Went for an afternoon trip to Port Carling today. Attempted to go for tacos but the wait was 2 hours long! There were heaps of people and we ended up stopping by the grocery store then coming back to the cottage. It was. so nice out, I sat on the dock, had a beer, and finished my book. Managed to get a couple of tan lines too so I would call it a nice little Saturday!
With restrictions opening up we’re finally allowed to access more personal care services. I was so excited to go back to Youth MediSpa for their bespoke facial treatment. My last visit there was in July 2020 (Day 122) for a little Botox touchup.
After months of being at home, I’ve really started taking good care of my skin but some things can’t be fixed with a good cream or face mask. This year I turned 39 and some skin concerns I have are signs of aging, sun damage, redness, and hydration. I was keen to get the bespoke facial from Youth MediSpa because it’s catered for each person and their skin needs.
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When I first got a Nintendo Switch a couple of weeks ago I had no idea how much I’d actually like playing. I know I’m late to the game but safe to say Animal Crossing is deff a new hobby addiction. It’s a great way to relax, take a break from the internet, work, reality. I spend time on my island, building things, fishing, collecting shells, planting flowers, shopping, and selling stuff at Nooks Cranny lol. I don’t think this makes me a Gamer Girl but I read an article on gamer girl aesthetic today. I also have Zelda and Mario Kart. ?
Spent most of the day working outside and it was so nice! We had perfect weekend weather and it felt great to get my hands in the dirt and pull some weeds. We watered all the plants, took some stuff to the dump, and I cleaned up a set of steps.
Took Sean out on the wakeboard and then spent a few hours reading my book. I’m currently halfway through That Summer by Jennifer Weiner. I read her previous book, Big Summer, a couple of months ago, both good!
Sean and I drove up to the cottage in the afternoon and after the week I had, I was so ready for it. We plan to do a bunch of yard work around and clean things up outside. I hadn’t been back up for a couple of weeks so am quite looking forward to sun, relaxing, and getting my energy back up.
LADIES & GENTS, I AM HAPPT TO REPORT I AM NOT SICK ANYMORE.
At this point, I am pretty certain I had a reaction to getting my first Pfizer shot I got just over a week ago. During this process, I learned that *if* you had Covid, you might have a more severe reaction to the vaccine. I had never been tested for Covid and didn’t have any symptoms during the pandemic, but will never 100% know unless I take an antibody test. I have no regrets about getting the vaccine and will 100% still be getting my second dose as soon as I can.
The good news is I don’t have Covid, bad news, still sick. I was worried it might be strep throat so made an appt to see a doctor.
They did a rapid test to determine it’s not strep but a viral infection (?). I’m not 100% sure if this is connected to the vaccine but after looking at all the possible side effects of the Pfizer vaccine, it looks like it.
The doctor said to keep resting and drink lots of fluids. I am really hoping I feel better, being sick is the worst. Thankfully my work is lovely and said to take the time I need. Here’s to hoping I wake up feeling better tomorrow.
Sean got home from the cottage last night and was not expecting to see a zombie. I was swollen, slow-moving, and he said my skin looked almost grey. I am not doing good at all. I can’t remember being this sick.
I got my first Covid-19 test last night and am waiting for results. I hope I don’t have covid. I hope I don’t have covid. I hope I don’t have covid. I hope I don’t have covid. I hope I don’t have covid.
For now, I’m isolating myself in my room and avoiding Sean. I hadn’t seen him in days and now I have to keep my distance. I hate this. Wasn’t able to work today. Feel like death. Please cross your fingers that I don’t have covid.
Yesterday I wasn’t feeling so great and spent the whole day on the couch. I’d planned to meet some friends in the park but just wasn’t up for it. Played Animal Crossing for hours and watched Netflix shows back to back.
Today I woke up feeling like DEATH. My whole body hurts, face & neck are swollen and my throat is sore. I’m hoping it’s from the vaccine and not a cold but at this point, I don’t know. Took the day off from work as I can’t focus on anything.
The day has finally come! Patios are open in Toronto so of course, I went to one! Natalie and I met up for a girl’s night and snagged a spot at Hemingway’s. I used to work there over a decade ago and it hadn’t been back in ages.
It was nice to be back and we had a bunch of drinks, so fun. One of the bartenders I used to work with was still there and we laughed a lot. Hemingways is owned by a Kiwi and there is memorabilia from new Zealand all over, love it.
Over the summer, I’ve booked off Friday afternoon so pretty excited to make the most of an almost-long weekend, every weekend. Woo hoo!
Met up with April for a nice little walk after work. We went to Pierre Elliot Trudeau Elementary where I heard there was a magical pink wall for photos.
People always ask ‘where do you find the bright walls?’ Well, tbh I find them everywhere and keep a list of my fav ones around the city. This space is hidden in the back of the school and there are steps and a pink wall. So cute!
A couple of Instagram comments mentioned my ‘new hair colour’, but it’s not new, just grown out roots! I can’t wait until we are in the next stage of Lockdown so I can get my hair done. I’m into the darker, more natural roots but am looking forward to spicing it up with a bit more blonde.
Hope all is good! Have a great day!
Don’t say it..don’t say it…VAX GIRL SUMMER! ☀️ I’M SO HAPPY! I GOT VACCINATED!
Sean gave me a tip from Vaccine Hunters that there was a pop-up clinic near at Harbord Collegiate offering the first dose of Pfizer today so I biked over soon as I could. If you are looking to get your first or second dose, check out the @vaxhunterscan account on Twitter, they’re posting vaccination clinics all across the country.
I just really want to go somewhere ✈️, hug my parents, have friends to the house, and for this all to be overrrrrrr. Y’know?! ?✌️ One step closer to getting back to some kind of normal.
The day started out great, went for a nice run in the sun. Got ready for work, put on a full outfit, makeup. At lunch, I ordered a salad from Freshii and it was delicious. About an hour after I started to feel shaky and light-headed. Not really sure what happened or where it came from so I decided to pop to Gasbar Cafe and get a sweet treat. They have an absolutely amazing walnut carrot cake with little pieces of pineapple. Ate the whole thing in the sun and went back to work.
Last night at about 1 pm I was woken up by construction on the train tracks. They were doing resurfacing and it was so loud, the whole house was shaking. Didn’t realize how tired I was until I took a little nap at 6 pm, I woke up at 9 pm, got a snack, and went right back to bed. An exciting story I know haha.
Swinging in the hammock, floating in the air, sun on my face and wind in my hair.
Went for a 4km run in the woods this morning while listening to Effortless by Greg McKeown on Audible. The book was recommended by a colleague and I’m really enjoying it. Great perspectives on work, life, and living a joyful life.
Was a pretty relaxing day, beautiful weather. Spent a good amount of time reading in the sun, I started That Summer by Jennifer Weiner after Jen recommended it. I hadn’t picked up my kindle in ages and it was so nice to just sit and read.
How great is this IG filter? Imagine I had this many tattoos. I bet mum will see this and be like ‘OMGGGG’. Ha! Cover me in sunshine, cover me in tattoos, I’m happy!
Biked over to Christie Pitts after work last night to meet Natalie in the park. It was so nice out! I am living for these hot days.
I didn’t get to see her around my birthday so she packed a nice little picnic and we listened to live music in the sun.
I biked home to meet Sean around 8 pm and we watched something on Netflix. I decided to use my vacation days to take Friday afternoons off for most of the summer. Looking forward to driving up to the cottage a bit early and spending the weekend there.
Hope you are having a good week! Nice to be back to the blog. Sending love!
It’s been a little while since I updated and to be honest, I just didn’t feel like it. Over the last 20 days, I often opened WordPress to write so many times but ended up saving drafts, only counting the days. The last 2 weeks have been hard, we’re still in lockdown, I haven’t been vaccinated, I miss my parents, going places, doing things.
Sometimes I just don’t feel like it, being on the internet, sharing my life. Over the years I’ve written 20 posts with this same title, you can read them here. Work is going good and I’ve finally gotten into the groove of being an employee, it took 8-10 weeks. I hadn’t worked full-time since 2013 so it was quite an adjustment. I really love the work I’m doing and can’t wait to share an exciting project. I’ve been riding my bike a lot lately, and going for walks after work, seeing friends in the park. It’s the only thing keeping me sane!
With the pandemic, work, relationships, family, and general anxiety, I haven’t felt like sharing here. I still post something to my IG Stories most days, Instagram, or pop up on Twitter but each time I went to write, I couldn’t do it. I’d been on such a good run with blogging for the past year and was feeling down about not posting. I really enjoy blogging but I feel like this year caught up with over me the last few weeks. I missed a few days, then it felt like a lot to catch up on and before I knew it, it was almost a month. I’m keen to update the last couple of weeks so I have memories to look at. Journaling is such a beautiful thing and once I started writing this, I was reminded how much I love it.
I think a key takeaway is to not be too hard on yourself. If you need to sleep, sleep, get takeout, leave the laundry pile, skip a workout, or take a day off, it’s OK. We will get through this pandemic and won’t remember the individual days but how the experience changed us. I think it’s changed me for the better.
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Had a nice park date w/ Chloe after work/ So nice to see her, it had been ages. Opened a few packages on Stories this morning and they were all so nice. Lays sent a box of chips and I got a huge box of goodies from Sitti Soap. Their annual box goes to support refuges and is a BIPOC + woman-owned business. Check it out here.
Nice picnic with April today. I walked her most of the way home with my bike and then biked back. I have this thing where if I see a mirror on the street I always stop and take a photo. Have you noticed? I love capturing my outfit on a random background and the different shapes the mirrors are in. Seeing more than one on a short ride is unique!
We decided to dip into some alcohol-free beverages that were sent by Grüvi. The beer & champagne were pretty good! I’ve been rethinking drinking the last few years and gone through stages where I don’t drink at all. I’ve noticed that since I’m staying home more (not going to events) and weigh less, I can’t handle alcohol the way I used to. For years I’d be at several events a week and have a few drinks each time. Now when I do have drinks, I like to mix in an alcohol-free option to slow down the effects, water, soda, or something like these cocktails with no booze. If you’re ever looking for mocktail recipes my friend Sarah has some on IG.
In other news, my hair is really long and DARK. I can’t believe how long it is. I love it so much and don’t see myself going back to short anytime soon, or ever. I can’t wait to get back to Sassoon and have my hair done. I’m going to keep the colour close to this just with a bit more blonde. if you’re ever interested in my hair journey, there’s heaps of Sassoon post from the last 5 years here.
A couple of years ago I was doing yoga almost every day with Sandy at Yoga Yoga in the Junction. I hadn’t seen her in ages and this morning to text me about going for a walk together. It was perfect timing as I didn’t have plans and Sean was back at the cottage. She said ‘Meet me in the park‘ and we decided to hang out on the grass at Sarauren Avenue Park. Idk why I’ve never really hung out there as it’s such a nice park. Bellwoods has been really busy lately, this week there was someone with a gun, and people keep leaving garbage there. Nice to discover a clean & safe place right around the corner from our house.
One of my fav sunset views is this one along Dundas West right at the top of Sterling Ave. It’s not exactly spectacular but idk, I just like it. I biked home feeling energized and inspired. It was so nice to laugh with Sandy again.
In other news, I ordered THE CUTEST set from Aerie. I posted to my Story and ended up sending the link to a bunch of friends when they asked about it. I ordered another similar set in blue. It fits so nice and the material is very stretchy, kind like a swimsuit.
Week is off to a great start! I took a vacation day on Friday so it’s a short one! Weeee!
Lovely family day at the cottage. We all worked together to get the place ready for summer. Emily spent a chunk of the day power washing the concrete and it looks so nice. I set up a herb garden in our new planter box that Sean out together. Decided my garden gloves were too boring and added a few Hayley Elsaesser iron-ons to make them a little more fun.
We set up one of the patio sets near the woodpile for another sitting area. I started listening to Seth Rogen‘s new book ‘Yearbook‘ on Audible. It’s so funny! Highly recommend.
Absolutely LOVE this Hinza Tote I ordered from The Curator’s Shop. My sister’s childhood BFF Leah Mackie started The Curator’s Shop with a friend and they have all kinds of boxes you can order filled with gifts.
We’re heading back downtown tonight so I can be home for work tomorrow. Emily has been doing school at her mum’s so we’ll drop her off on the way.
Here’s to a good week!
Had a nice run this morning, I love running in the woods! I am obsessed with my Apple Watch and love the notifications and positives vibes from Nike Run Club. Sun’s out! Spent some time reading in the sun and working on my tan. It’s amazing how this weather can make your mood.
Sean, Em and I worked artound the cottage getting it ready for summer. At night we had a nice fire, listened to music, and roasted marshmallows as the sun went down. I am living for this weather!
Biked over to see April last night and walked almost 5km in the sun. It was so nice. Charged my batteries up for a great day today. Spring is finally here! We’re heading up north and I am so ready to read my book in the sun and work on my tan. I hope it’s warm enough for that, ha!
Talia gave me this jumpsuit over the winter and I was so happy to wear it today. Bring on cute spring outfits, I am here for IT!
Sending you love through the internet. Have a great good today and a wonderful weekend! Happy Friday to YOU!
Had such a nice bike ride today after work. Went over to see April and hang out in the backyard. I’ve been loving these warmer temps and wearing cute clothes. We walked about 5km from her place, up to Dundas, to Bathurst, and back along Queen West.
The trees are all starting to bloom and it will be summer in no time. Don’t lose hope, better days are on their way. Sending you love from the internet, have a great day!
Went for a run this morning and it was so windy I cut it short and turned back. I am really hoping those warmer temps show up later this week. Another cold day in May, I’m over it!
Went for a nice walk after work and found this huge heart on the wall. Mum and I always send hearts to each other and it makes me so happy. Amazing how a little text from mum with love can brighten your day.
Hope you are having a good week. ❤️
Had a nice bike ride today after work then went for a walk. Called Keri for a catch-up and it was so nice to laugh together. I think that’s the thing I miss most, laughing with friends and hanging out.
Saw this mirror on my adventure, took it as a sign to go with the flow, take it easy. Sometimes you just need to stroll.
Had a nice dip in the lake this morning. Things are in bloom; trees are growing leaves, flowers blooming, birds singing. ?
This is my absolute favorite mug, Sasha got it for me ages ago in LA. The compliment I love most is being called a Ray of Sunshine or in this case Ray of F**king Sunshine. ?
We’re still at the cottage and gonna stay a few more days. Sean got a new wireless router that will make it easier for us both to work from the cottage. Hoping we can spend a lot of time up here this summer. ☀️
