Category: Life, or Something Like It

Resolutions

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I’ve never been a particularly goal oriented person. I don’t have a five year plan. I don’t make lists and aggressively check off each item. I’m organized but it’s not on paper. I’ve always been a go-with-the-flow person and in some ways that’s a really good thing. I’ve had a lot of amazing experiences because of my willingness to go along with whatever life throws at me. On the other hand, I sometimes wonder if life would be better in some ways, such as my career and finances, if I were more into pursuing and achieving goals.

I don’t really do resolutions – I never stick to them and I don’t see the point of trying to set myself a goal that I know I won’t reach. I don’t need the guilt. All that said, here are some reflections on 2018 and some thoughts on 2019.

2018:

  1. 2018 was the year in which I finally felt that I got my anxiety under control. There were a couple things that contributed to this including getting a good, permanent job and learning that exercising is an excellent tool in managing anxiety. As a result of that I’m sleeping better than I ever have before.
  2. I started writing my blog again. It’s been amazing. I’d forgotten how wonderful the blogging community is. I’d also forgotten how much I love to write.
  3. I read so many books that I loved.
  4. I finally learned that it’s ok to end toxic relationships.
  5. I lost some weight by making some lifestyle changes and I’m feeling better about my body than I have in a long time. I also discovered the body positivity movement and was incredibly inspired by it. It’s helped me realize that losing weight and being slim is not the key to happiness. Being happy and healthy is what truly matters. I realize that may seem contradictory. It is. It’s a work in progress.
  6. I found the courage to talk online about some issues that I’ve always shied away from before, including aging and anxiety.

2019:

  1. I hope to become more involved in the body positivity community and continue trying to be kinder to myself.
  2. I want to approach my 40th birthday with grace and positive thoughts.
  3. I want one more year with my beloved 19 year old cat.

That’s it for me! Tell me, are you a resolutions person? I’m curious!

Sunshine Blogger Award

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I don’t normally do this kind of post, but I thought it might be fun to try something different. Let me know if you enjoy it! I am honoured that the lovely Kat from Femenish nominated me for the sunshine blogger award! You can find the original post here. These awards are such a great way to discover some new blogs and they are fun to write!

 

Here are the rules for the Sunshine Blogger Award:

  • Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to their blog
  • Answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger who nominated you
  • Nominate 11 more bloggers and ask 11 new questions
  • Notify your nominees

1) If you only had one book that you could read for the rest of your life, which one would it be?

This is such a difficult question. I am a voracious reader and there are so many glorious books in the world. I suppose if I absolutely had to choose it would be Written on the Body by Jeanette Winterson.

2) Where would you like to travel to most in the world?

The Farallon Islands. I am obsessed with great white sharks.

3) Heels or flats?

Flats. Sadly I have a bum ankle that just won’t tolerate heels.

4) If you woke up in an alternate universe, would it be Twilight or Supernatural?

Is Supernatural a tv show? I don’t watch a lot of TV.  Definitely not Twilight because I just can’t deal with the corniness so I guess it would have to be Supernatural.

5) What is your favourite charity?

The White Ribbon Campaign.

6) If you could play any musical instrument, what would it be?

Piano. I played when I was younger and I just loved it.

7) Would you rather go bungy jumping or sky-diving?

I’ve already gone sky-diving so bungy jumping!

8) If you could have any job in the world, what would you be?

This is another really hard question! Being an archaeologist would be pretty amazing – I’m a huge history buff.

9) Imagine this: you wake up on a desert island, who would be with you? Why would you choose them?

Mr. P&P because he is just my fave. He’s also an excellent cook so I know we wouldn’t be surviving on raw grubs!

10) What is your favourite thing about yourself?

My sense of humour.

11) What are your thoughts on selfie sticks?

They’re ridiculous and a symptom of everything that is wrong with our society.

My nominees:

  1. Jennifer
  2. Tara Joy
  3. Jessica
  4. Kaycie
  5. Marinella
  6. Kirsten
  7. Gretchen
  8. Tracy
  9. Vivian
  10. Christine
  11. Miriam

My questions:

  1. What is your favourite thing about blogging?
  2. What do you find hardest about blogging?
  3. What is your favourite genre of book?
  4. What is your ride or die makeup product?
  5. What is your favourite snack food?
  6. If you could live anywhere in the world where would you choose?
  7. If you could have a superpower what would you choose?
  8. Do you prefer to spend time inside or outside?
  9. What is the number one thing you look for in a partner?
  10. If you could meet one important historical figure who would you choose?
  11. What is your favourite holiday?

Fenty

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I find myself reaching for lip gloss more and more as I age and especially in the cold months. My lips are so much drier than ever before and lipstick is just not a good look for me most days.

My most recent Sephora order included the new Fenty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer in the shade Fenty Glow which is described as a shimmering rose nude. The claim is that the gloss delivers shine and all three shades – Fenty Glow, Diamond Milk, and FU$$Y – flatter all skin tones. Fenty Glow certainly works with my pale complexion and I think it would be gorgeous on deeper skin tones as well.

The gloss is very long lasting but not sticky. It is shimmery without chunky glitter. What really makes this gloss for me though is the scent, peach-vanilla. It is divine. This gloss is perfect as an every day staple and for throwing in your handbag for touch ups (not that you’ll need many) throughout the day. I cannot wait to try more Fenty Beauty products.

Have you tried anything from Fenty Beauty?

Telescopic

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Today we’re going to be talking about mascara, or more specifically, my all time favourite mascara. Guess what! It’s from the drugstore and won’t cost you your first born! I think that mascara is definitely something you should not be spending gobs of money on, particularly because it’s only good for about six months.

L’Oreal Telescopic Carbon Black mascara can be purchased at any drugstore carrying L’Oreal products so it’s easy to find.

I love this mascara for several reasons. It is black as can be. It does not smudge. I find that a lot of non-waterproof mascaras tend to end up all over my face by the end of the day, but not this one. The tiny rubber brush makes it easy to grab each lash and makes for lots of length and definition. It’s also great for bottom lashes. One or two coats is more than enough to give you a fluttery lash look without going over the top. You can always add an extra coat in the evening for a more dramatic look. L’Oreal Telescopic is also never clumpy.

The slim brush means you won’t poke yourself in the eye, which is always a mascara hazard! Lastly, I don’t find this mascara difficult to remove at the end of the day. I just use my trusty Garnier micellar water and a cotton pad and the mascara comes off easily enough.

So tell me, what’s your favourite mascara of all time?

To a Tee

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For years and years I was on the hunt for the perfect tee shirt. I had a vague list of qualities in mind including soft, thick, dryer friendly, hitting at the top of the hip, and made with natural fibers. I spent a fair chunk of change on a lot of almosts. I know it seems like such a basic thing, but a good tee shirt is a real workhorse and a solid wardrobe basic. 

Well kittens, I’ve done the leg work for you and tracked down the perfect tee shirt. The perfect tee is made by Kuwalla Tee (too cute, I know). They are a Canadian company (yay!!) and their items are created from mostly natural fibers with the health of the environment in mind. 

From the Kuwalla Tee website:

Kuwalla|Tee was inspired by our frustration of cheap 3 packs and our love for basics. In May of 2012 we launched our first premium 3-pack cotton tees and have since grown into a ready-to-wear clothing label, focused on delivering the best quality basics on the market. By using only the best materials & fabrics, we design ‘essential’ items that are timeless and comfortable for everyday.

Our mascot, subtly embroidered on all our garments, stems from our love and respect for Mother Nature. All our products are created with the well being of our environment in mind, trying to minimize waste wherever we can. Our 3-packs are packaged in recycled fabric salvaged during the production process. Give our package a feel and you will be sold forever.

I have six. Two black, two white, and two grey. I have three medium and three large. That may seem excessive, but for me it’s the perfect number.

I wear my tees under blazers for the office, tucked into pencil skirts, as a base layer under wool sweaters, on the weekends with jeans and flats, in the summer with shorts, and even dressed up with statement earring and heels for a night out. 

These shirts are easy to wash -I just throw them in with the rest of my clothes, wash in cold water, and tumble dry on low. They get better with every wash and are not prone to pilling. They are also thick, which, for me is a must because I just don’t think anyone needs to see my granny bra. Ya feel me?

What’s the workhorse in your wardrobe?

Knix

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Today I want to talk about something a little different from my usual content – periods. Yup.

I learned all about how toxic pads and tampons are many years ago. I’m not going to go into great detail about that because Google. Trust me when I say though that they are bad news. Bad news for your body and bad news for the environment. For those reasons I decided to make my periods waste free.

For about 15 years I’ve been using the same set of washable pads and I love them. I bought them on eBay for about $20. They are made of fleece and they have snaps on the wings to hold them in place. My wallet is happy, my body is happy and the planet is happy.

I’ve also used the Diva Cup for many years.

Enter Knix. I’ve now rounded out my collection with period underwear. Genius. I invested in five pairs (full disclaimer – I ordered from the Teen section because it was a bit cheaper) and I’m so glad that I did.

From the Knix website:

“Find yourself asking, “how do period panties work?” Well, a super-absorbent pad with leak resistant backing is built into our seamless underwear. But its so thin, you won’t even notice it’s there.”

I find that I can wear a pair all day with no problems. If you have a heavier flow I still think that the underwear (I just can’t with the word panties, ugh) are a good investment because they provide back up for leaks. You can wear them over night as well. I think we’ve all probably wrecked some pjs over the years which is just the worst. No more friends, no more.

The underwear are machine washable. I just throw mine in with the rest of my laundry, wash in cold water and hang to dry. Simple pimple. They come individually packaged in reusable pouches which are super slim and great for stashing in your purse. Best of all? They look like normal underwear. Knix is the next best thing to not having your period.

Would you try period underwear?

Glossy

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So often when I sit down to write the words just flow easily. It’s like stepping outside of  my life for a moment and abandoning myself to the loveliness of words.

Today is not one of those days. Writing is one of the very few things that comes easily to me and it’s frustrating when I feel blocked. I’ve been struggling to come up with a post all week so I’m going to keep it simple.

I love Clarins as a brand. I love their makeup and their skincare. They make some of my favourite glosses and that’s what I reach for most at this time of year when everything is so dry.

Clarins’ Instant Light Lip Perfectors and Lip Perfector Balms are the perfect mix of gloss, moisture and colour. They smell like vanilla cake. They’re not sticky but they do hang around for a few hours. I reach for them several times a week.

What’s your favourite lip product for this dry time of year?

Herbivore

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Herbivore is a brand I became aware of a year or so ago when Sephora started carrying their stuff. I was initially attracted to it because of the beautiful and simple packaging. I do judge books by their covers, kittens, and if Herbivore writes a book I’ll be their first customer! I made my first order once I learned a bit more about the brand, namely they don’t test on animals and they use high quality, natural ingredients and none of the nasties like parabens.  Continue reading “Herbivore” →

Do you Deciem?

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Deciem. Do I dare?

If you ever look at the internet I imagine you’ve heard of Deciem and the recent controversy surrounding the erstwhile CEO. I went back and forth on whether or not to write this post but in the end obviously decided to write it. Lovers, this is not a blog about current events, this is a blog about products and so products is what I’m going to talk about.

Deciem exploded on to the market about two years ago. I first heard about it when one of my favourite Youtubers gave the brand a rave review. Deciem is a Toronto-based company composed of a number of brands including The Ordinary, Niod, Hylamide, The Chemistry Brand, etc. The concept is simple: skincare made with quality ingredients at a low price. The prices start at about $5.00, really. Genius. I’m no expert but I do know that there are only a few skincare ingredients that have actually been proven to do anything. Included in this list is hyaluronic acid which is a basically a magnet for moisture, and retinol which encourages cell turnover.

I’ve gone through two bottles of The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 and I love it. I rarely notice any immediate change in my skin after using a product, with the exception of this stuff. It does exactly what it’s supposed to do – plumps and moisturizes the skin. Brilliant. Mind you give your face a quick spritz before applying it kittens – the skin has to be wet for the acid to do its good work.

I also gave the retinol a go. The first time I used it I did not do it properly. I slathered it all over my face, including under my eyes. I paid the burny price. Retinol is to be used sparingly, avoiding the eye area. After the initial mishap I used the rest of the product successfully. I cannot honestly tell you that I noticed a huge change in my skin but I think if you are concerned about the signs of aging this is a good one to try.

I also used two tubes of Hand Chemistry from The Chemistry Brand. Again, I can’t really speak to any anti-aging benefits but I can tell you that I love this stuff. The scent is fruity but not strong at all and it just works. My hands feel nice and hydrated after using it which, after-all, is the whole point right?

I’ve also been using The Ordinary Coverage Foundation for the past year. It’s good. It has great coverage but it’s not heavy on the skin. It lasts well too. Nothing lasts all day on my face but I get a good few hours out of this foundation.

Have you tried any of Deciem’s products?

On scent

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I love fragrance. I always have. I’m always burning scented candles at home, I love picking out a new body wash, and I have a small but well curated collection of perfumes that I love to wear.

My favourite of the moment is something rather special that I treated myself to when Mr. P&P and I spent a few days in Calgary last spring. I’m talking about Jo Malone London Blackberry & Bay.

Blackberry & Bay is fruity but tart. Juicy and green at the same time. The notes are blackberry, grapefruit, florals, vetiver, cedarwood, and bay leaves. The Jo Malone website describes it thusly:

This fragrance evokes childhood memories of blackberry picking—a burst of deep, tart blackberry juice blends with the freshness of just-gathered bay and brambly woods for a vibrant and verdant impression.

They’ve nailed it. It’s fresh and great for summer but I think it works for all seasons. It was a spendy little purchase but I cherish it and look forward to wearing it.

What’s your scent of the moment?