinks. The entrance is on a small side street but they will likely be people hanging out or checking Google Maps on their phones to get there. You’ll have to walk up a few flights of stairs but the view is amazing. Unfortunately, I didn’t get there before sunset, the view in daylight is amazing.
Praça do Comércio (Yellow Square)
The Royal Palace used to be here before the Great Earthquake in 1755. The square is beside the Tagus River, it has a beautiful archway (Rua Augusta Arch) and a bronze statue of Joseph I of Portugal (1750 – 1777) (King of Portugal during the earthquake).
Time Out Market
This is a HUGE market with all kinds of different food. It’s really busy at night with people eating and drinking. It’s right across from the train station if you want to get to Sintra, Cascais, or Praia De Carcavelos (beach). I stayed at a great Airbnb just behind the market with a great host who showed me how to navigate the train station. If you haven’t used Airbnb yet, visit this link to get $45 CAD off your first stay.
Portugal Pt 5: Highly Instagrammable Places to Photograph (Coming Soon!)
This vacation was in partnership #withAeroplan. Earn miles and rewards by shopping at your fav spots (ex. Amazon) and redeem for travel almost anywhere in the world. I've been an Aeroplan member since I was 11 years old and love redeeming my miles to visit new & exciting destinations. Check out aeroplan.com!
I just came back from the beach after travelling here from Porto. I was wearing a hat for most the day, slept on a train, rode 2 Users in sweltering heat, then walked the beach.
But you know what?My hair is still looking great!
Something I love about my cut/colour is that no matter what activity or where I am, plane, train, city, beach, cottage, it always seems to fall right into place. ?✈️?
I have the team at Sassoon Toronto to thank for my amazing cut and great colour. Blonde can be really hard on your hair but Kim and Tricia keep my hair soft and healthy with treatments and regular cuts.
My last visit to Sassoon Toronto was the day before my trip. My hair was shaggy and I had HUGE roots but my dream team took it from meh to HUZZAH. Scroll down a little bit to see details about the makeover giveaway and a link to my Instagram post where you’ll need to leave a comment.
Sassoon and I are giving YOU the chance to win the hair makeover valued at $350! To enter, leave a comment on THIS INSTAGRAM POSTand make sure you are following @SassoonToronto.
