Today was so nice out, perfect weather. Haven’t been feeling the best this week and have slacked a bit on my workouts. I feel sluggish but I’ll get back to it, I feel like this happens every now and then.
I took Sean for a wakeboard and then sat in the hot tub for a bit before it warmed up outside. This is my new fav swimsuit, Giant Tiger $10. Best store around these parts!
For lunch, I made a delicious beet salad with pecans and goat cheese. Sean grilled beets on the bbq last night and had them in the fridge. I love beets!
I’m onto another book today after just finishing The Best of Friends by Lucinda Berry. It comes out in August and I received an advance copy via NetGalley. Highly recommend, it’s about a tragedy three friends face when an accident happens with their kids causing injury and death. I sped through it in a couple of days. My next read is The Broken Hearts Honeymoon, a more lighthearted feel-good summer read.
Jen made us vegan spaghetti & meatless meatballs for dinner and we had rosé. At night we watched the sunset on the dock, had a fire, and listened to music.
I’m still a few days behind on updating last week’s daily diary but I’m working through it. I have an exciting post about my first trip to a spa where I had a couple of treatments AND an announcement about a cool project I’ve secretly been part of during quarantine. Lots to share!
Today we had our first summer guest since the start of quarantine, the one and only Jen Kirsch! Jen and I have been friends for years, we’ve travelled to Spain, New Orleans and been to hundreds of events together.
She’s been isolated with her dad in Richmond Hill and we thought it was a-ok to finally have her up. We played games in the living room, danced, and went to our Monday night regular hangout, ‘Vinyl Night’ at Communist Daughter via Zoom. It was so much fun!
Sean asked if I wanted to go get tacos and the obv answer was YES. We took a nice drive up to Port Carling and had a late lunch at Tilo’s Taqueria which used to be Grand Electric Muskoka. The food was great, the booths were outside and distanced. It was quite cloudy but the rain held off enough to still sit on the covered patio.
Tomorrow Jen Kirsch is coming up for a couple of days, our first guest! Looking forward to surprising the Vinyl Night crew when we show up on the Zoom together.
I can’t believe it’s been 125 days. I started this Daily Diary part of the blog thinking it would be a couple of weeks, months, maybe? Sometimes I’ll be doing something and totally forget how the world is so different now. Then I remember and feel overwhelmed. One minute I’m doomscrolling and having anxiety and another times social media gives me a great place to escape.
I feel uncertain about everything today. Given that the world has changed so much in the past six months, it’s impossible to predict what will happen next. What tragedy or terror will we face? Apparently the worst hurricane season is on its way, there are UFOs, and second waves of are COVID happening in multiple countries.
I’m grateful to be at the cottage and have Sean by my side but everything comes with challenges. What you see on the internet is only a small slice of someone’s life, the curated version. I haven’t posted much on my Instagram this month, I just haven’t felt like it. I’ve been a rollercoaster of emotion since June and I’m really hoping this ride slows down a bit in August.
If you are reading this any feeling any of the same feelings, please know you are not alone. I welcome you to reach out if need/want someone to talk to, I’m a great listener and am usually good for a laugh. Send me a DM on Instagram, a Tweet, or an email. I’m almost always on the other side of the screen, wherever you are, right here in your phone or on your computer.
I’d seen Evan Biddel post the famous Playsuit he’s been making and asked if he could make a yellow AND HE DID. I am so obsessed with this one-piece outfit. he made it a little smaller or me and it fits perfectly. You can check out his other versions at the Biddell Shop and see him as a guest on Canada’s Drag Race this season.
After my trip to town and the post office, Sean and I hung out and had a drink on the dock. I picked up a cute bathing suit from Giant Tiger for $10.
Up until now, the bugs have been really bad at night so we haven’t been sitting out. I made a nice fire and we watched the sun set on the lake.
It’s been ages since I went to a spa so when I was invited to check out the brand new YOUTH Medispa in downtown Toronto, I was so excited! I had a Bespoke Medical Facial followed by Botox and filler.
This is more than a beauty clinic, they’re a female-led, luxe anti-ageing spa with over 30 years in the business. They offer Injectables, advanced laser and facials, Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT), hair restoration, skin tightening, vaginal rejuvenation, and plastic surgery consultation.
Inside YOUTH Medispa, Toronto
With the new Covid19 restrictions, they’re allowed to book patient appointments and are taking all the precautions necessary to make sure your visit is safe and enjoyable.
The day before my appointment I was sent several forms and waivers to sign-off on my treatments and informed they would provide a mask if I didn’t have my own.
Welcome to YOUTH Medispa Toronto
I arrived 15 min early for my appointment and was greeted at the door with sanitizer and one of their specialists who was also wearing a mask. I was so excited I wore a dress and heels for the first time in months. I was the only patient at the time and as restrictions change for Toronto, they will continue to stagger appointments and have both entry and exit doors so no two clients cross paths. The entire space is 3,100 square feet with 4 floors, 4 main areas, and 9 treatment rooms.
Big fan of the art displayed, their look is very minimal, black & white, with a pop of colour here and there. They’re paperless and wireless meaning you can pay for your services ahead of time or inside the treatment room without having to go back to through the building.
As you can probably guess, this was my favourite room! Love the wallpaper!
YOUTH Medispa – Bespoke Facial
My first treatment was a Bespoke Medical Facial that combines cleansing, enzymatic exfoliation, lymphatic drainage massage, and a non-ablative laser to help stimulate collagen. This facial is customized to the patient’s individual needs (hence the bespoke title) and mine was focussed on anti-ageing and moisture.
You can see my skin looks a bit dull in the first photo below while my skin is GLOWING in the last photo, post-facial. It was very relaxing and almost felt like a hot stone massage for the face. You can do this monthly or even every two weeks depending on your needs. They have a great package available for $995 with a retail value of $2,400 (see here!).
My skin felt incredible after this treatment, smooth, hydrated, and refreshed.
Before Bespoke Facial
After Bespoke Facial!
YOUTH Medispa – Injectible Treatments
Let me just say this before anything else, I have had Botox and filler (Dysport) a couple of times and am familiar with the process, pain level, risk, and knew what I wanted to have done.
If you are looking to try an injectable treatment you can book a free consultation to assess your needs and answer questions. I am not an expert or medical professional but happy to answer your questions about my personal experience. Spoiler alert: It was great!
My treatments were done in the room above with YOUTH co-founder and Clinical Director, Michelle Mag-Iba. You can she had me wrinkle my forehead to show where the Botox could go. She did a ‘sprinkle’ across my forehead and I have a follow-up appointment in 2 weeks to see if there are any remaining areas I’d like to address.
Does it hurt? Only a little, it’s more uncomfortable, but only for a second with each needle prick, and it’s over before you know it. I would happily go through this process every couple of months to help prevent more wrinkles!
I had Dysport put into my cheekbone area to plump them up and add definition. After losing 30 Lbs in the last year, I felt my face was sagging a bit and this helps to restore fullness to the area. There is a risk of bruising but I did not have any.
I shared my concern that I didn’t want to overdo it, ‘just a little’ I said. I was impressed with the precision and attention to detail. Doing anything to your face can be scary but I was right at ease. You probably wouldn’t notice I had anything done if I hadn’t mentioned it!
I am VERY happy with the results of all my treatments and look forward to my next appointment. The staff were so friendly have graciously given me a code where you can save 20% off any services (CASIE20).
YOUTH MEDISPA CODE: CASIE20
I highly recommend checking them out! Follow @youthmedispa on Instagram and visit their website at theyouthmedispa.com to book an appointment. Thank you Kate Mackinson for putting this great new spa on my radar! FEELING OH SO FRESH!
We’re hading back to the city today for most of the week. Sean’s dad is coming to spend some time up here. It’s gonna be nice to be home. i have a few dates planned with friends, at safe distance of course.
Over the last few days, we really worked together as a family team to make the cottage look spotless. When we first came up here in March we packed up a few things we thought we needed and over the months we’ve made it feel more like home. This week we cleaned up some of the clutter we don’t need and packed a few things to take home.
I’m really into this simple concrete/wood bookshelf Sean and I made. We also got some new chains to hold up the hammock, it’s very relaxing. Great for reading!
The last few days have been spent cleaning the cottage top to bottom and doing odd around the place. Sean’s sister is coming up for the week with her family and we want to make sure it’s clean and ready for them to enjoy.
I went over to Leslie’s place for a girl’s night in the evening and we boated around the lake a bit and hung out on the dock. It’s SO NICE to have cottage friends on the lake!
This board suit has become one of my fav cottage outfits. Last summer I could hardly even fit into it! Huzzah!!!!
Sean called me outside when he was checking the boat after the storm to catch this family going by. We’ve watched them grow since the spring. I really love being up here in the words. I think it’s changing me for the better. For so long I’ve been running from one thing to the next, the next job, event, project, I didn’t realize how tired I was. This isn’t how we pictured our summer but I’m grateful for the opportunity to be spending more time here.
Sean has been cleaning up the Corvette (1982 Stingray) today. I love this car so much but it’s been sitting in the garage, unused, for years now. It’s been in his family since he was a teenager. I think he finally has a buyer!
My parents used to have a very similar model when they moved to Canada in the late ’70s. It was the first brand new car they ever bought.
It was really sunny today and I’ve been working on my tan. ?
Always nice to end the day with a sunset boat cruise. We’ve had a bit of a tough time w/ Emily the last few weeks and after a few good family chats it’s was nice to see her smiling on the boat today. This quarantine and lockdown has been hard on kids, no friends, no school, and being stuck at home all the time.
Let’s hope for a another day with lots of smiles tomorrow.
