Month: May 2022

Categories
Design & Decor

Setting Up A Home Gym

The way our living room is set up in the basement we have a bit of dead space in the corner, with a walkout; we can’t turn this space into “room” because of access to the sliding door. We opted instead to build a half wall and make the space into a home gym.



Paint: Paradiso (Benjamin Moore)
*I needed a hue that is good for yoga but also energizing!
Mirror: Toftbyn (Ikea)
*Sadly; it’s not  one of those interactive fitness mirrors; just a plain jane mirror to check my form
Mat: Reversible 5mm Mat
Stationary Bike: Nautilus R616 Recumbent Bike
Weight Bench: CAP Barbell Standard Weight Bench
Weights: SelectTech Adjustable Dumbbells
Treadmill: ProForm Sport 7.0C Folding Treadmill
*Not everyone is a fan of folding treadmills, but I like the option of being able to move it; so I can make space to do a workout from the NTC app or do some yoga

Categories
Gifts

Birthday Wishlist

My birthday is fast approaching; my family and friends have been asking, “What do you want for your birthday?” Although they all know WHERE to go… INDIGO (my all time favourite store!)

Beauty & Wellness
LED Light Therapy Mask
Clean Vibrations Facial Brush

Books
101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think by Brianna Wiest
The Lost Words by Macfarlane & Morris

Home
Large Citronella Candle 20oz Coconut Lemongrass
Self Watering 8oz Terracotta Planter

Fashion
Organic Poplin BF Shirt (Rose Stripe)
Sophie Ring


Paper
Liberty Colouring Book
Nota Markers

Categories
Health & Beauty

Best Acne Treatments

According to the Canadian Dermatology Association… “Acne affects 5.6 million Canadians, nearly 20 percent of the population. And, women make up 75 percent of adult cases.” Personally, my acne is mild however, it has become more and more problematic as I age. I have spent many years trying out acne treatments. So far these are by far the best treatments out there; in my opinion. Obviously, I am NOT a dermatologist, merely one of 5.6 million.

1. The Eradikate Line by Kate Somerville
Of that line, I have used with great success the following products…
-Daily Foaming Cleanser
-Anti Bac Lotion
-Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment
-Oil Free Moisturizer
-D-Scar Diminishing Serum
-Acne Treatment with 10% Sulfur

2. The Acne-Prone Skin Line by Consonant Skin + Care
Of that line, I have used with great success the following products…
-Natural Foaming Face Wash
-Maximum Glycolic Meta Serum
-Balancing Face Cream
-DHE Mask


3. The Clean, Calm and Clear Acne Treatment Line by Philosophy
Of that line, I have used with great success the following products…
-Clear Days Ahead Oil-Free Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment Cleanser
-Clear Days Ahead Oil-Free Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment Moisturizer
-Clear Days Ahead Overnight Repair Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment Pads
-Clear Days Ahead Salicylic Acid Spot Treatment

Categories
Entertainment

Crafts I Wanna Try

One of things on my list of ‘intentional summer plans” was to spend more time BEING ARTISTIC. I set aside one day a week (Sunday’s) to do this. The first step in making this a reality was to make a list of projects I want to tackle. I also thought it would be a cool thing to do with my friends once a week as well since another goal for the summer was to spend more time with my friends. 

pencils in stainless steel bucket
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
  1. Succulent Planters (Gilded Stones or Sand or Clay Petals)
  2. Tye-Die 
  3. Macramé
  4. Candle Making
  5. Painted Wine Bottle Vases
  6. Fluid Art
  7. Mason Jar Wind Chime
  8. Glitter Dipped Wine Glasses
  9. Decoupage Glass Magnets
  10. Coffee Filter Peonies
  11. No Sew Rope Basket
  12. Starburst Wreath

If you have any cool crafts for the summer, comment below!

Categories
Food & Drink

Convenience Foods

Most of the time I eat my lunch on the go; walking the halls on supervision, gulping it down during my prep or at “five minute break,” or I eat my lunch as a super early dinner at 4 when I get home because I didn’t have time to eat it during the day. I know none of these scenarios is ideal. 

To be honest there is a lot of garbage convenience food out there. But as a “convenience food connoisseur” I know which ones taste the best!

  1. Healthy Choice Gourmet Steamers
    -Chicken Teriyaki
    -Grilled Chicken Red Pepper Alfredo
    -Sweet Sesame Chicken
    -Pineapple Chicken
    -Grilled Chicken Pesto
  2. Great Value Nutri-Bowls
    -Ginger Beef
    -Butter Chicken
    -Falafel
  3. Stouffer’s
    -Cheesy Meatball Marinara
    -Cheddar Cheeseburger
    -Buffalo Ranch Fried Chicken
    -Bistro Crustini Philly Cheesesteak
Categories
Writing Prompt Wednesdays

Writing Prompt Wednesday

I was gifted an awesome journal for Christmas last year; Picadilly’s 200 Writing Prompts. I am still working my way through it! I wanted to share my most recent entry with you…


What about you?

Categories
Design & Decor

Design Challenge: Downstairs Guest Bathroom

This was one room of our house, that was very dated. But with a few simple touches, we totally transformed the space.

Paint: Gray Cloud (Benjamin Moore)
Faucet & Racks: Hensley Single-Handle Single Hole Bath Faucet with 3-Piece Hardware Set,  & Towel Bar in brushed nickel (Home Depot)
Shower Head: Moen Attract with Magnetix 6 Spray Dual Shower Head & Adjustable Handheld in brushed nickel (Home Depot)
Hardware: GlideRite 5 in. Center-to-Center Solid Square Slim Satin Nickel Cabinet Bar Pull (Home Depot)
Backsplash Tile: Night Sky Subway Textured Glass Mesh-Mounted Mosaic Tile (Home Depot)
Mirror/Lighting: Storjorm Mirror Cabinets w/ 2 Doors/Lights in White (Ikea)
Towels: Quick Draw 6 Piece 100% Cotton Set  in white (Wayfair)
Bathmat: Alstern in light grey-green (Ikea)

Categories
Health & Beauty

Aromatherapy

Not everyone has a tub or time for a rejuvenating soak; which is what makes shower bombs or shower steamers or shower melts super appealing. They are perfect for a pick-me-up in the morning before work or a long relaxing shower after a stressful and weary week. The essential oils released transform your mood! They are part of my morning and evening routines!

shower steam heart
Photo by Lee Lee on Pexels.com

By far the best ones are…

  1. Munday-Friday Shower Melts
    These come in a pack of five blends…
    a) Be Calm (lavender, citrus and floral ylang-ylang)
    b) Get Grounded (sandalwood and patchouli)
    c) Energize (peppermint, lemongrass, blood orange)
    d) Deep Breath (eucalyptus, peppermint, tea tree, lavender)
    e) Wake Up (coffee and sandalwood)
  2. Musee Shower Steamers
    Available in: Eucalyptus & Mint or Champagne & Rose or Lavender & Lime or Sea Salt & Grapefruit
  3. Inbria Shower Bombs
    This variety pack features single scents rather than blends; including: Sweet Orange, Bergamot, Lavender, Green Apple, Cool Mint, Vanilla, Grapefruit, Rose, Tea Tree Oil, Lemon and Chamomile.
  4. Lush doesn’t have the variety of shower bond scents, however, their “fluffy lavender lathers,” “lemon alarm clock,” and “a berry good time” are great products.
Categories
Health & Beauty

Enzyme Scrubs –What’s the Hype?

I remember the first time that I had a facial and consultation with a “beauty expert” when I was a teenager. My use of quotes is merely because that was the title used by the spa; it is not meant to be patronizing. Anyways, he wrote up a “beauty regimen” for me and one of the “musts” or steps in the beauty regimen included the use of an exfoliator –I kid you not it was like using liquidifed sandpaper. For years I used it. But now of course we are being told to STOP! Because there is a new product on the scene: the ENZYME SCRUB. These are much gentler on the skin. These scrubs, made predominantly from plant or fruit enzymes, which then “unglue” rather than “scrape” the dead skin. Since March I have been testing out a few.

Here’s some of my favourites…

  1. Dr. Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser


2. Wishful Yo Glo AHA & BHA Facial Enzyme Scrub 

3. Dr. Jart+ Cicapair™ Tiger Grass Enzyme Foam Cleanser

4. Josie Maran Pineapple Enzyme Pore Clearing Cleanser

5. Tatcha The Rice Polish Foaming Enzyme Powder

Categories
Reflections & Lifestyle

Being Intentional –WTF?

There has been a lot of talk this year about “being intentional,” so far in all the professional development sessions I have attended. It comes up in sessions about teaching practice, mental health, self care and achieving goals. It’s such a lofty topic. The most common definition is that “when you are intentional, you choose to make decisions and take action on what’s important to you. Being intentional means getting clear upfront about what you want to achieve. You intentionally set an intention to achieve a specific outcome or result in the future that is important to you.” That’s great but how do you accomplish that? It’s so difficult to put into practice; however, I have been introduced to some really great resources. So, for those of you who are wanting to be more intentional in your daily life, you may be interested in some of these too!

  1. THE ULTIMATE INTENTIONAL PLANNER: 2022 EDITION
  2. Gretchen Rubin’s podcast: Happier
  3. Rachel Kable’s podcast: The Mindful Kind
  4. Before You Know It by John Bargh, PhD
  5. Rest, Refocus, Recharge: A Guide for Optimizing Your Life by Greg Wells, PhD
  6. Mantras
  7. Strides app
  8. Science of Well-Being offered through Coursera

Summer is coming and I am really trying to be “intentional.” I am trying to be productive and have fun. Sometimes, I get into a bit of a funk when the school year ends. I “take a break” but then it becomes a slump and I end up spending way more time on the couch “vegging out” than actually having fun and doing something with my time. This has really become an issue the last couple of years; maybe it’s my age or just the circumstances going on in my personal and professional life.

So much of my time is highly “routinized” externally to me; so maybe I just struggle being in charge of my own routine.
Or perhaps, it is because I am so emotionally and physically burnt out that I “simply can’t” whenever I do have free time.
Or maybe it’s because I just don’t know where to start because I am not used to having much down time for 10 months out of the year.

Whatever the case may be, I sat down and made a list of all the things that I want to do this summer (in addition to camping/fishing with my husband of course) and I brainstormed what that could look like. From this I’ll make a weekly schedule for myself.

Things I Wanna DoWhat Could This Look Like?Commitment
Start my day off outsideCoffee on the deckEveryday; except on rainy days
Stay on top of the gardening/ weedingOne row/planter per day
Upgrading the rototiller to make it easier to do so it’s not overwhelming		Everyday; 30 minutes during the coolest part of the day
Deep clean & decluttering the houseOne large closet or 4 cupboards at a time
Take discarded stuff to the dump or thrift store at the end of each week so it doesn’t pile up and sit		Everyday; 30 minutes during the hottest part of the day
Spend more time with friendsMeet for coffee
Some activities could include: Shopping, invite them to pick veggies/fruit, High Tea, museums, crafting, swimming, see a movie, try a new restaurant, farmer’s market		Once a week
ReadCombined with coffee or
before bed		Every other day; 100 pages of a book
JournallingCombined with coffee
Before bed		Every other day; One prompt 
ExerciseUse NTC app, find workouts that don’t require a lot of equipment15-20 minute workout
Start 3 times a week, then increase to every other day.
Be ArtisticMake a list of projects & source materials
Can be done independently or host a “crafting party” with friends		Once a week

Sample Weekly Plan (July 3-9)…

SUNMONTUESWEDTHURSFRISAT
7am
Coffee on the deck
Read		7am
Coffee on the deck
Journal		7am
Coffee on the deck
Read		7am
Coffee on the deck
Journal		7am
Coffee on the deck
Read		7am
Coffee on the deck
Journal		7am
Coffee on the deck
Read
8am
Weeding		8am
Exercise		8am
Weeding		8am
Exercise		8am
Weeding		8am
Exercise		8am
Weeding
Noon
Crafting		Noon
De-clutter		Noon
De-clutter		Noon
De-clutter		Noon
De-clutter		Noon
De-clutter		Noon
Go to Sweet Capone’s for Cannoli
Evening
De-clutter		Evening
Weeding		Evening
Meal planning		Evening
Weeding
Podcasts		Evening
Meal planning		Evening
Weeding		Evening
De-clutter

If you have any great resources, feel free to share! Comment below.