I love the mornings up here, so peaceful. We set up Alexa in the kitchen and I made coffee. Sean and I did yoga by the fire in a class hosted by City Shred on IG TV. My calendar has more workouts & FaceTime meetings scheduled than ever before and it’s giving me some structure, for now.
Roast cauliflower
Egg cups
Spicy carrot fries
Through this, we’re all adjusting to a new way of life in isolation, communication through technology, and trying to maintain a routine. I am so thankful for social media and the ability to connect.
Sean thought it was H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S to send me a Zoom meeting request from the other room. Look how much he’s smiling?
I have to try and not start little arguments over nothing, it’s hard to be at home with your partner for days on end. Kindness, remember to be kind. Choose your battles, there’s nothing we really need to fight about right now.
Before the COVID-19 outbreak, I was in the interview process for a job I was really keen on. Today I had a call with HR and the process is put on hold, I knew this was inevitable and they’re going to reach out when this passes.
My afternoon was full of friends hangouts. I FaceTimed with Hawley who’s in TO near Bellwoods. Spring starts tonight and I thought about being Bellwoods drinks beers with friends. Remember those days?
Just here thinking about hanging out with other people and celebrating the first day of spring in Bellwoods. ?? pic.twitter.com/SlP56lH7by
I FaceTimed with Keri for two hours, we drank beers and laughed a lot. Checked in with my sister and it was nice to see her face too. I hung out with Jen & Jess on FaceTime talked about boys and how much fun we had in Spain last year.
I am trying not to check the news too much but it’s impossible not to track the situation. I wonder how long we’ll be like this?
Today we started the day with a trip to town to pick up our Click & Collect groceries. It was the first time we’ve ordered them like that and it was quite convenient. They had to substitute a few items for smaller quantities (ex. 3 avocados instead of a bag) but it wasn’t an issue. I forgot a couple of things so had to run inside, making sure to distance myself and leave the aisle if I saw an older person coming close. We all have to do our best and we’re living under the notion that we could all be carrying this virus. I also ran into the LCBO, I have cut down on drinking over the past year but honestly, it’s challenging times so I want to have a few things on hand.
I had a FaceTime with Talia & Nelson who are also up at their cottage. She took me for a walk in the woods, I gave them a tour of the cottage, and we watched Nelson hit some targets.
I did a workout from Fit Factory TO in the kitchen and then we made salad & cannelloni for lunch.
I watched Miley Cyrus hang out with Cameron & Lauren from Love Is Blind and there are so many people going Live right now, there is lots to watch.
We got our cottage WIFI properly active as there was a delay from Bell because they have limited staff on hand. I am able to login to our account and watch our home cable on the iPad. Sean also got the hot water working so I finally had a nice shower. I needed one after all my workouts lol.
Sean and I went for a walk on the lake which I thought would be romantic but tbh it’s very slippery and I’m quite terrified of being on the ice. It’s safe and the ice is about 2 feet thick but I just can’t seem to shake the fear of it cracking and me falling through. So, for now, I will stay close to home.
We cooked a nice dinner together in the kitchen while watching Wheel & Jeopardy, just like home. I guess we’re kind of getting into a routine that’s a mix of exercise, working, and filling the day with walks & phone calls.
Hope you are doing ok & we will get through this. ?
Today was a-ok. Aside from the almost constant anxiety rolling through my veins, some good things happened.
I worked out when I woke up. I decided a workout by the fire was kinda romantic and sweet but it got hot realllllllly fast. Might skip the fire tomorrow morning! ?
I had a client call in the AM and did some work for another client project in the afternoon. At lunch, Sean and I did the Fit Factory TO Live workout on IG. It was hard to finish and I really got my sweat on. I’ve managed to eat pretty healthy and feel good overall about my food choices. I was concerned I would eat all the snacks out of stress but the habits I started months ago are paying off.
I had a FaceTime with Brigitte and we laughed so much! It was amazing to hang out. FaceTime is really coming in handy for this isolation time. I’m loving how so many people are using Instagram Live to share music, workouts, meditation, cooking, their life at home. It’s bringing us all together in an amazing way.
I found a way to remove my shellac at home which is going to be necessary soon. Luckily, my IG friend Katie responded and introduced me to Ka Yee who made a story highlight on how to do it. Find it here if you’re in the same boat as me!
The sunset was really nice on the lake tonight. Despite its beauty, I’m feeling stressed and the news gives me heightened anxiety. I know it’s going to be ok and it will be over eventually but it doesn’t take away the feelings we get while going through it.
Here’s some enjoyable things that might help you and your family while we’re all at home together. Keep an eye on Twitter and IG because there are so many more people coming online to offer free classes and concerts. Today John Legend did one Live at his house on his piano.
FREE DANCE CLASS TOMORROW! Tune in to my Instagram Live on Wednesday at 1pm PST/4pm EST and lets get those bodies moving! All are welcome. Spread the word. See you on the dance floor.?✨ @officialdadancepic.twitter.com/C3DUEoX7Hh
We had fun yesterday. I mean, it seems hard to have fun in this situation but, if you think about it. You can still have fun if you want to.
Sean and I had a good time driving to the cottage, listening to oldies on 104.1 The Dock. We had fun driving over the mini snowbank driveway at the cottage right when Black Betty came on, I cranked it and we plowed through the driveway in the snow. As much as unpacking the car is work, it was still kinda fun. Navigating the snow, carrying bags & boxes, trying to balance, while inside started to warm up.
We worked from about 4:30pm to 8pm getting the cottage ready. I remembered Alex was going Live on IG at 8pm, so I joined. We talked about life in isolation and doing a fireworks show on Friday night. It was really fun! We haven’t hung out IRL in ages but it was just as good. I chatted for about 15min and jumped out before she ended the chat at 8:30pm. I left to help Sean get wood and get batteries.
At 9:30 I called my friend who recently came back from two months in Asia and traveled through China to get home. She’s been in quarantine for two weeks already. We chatted about everything from COVID-19 to workouts and she helped me with some ideas of what I can do up here.
I want to share positivity. I want to be your sunshine at this hard time. I don’t know what else to do. I’m not sure exactly how and what I’m going to do but each day, I’ll try to share some good. If nothing else, I’ll share how I’m feeling. Maybe a smile or a beautiful sunset.
I’m happy to be here and have this space to share. I’m grateful for the ability to be in the woods and work remote. I’m so happy to have Sean here with me and not be alone.
This situation can be really isolating but you are not alone. I am here, on the other side of the screen. I typed these letters with my fingers. I hit the space bar for each word, each pause, and you can hit the space bar on anything in your life.
Don’t get too caught up in the news. Use this time to build a strategy for your dream job, a business plan, a book outline, a workout guide, a meal plan, or Marie Kondo your kitchen cupboards.
I spent a lot of time in isolation last winter, it’s not that bad. The seeds you plant today will blossom later this year. But, they will never bloom if you don’t plant them.
Last winter, I spent hours organizing cupboards, closets, drawers. I became obsessed with organizing and decluttering. At the time it seemed crazy but I was thankful for the work I did ALL YEAR LONG. It paid off. I have not had trouble finding outfits or spices in ages, it’s been amazing. 2020 could use another pass at our Tupperware department and the pots/pans but now I know how to do it. On that note, there are heaps of organization accessories at the Dollar store, you will be surprised.
Do not waste this time eating snacks and watching Netflix. I love those things, but you do not want to do them all day. You have an opportunity right now to DO SOMETHING, MAKE SOMETHING. Sean and I have spent many weeks at the cottage. Aside from weekends over the summer, we try to do two weeks each August and one over the winter at Christmas. I’ve learned to get things done but also enjoy the day. It’s important to enjoy the day, no matter where you live or work. Years ago I worked in Liberty Village at a software company, I would go for a walk at lunch and then blog about what I saw. It was simple, unplanned, an adventure each day. You can live like that, now, today, forever. Look at your day as an adventure.
In an effort to have normalcy, I have imagined somewhat of a routine for my new life at the cottage. My routine looks like working out when I wake up, making coffee, email/client work until noon, lunch, work, 3pm walk or activity, then wrap up work 4:30-5:30 (I like to watch Y&R if available!). I make dinner during or after Y&R then chill out over Wheel/Jeopardy. AT night I’ve been writing which is really good for my brain.
I know it’s hard right now and there are so many factors adding to our anxiety. The only way I know how to deal with this is to share is my life and what I’m going through. I hope you find this helpful or at least a break from your own anxiety and comfort in knowing you are not alone.
We are all in this together. Stay inside. Drink more water. Wash your hands. Find joy in your new routine. You can’t change what’s going on but you determine your actions and how you deal with it. Try to be positive and take breaks from scrolling. ?
We made the decision to come up to the cottage and make it our work from home space. We have a stocked fridge and fireworks. The fire is heating the cottage and we’ve got the water turned on.
This morning in the city I went for a run outside (no gym!) and it gave me so much joy that almost every person I passed gave a little wave and a smile. We’re all in this together.
The cottage isn’t fully winterized so each time we come up for a stretch of time in the winter we have to clean everything, put the water in, turn the fridge back on, and remove the shutters from the window, among other things. It takes about an hour to get the place liveable and then about two more hours to get fully set up.
Sean’s workspace is in the living room while I work in the kitchen. It’s nice to have our own spaces to focus on the work we need to get done. We spend almost 2 weeks up here each summer and a week at Christmas so we know how to make it work.
We’re not sure how long we’ll be at the cottage with everything going on. Emily is at her mum’s this week and we might have her up here with us next week. I packed all my old drives to sort through, my favourite books, a stockpile of beauty products, and my most cozy outfits.
Being here makes it a bit easier to socially distance myself from the news. At home, I had CP24 on non-stop, or the radio, and was constantly scrolling. At the cottage, I find it easier to put my phone down and focus on work, being creative, or making things in the kitchen.
I was feeling really stressed yesterday and not sure how to deal with it. It’s hard to imagine everything going on and it feels like an episode of Black Mirror.
I am choosing to document my feelings and hopefully, my sharing will give you some comfort. Writing has always been an outlet for me and helps me deal with stress & feelings.
I think we’re going to do a fireworks show on IG live sometime this week so I will let you know. If you ever wanna reach out, I’m just a tweet or IG DM away. This is hard for all of us and the best thing we can do is make the most of it.
In other news, this morning we packed up everything to load up the car. I played Tetris getting everything in there, it was so full. We were almost the cottage and Sean asked ‘did you grab the toilet paper?‘. OMG, noooooo, I forgot the damn toilet paper!!!!!! Luckily there’s some up here and lots of paper towels but LOL. Whoops! ?
It’s not often that I have nothing to say. I’m not sure how to handle everything that’s going on. It’s hard to believe this is happening.
Please wash your hands (image via sarashakeel on IG)
I feel like hitting pause on everything because our health is really what matters. How can life continue in any normal way? But things do continue like payments and deadlines. It’s hard to take a break when you need to monitor the situation. You know you should look away but you can’t because it’s right here affecting everything you do. On the computer, in your email, on social media, tv, every time you go to the fridge and think about your food.
I should do something to make myself feel better. I haven’t gone to the gym in a couple of days and I don’t want to lose my mojo. I finally got it going after a struggle up fitness hill. Today I made a nice curry and cooked some of our favourites. Did a face mask and a hair mask but it didn’t take away the knot of anxiety in my chest.
Last winter I spent a lot of time at home because of my injury and the insane amount of ice outside. Since then, I really benefitted from the work I did around the house during that time. I completely moved my room around so I had a nice workspace, organized my closet, sorted every bin, reorganized the cupboards, spice drawer. It gave me sanity in a time where I felt I couldn’t go anywhere and I didn’t feel like myself. It was hard but I made it through and learned a lot about myself in the process.
I’ve been trying not to touch my face if I’m outside and it’s really hard to not touch your face. I wish I had started this practise years ago because I know it’s smart. I still have nerve damage on the right side of my face so I get little pains where I want to itch it. It drives me crazy. Probably makes me look crazy too.
We all know that we need to stay at home. Our patience preparedness, work, finances, relationships, mental health, everything is stressed. I don’t have anything to say other than I am here, on the other side of this screen inside at my house too.
Today I spoke to Preston High School’s grade 10 and 11 students. I was invited to talk about my career, taking a unique path, and the changing world of work. I graduated from PHS in the year 2000 and most of the kids in the group were born 2000-2002. Crazy! Where did the time go?!
Back in 2000, wifi was getting popular, I’m pretty sure I had a Nokia phone, and a job at Blackberry seemed like a great career move. The world has changed so much since then and speaking at PHS today made me really proud to be part of the growing social media world.
Going Back in Time
I first learned about marketing at PHS and it lead me to a three-year Business Marketing diploma program at Conestoga before heading to Australia for university.
Bondi Beach, Australia 2004
I always a passion for marketing and entrepreneurship, I loved marketing because it allowed me to be creative in business. While at uni, I started an online diary to keep my friends & family informed of what I was up to using MSN Spaces. This was even before I discovered MySpace. I was my first step into having my own place on the internet.
When I came back from school, I wanted to work in fashion. I met someone on my flight from LA to Toronto who connected me with one of his clients. I was home from school for two weeks before moving to Toronto to sublet a room in a house with 5 students. I took over the room from someone I met at school in Australia.
The skills in learned in marketing have carried me through my career and helped me to be a leader in a new industry as it developed. Creativity in business has helped me navigate situations where I didn’t really know exactly what I was doing. I’d never been a Community Manager or worked at a TV station before I started working at MuchMusic and had never worked at an agency before taking a role as a Social Media Director at Community.
Working at Much, 299 Queen Street, Toronto
The school hasn’t changed much and it was nice to share my thoughts with the students. I did a walk around before school started to peek into old classrooms and see the lockers. Such a flashback to see the stage where I spent so many hours rehearsing and performing.
My photo is still up in the PHS Hall of Fame and I’m grateful for their support!
This week I’m making my way from Toronto to Cambridge, then to Leamington, Ontario visiting my family along the way. I’m really excited to visit my dad’s new house. He’s lived there for 2 years and I’ve never been! Leamington is the most southern point in Ontario, on the same latitude as Northern California, with a slightly warmer climate than Toronto. The last time I saw dad was in the summer when he came to the city in his hot rod. I’m looking forward to hanging out tomorrow and exploring the area.
Ford Canada lent me a 2020 Ford Edge for the week. This vehicle is a great compact SUV, it’s good on gas, has a great system, and I’m in love with the heated steering wheel. I’ll share a more thorough review of the car after my trip this week.
2020 Ford Edge
I drove around the city quite a bit this past weekend visiting my sister, hanging with friends, and helping a friend move some new furniture.
Today I’m going to my hometown (Cambridge, ON) to spend some time with mum. I can’t wait to see the house renovations and spend the night in my childhood home. It’s always an adventure at home, especially going through my old stuff in the basement.
I love road trips and being in the car by myself. The last time I took a long solo drive was in New Zealand two years ago. It’s a great way to clear your head and get some perspective. I’m hoping to come back with a few new ideas and some inspo. I am also looking forward to my parent’s home cooking! ?
Since making exercise part of my life over the last few months, I’ve started to crave the feeling I get from working out. Each night I lay out my gym stuff and look forward to going each morning. I wrote a bit about my fitness journey here and once I started to see results, it motivated me to keep going.
I’m committed to not letting this winter give me seasonal affective disorder like last year, I never want to get that way again. I’m sure there will be sad days here and there (there deff are), but I know I can fight it with fitness.
Today’s tip to beat Winter SAD is to SWEAT. Find a class, get a YouTube video going, download Nike Training club, dance, or jump around.
Do something to get yourself moving, create endorphins, get your brain high on body moment.
My Fav Apps & Fitness Resources
I like the NTC app for exercises and the NRC app for running. I often do Yoga with Adrienne on Youtube or find workouts on Pinterest. There are so many free resources available online if you don’t have a gym membership.
If you are in GTA and want a workout buddy to try a class, ask me anytime! I love hanging with friends and movement makes us all feel good.
I recently attended a new kind of dinner with amazing food that was infused with cannabis (THC & CBD). The entire experience was highly curated to take us on a journey through incredible food and unique experience.
The team at byMINISTRY aims to show how cannabis can be integrated into life through food & drink, culture, and wellness. They’re taking your plant-forward lifestyle to a higher place and I am here for it.
The Experience
Sean and I arrived to be greeted with a non-infused temperance cocktail as there was no alcohol on site. Before each course, the chef (Ted Corrado) walked us through what we were about to eat and if it contained CBD or THC. It was nice to learn about the food before eating it, including how the mushrooms were foraged or fish arrived at our plates.
