Quarantine and (Online) Shop With Your Fave Canadian Stores

March 30, 2020 No Comments

As we head into another week of staying inside and self isolating, I come back to this daily question: What am I going to wear to my couch today?!

Quarantine and chill in style (and comfort) with free shipping and great savings from these Canadian retailers!

Sense of Independence Boutique

This chic boutique offers the cutest loungewear, including matching sets, tie-dye prints and graphic tees. Score free shipping sitewide with the code FREESHIP! My fellow GTA residents can shop with added confidence: You have 14 days from when their North York retail location (526 Lawrence Ave W.) reopens to return or exchange regular priced items.

Peace Collective

Rep your Canadian pride in a matching sweatsuit, or pick up a piece from their latest all-star collaboration with SpongeBob SquarePants. Take advantage of free shipping across Canada and the U.S. and an extended 30-day return policy. Better yet, you can add to your wardrobe while making your money count as every garment purchased will provide 3 meals to a Canadian in need through P/C’s partner food banks.

Favourites

March Favourites

March 23, 2020 No Comments

To say the month of March has felt like a never-ending series of curveballs would be a significant understatement. I hope you’re staying healthy, enjoying everything our fave streaming services have to offer and perhaps discovering a new hobby or two! Mine is apparently baking cakes with my mom. 🍰

The extra at-home time is also giving us all more opportunities for closet cleaning, skincare and adding to our playlists and watch lists. Steal some inspo from this month’s Favourites list below.

Fashion

* Patterned Cropped Jackets *

SIMILAR: Free People, $495 // Princess Polly, $37 *sale* // Princess Polly, $31 *sale* (exact from American Eagle, sold out)

Now that I’ve finally found my new go-to basic white tees from Topshop and Zara, I’m loving cute cropped jackets, especially in a fun style like a cheetah or military print. They’re perfect for spring and you can easily dress them up or down with perfectly-paired accessories and solid colours.

sense of independence boutique — (Photo via Sense of Independence Boutique)

*** Shopping Local ***

Major props to all the retailers I shop with who made the difficult but necessary decision to help flatten the curve and closed their doors early on. Now more than ever, it’s important to support small, local businesses and ensure they can get back on their feet as quickly as possible once this is all over.

Stay tuned for my separate post to get started with six of my personal faves!

Read here: Quarantine and (Online) Shop With Your Fave Canadian Stores

Beauty/Skincare

Let’s talk WORK FROM HOME GLAM! My skin is majorly thanking me for the toned-down day-to-day makeup routine. My essentials have become a brow pencil, eyeshadow, light swipe of mascara and a tinted primer.

*** Goof Proof Brow Pencil Easy Shape & Fill | Benefit Cosmetics ***

Sephora, $32

I wear shade 3 (warm light brown).

* Mono Pop Eyeshadow Palette *

Avon, $26

* Troublemaker Mascara *

Urban Decay, $23.25

* SOS Primer *

Clarins, $39

I wear shade 4 (green).

Events, Travel

The Ultimate Music Experience in Toronto

December 7, 2018 53 Comments

As a music aficionado, I definitely picked the right city to live in! Toronto has it all – amazing homegrown and visiting talent, iconic concert halls and plenty to see and do between shows. So, when Google Canada reached out last month and invited me to embark on the ultimate music experience in my home city, I knew I was in for a treat!

Follow my guide below to enjoy your very own ultimate music experience in Toronto!

Morning

First, book a hotel!! (or commute in early)

I’m not a morning person by any means, so Google Canada was kind enough to hook me up with a stay at the gorgeous Four Seasons Hotel in Yorkville. Staying here has been on my bucket list for years. The property and rooms are simply stunning and you’re just minutes away from great shopping, attractions and music venues (crucial for this kind of experience!).

Next stop, food for fuel!

The beautiful interior of Kost at Bisha Hotel.

My girls Afra (left), Rebecca (right) and I LOVED our delicious brunch!

After lounging around and getting ready while blasting tunes on YouTube Music, my friends and I trekked over to Kōst for brunch. This delightful hidden gem is located on the 44th floor of the new Bisha Hotel in Toronto on Blue Jays Way. The atmosphere is really bright and the dishes are fresh and unique. We all ordered sandwiches; I got the California burger with fries, which was delicious. (If you’re not a spicy/tangy kind of person, I’d recommend getting it without the tomato relish.) I can’t wait to come back in the summer when the outdoor seating is open!

Charity, General

#BellLetsTalk in 2018

January 31, 2018 No Comments

This post was originally written as a Facebook status. I believe the message is important to share here on my blog as well.

It’s 2018. It’s almost the end of January, but in case you haven’t heard it yet happy new year. Now, don’t let this be the year you don’t take the opportunity(ies) to educate yourself…to be compassionate…to hear…to LISTEN…to be a support…to ask for support, if needed…to be human.

It’s 2018. More important to this very moment, today’s #BellLetsTalk day. You don’t need a corporation to tell you to look out and be there for your fellow people, and yourself. Just do it – today and every day. Everyone needs a saviour sometimes; life ain’t always easy. But it’s worth it. You’re worth it. Don’t let your demons define you. Don’t give them that power.

Finding it too hard to resist them today? That’s OK. You’re OK and you will be OK, believe that. I’m here. (I seriously am – if anyone reading this needs to talk/vent/anything, never hesitate to message me.) Remind yourself you have the power in you to brighten even the deepest darkness.

Of course, it takes most people more than a day to open the doors to conversation or healing, but this is a good place to start. Use the hashtag #BellLetsTalk, watch the video (shared on Bell Let’s Talk‘s Facebook page), check in with your friends, family and yourself (texts and calls across the Bell network count as financial contributions!), be an open ear to those who trust you with their stories and, if you’re ready, talk about what YOU need to feel more whole again. You’ve got this.

This is your year.

(Header photo courtesy of TSN/Bell Media)

Interviews, Music, Music Monday

MUSIC MONDAY: Hilary Weaver wants you to stop playing your “Head Games”

April 13, 2015 No Comments

Don’t mess with Hilary! Toronto-based pop/rock singer and songwriter Hilary Weaver is playing no games when it comes to her music. Hilary released her critically acclaimed debut album ‘Heart Breakout’ in June 2012 and quickly amassed a large fan following online. Since then, she has met with several well-known producers across the U.S. and Canada to work on new music and hone in on her sound.

Hilary has just released her new single, “Head Games”, a song she worked on with producer Brian Howes in Los Angeles. The song is a powerful anthem about loving a guy who is playing with your head and your heart like some kind of game. “Head Games” is catchy and relatable and her fans have quickly responded with love for the track. Clearly, Hilary is the winner in this game!

I chatted with Hilary as she was gearing up to release “Head Games” to find out what she had to say about the single, her favourite singers and her Weavies.

Your new single “Head Games” is officially out! What is the song about and what inspired it?

“Head Games” is about a past personal relationship where I fell for someone. I thought the feelings were mutual, but in the end it turned out he still wanted to be with his girlfriend. This situation was an emotional rollercoaster for me for a while as I felt he was giving me hope and then taking it away over and over again – basically playing with my head and my heart like it was some kind of game!