Shows to Binge Watch During Quarantine

 Need something to watch while being safe at home? Here's my list of 5 shows that are binge worthy right now!

1. Emily in Paris

I hate that there is only 1 season of this show! Lily Collins is a queen! The fashion is amazing, the story line is juicy and Gabriel is *chefs kiss* It's this generation's Sex and the City

I REALLY hope that there is a Season 2!

2. Schitt's Creek

This show is just everything! It's funny, heart warming, everything you could ever need. I want to be BFFs with David and Alexis!

3. The Office

I mean, I know that this is a classic show to binge watch and basically everyone has seen it, but I'm late to the game and I love it!

4. Gilmore Girls

It's just such a feel good show. Even though Rory sucks when she goes to college.

Perfect to watch during fall. I'm having my biannual binge right now.

5. 2 Broke Girls

Honestly, it's just hilarious.

Remember to stay home, wash your hand often, wear a mask and stay safe!

Happy binging!

PS. What is your favourite show right now?

Current Favourites

It's been a long time since I've shared some of my favourite things with you, so I figured it was about time that I did. Life has been super stressful lately, especially with the loss of my Skyler (possible post about her later), so it would be good to focus on something a bit more positive.


The Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella



I've definitely talked about this series before, so this is nothing new. I've recently started to reread the series and I almost forgot how good it is. The stories are so lighthearted (mostly) and hilarious (always). It's easy to get lost in the world of Becky Brandon (Née Bloomwood). If you read the series, you'd get why I put those parentheses there. Good for you.

Wine


Let me start off by making it clear: I am not an alcoholic. I enjoy a glass of wine every now and then. When it's been a hard day, there is nothing more enjoyable than relaxing with a nice glass of wine. Personally, I am more partial to white wine or sometimes a nice rosé. Maybe one day I'll compile a list of some of my favourite wines for you. 


MAC Blush in Blush Baby

I recently bought this blush because I felt like my collection was somehow lacking a nice neutral pink blush. Nothing too peachy, not too pink, not too cool or warm toned. It's possibly a little bit powdery, but it is a beautiful colour with beautiful pay off! It's quickly become my new every day blush and I love it!


Kate Somerville Goat Milk Moisturizer



I got this face moisturizer in a Fab Fit Fun box and I love it! It's a nice lightweight, thin texture that doesn't feel too heavy on my combo skin. It's make my skin feel nice and soft without making it feel greasy. The only down side is that I am starting to run low and it's so expensive that I'm not sure if I can make myself purchase it.

Aerie Leggings



I LOVE wearing leggings and yes, I do wear them to work often. As I am on a weight loss journey, leggings are great to wear because they last a long while before getting too baggy. At least these ones do. I've never worn leggings that make me feel this confident! They are high waisted and the band really helps keep the stomach area smoothed and supported. The material is thick that it's not see through (which is very important!) and they're a comfortable material as well. These leggings get two thumbs up from me! I really like the Play and Move ones!


WW

As some of you may know, I am currently on Weight Watchers and have been for almost a year. While I may not always be on track, it has really helped my fitness journey which has helped my mental health in return. It really teaches you about portion control and being mindful about what you eat. It's also been fun bonding with others who are on the program.

Design Home



This is an app where you can design and decorate different types of rooms and homes, but you usually have to fit specific brands, styles, ect. I love interior decorating so this game is really up my alley. You buy and win furniture to decorate rooms and people vote on your designs. When you win, you win more furniture, money and points. It's a really fun game to play to relax and it's an easy creative outlet!

2 Broke Girls



I'm currently watching 2 Broke Girls on Amazon Prime and it's hilarious. Such a good show to unwind to!
It's about 2 waitresses trying to build their dream business (essentially). It's so funny though - just take my word on it.



I'm sure that I could go on and on and list more things, but I'll leave it at this for now. What are some things that you're loving right now? Let me know in the comments below!

Goodbye 2019, Hello 2020

A Reflection on 2019

I realize that this is a bit late, but life gets in the way. 2019 was a year. It was a really hard year with loss, but also a great year filled with love.

In January 2019, my boyfriend and I went to Quebec City for our 4 year anniversary. It was cold, but it’s a magical little place. There’s so much history and the buildings are beautiful.

In June 2019, my aunt (my mom’s older sister) lost her battle with cancer. It was really hard for my family – especially my mom. She fought bravely and did she sure put up a fight. A couple weeks later, at the most, our cat also passed away from cancer. So much attention was focused on my aunt, that we did not notice the lump at first on our cat. Needless to say, it was a really hard month. It took a long time for us to heal. We still have a long way to go. At least there’s comfort knowing that they’re in a better place and that they had people waiting with open arms for them on the other side. May they rest in peace.

Summer 2019, my dog, Skyler, started going to rehab. She is epileptic and something happened (we don’t know if it was a seizure or meds) where she was left unable to walk. I did some research and got referred to a physio facility for pets and she’s made a lot of progress. Trust me, carrying a 98 pound dog around is hard work. And painful.

In September 2019, my boyfriend and I went to Halifax, NS. Our happy place. Unfortunately, when we were leaving, they were experiencing a very bad hurricane. It was such a stressful trip, but it turned out amazingly. Halifax recovered very quickly and it was almost as if nothing had happened. One evening, we went to Peggy’s Cove to watch the sunset. If you’ve never been there, I highly suggest you go. My grandma would say that it’s nothing special there. It’s just a lot of rocks. To me, it’s beautiful. There’s nothing like sitting on the rocks and looking out into the open water. It’s like endless possibilities. Watching the sunset and listening to the waves crash against the rocks. Honestly, it’s bliss.

My boyfriend led me to a secluded spot amongst the rocks, where there was an opening and all you saw was the water and the purple-pink sky. I don’t want to go into too much detail because it’s a moment that I want to keep, but it was there that he asked me to marry him.

Of course I said yes.

Shortly after we got back from our trip, we headed to North Bay, ON to see Christina marry the love of her life. It’s amazing to see your friends celebrate their love.

In December 2019, we adopted a kitten from a rescue agency. A beautiful and very rambunctious girl, named Emma. Which we quickly changed to Noel. I adopted her for my mom because it was such a hard year for her and my mom constantly said how much she missed having “her baby”. So I talked to my dad about it and surprised my mom. There was a lot of happy tears and hugs. It was a really nice moment and it meant a lot that I could make my mom happy, and also rescue the life of a kitten.

I’m so happy to say that Skyler has started losing weight and walking around again. She still needs some assistance and she is still a bit wobbly, but I can’t even tell you how much it means to have her moving around again. It was so stressful having her not be able to move around. I had so many anxiety attacks over it. I am so grateful for the team that works with her. They are so knowledgeable and kind and I can’t say enough good things about them.

I’m excited to see what 2020 will bring. I hope it brings love and a lot more happiness than 2019.
To whoever is reading this, I wish you the best year yet.

Let Me Catch You Up to Speed

Not my image - just perfectly explains how I've been feeling

Wow, it's been awhile.


Life is hectic and not gonna lie, my stress and anxiety were really getting the better of me for a little while.


Let me catch you up to speed.


My anxiety was really getting me down for awhile. I was feeling really down over so many aspects of life. I was feeling anxious about my relationship, myself, my work, finances, my friendships from the past. Basically life in general.


On top of that, my aunt has been fighting a very long battle with cancer. It's been a roller coaster for her health. I'm really sad to say that we all think the end may be coming soon, which is so heartbreaking. One thing about me is that I do not do well when people are sick. I can't stand to see someone in pain or not be themselves. It makes me feel terrible.
We went in to visit one day and honestly, I had to leave the room before I had a full on panic attack. Seeing her there like she was, made my head spin and I felt so sick.


I don't know if anyone else feels like that, but I feel guilty for going out and having fun when I know someone we love is suffering. It doesn't feel right. Not only is my aunt suffering, but the whole family is too. My mom and all of her siblings are having such a hard time with this and doing all that they can.


What makes it extra hard is that almost exactly a year ago, we went through the exact same thing with my boyfriend's aunt. A year apart, we're reliving the same thing.


To make life a bit harder, one of our cats is sick too. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am so emotionally attached to my pets.. it's probably not the healthiest. The vet doesn't know what's wrong with her. Somehow the pathologist couldn't decide if it was a bladder infection or a tumor. Those are very different things - how could you not tell the difference? She's on antibiotics but they don't seem to be helping.


I'm scared that we're going to lose both of them. It's making me feel so anxious and stressed and sad.


So for the past two months especially, life is not being the kindest to us. I'm not going to lie, I've spent a lot of time feeling sad and crying and having breakdowns. I'm trying my best now to do what I can to look after myself as well.


Like the lyrics in the image say, I feel like I've been tested. I'm determined to come out on top though.


I'm going to try my best to post content on here for you guys because it really does help me feel better.


If anyone else is going through a rough time, my heart goes out to you. It will get better for the both of us in time. That I'm sure of.


If anyone ever needs to talk, feel free to email us and we would be glad to listen.


Talk to you soon,

Our Experiences with Online Dating

Not our photo

Em

I  was so anxious to try online dating at first. I initially tried it because my friend was going to and it was one those I will if you will situations.

I was an idiot and pretty much messaged back anyone who sent me a message. Even if I didn’t find myself attracted to them. That was dumb of me. I remember one guy - we talked a lot and he asked me out. I respectfully (and politely) declined because I felt no attraction. Physically or emotionally. They got so angry and called me names and ranted about how I didn’t know them so I could I know I don’t like them? Call me crazy, but I’m pretty sure you can feel a connection online without meeting them. Catfish anyone? It happens all the time.

I was excited and didn’t really think anything would come of it. I wasn’t even really trying to find anyone to be with. I honestly was rooting more for my friend to find one.I was anxious to try online dating. I didn’t know much about it, but I did know a couple people who tried it. A friend convinced me to try it and it was line of those situations of I will if you will. 

I ended up meeting someone and we texted. A lot. We obsessively flirted through text and had great banter. We met up one night when both of us happened to be going to the same club with our friends. It was so awkward. How could we have so much connection online and nothing in person? That’s what I felt. Nothing. We chatted a bit and that was that. We texted a bit more after that and I remember him saying he wishes he had kissed me. I don’t know how he got that vibe. A few days later, he told me he had a girlfriend and it was goodbye. 


I deleted my account on Plenty of Fish and gave up.


A few months went by, and I decided to give it another go. I decided that I really did want to find someone. I didn’t make the mistake of replying to everyone and tried my best, without getting my hopes up. Remember that guy i met? He appeared again and tried talking to me. I told him that I remembered him, much to his surprise. He thought I’d forgot and he’d get a chance because that other girl didn’t work out. Fat chance buddy. Not going to lie, I straight up friend zoned him.

One day, someone messaged me. It was a different message than all the usual “Hey, hows it going?”. He told me I had pretty eyes. I clicked onto his profile and saw that we had nothing in common really. How did he find my profile? It didn’t make sense. I wasn’t going to reply to him, but something in my gut told me to. So I did. We talked and talked. About music and random things. Eventually we decided to meet. We met after work at the mall. We grabbed a coffee and talked. We both were clearly nervous, but it also just felt right. Well fast forward 4 years and we’re still together. 


I’m happy I gave online dating a chance. I’m even more glad that I replied to his message.

I would definitely suggest trying online dating if you haven’t. My advice would be to not be discouraged, be open minded (I ended up with a guy complete opposite of what I thought I would) and always meet in public.

Chris

I decided to try online dating because I was working with mostly only women, most of my roommates were women, and I took esthetics in college, so all of my classmates and teachers were women. It didn't seem like I would ever meet a guy in real life, so I took it online to Plenty of Fish.

At first, I was terrified. Every guy just wanted to meet up at his house. Even when I would try to insist on meeting in public, they would be completely against it, so I knew these weren't the guys for me. I got excited when I started talking to a guy on there that I'd actually had a bit of a crush on years ago, when I'd first went to college. He seemed promising, and we talked non stop, planning a date to walk around and see Christmas lights, until he mysteriously, out of nowhere, broke his leg 10 minutes before the date, and had to cancel, then could only see me at his house after that. I agreed, but before the date was supposed to happen, I saw him out in public, walking around, as fine as could be. What was his plan? To put a fake cast on his leg to fool me? Needless to say, I cancelled on going to his house.

The next guy that I talked to was quite a bit of a larger guy. I had no issue, but he was incredibly embarrassed. He kept warning me that he was even bigger than his pictures showed. We started planning a date, but at the same time, I also started talking to my fiancé. My fiancé and I texted all night, and into the next morning, and couldn't stop talking. I knew I had something real with him, so I had to let down the other guy. It was not pretty. He was convinced that it was because of his weight, and I still feel bad about it, over 4 years later. I hope he found happiness with the love of his life.

I sure am happy that I chose my fiancé though. Who else will go to Build a Bear with me, tell me I look cute when I haven't washed my hear in three days, or watch endless baby animal videos with me? We drive each other crazy, but I wouldn't have it any other way. He's my best friend, and my biggest supporter. I cannot wait to become his bride in September! When dating, online or not, you have to remember to do what's best for you and your heart!

Have you tried online dating? What was your experience like? Let us know in the comments below!

What I've Learnt About Love (so far)

It’s a lie. Love is not a fairy tale like the movies make us believe. In fact, nothing is really as it seems. You see relationships from an outsider’s point of view and it looks glossy and perfect. Movies make it seem so magical and (for the most part) easy. I have learned that is not the case.

 When I was younger, I guess I didn’t really understand what true love was. I thought that when you fell in love, everything was just perfect and everything fell into place. You wouldn’t fight or disagree because you loved each other. I figured when it was right, it didn’t require any work whatsoever. Go ahead and laugh at my naivety.

I realize that I was very caught up on a certain kind of person. It’s okay to have a “type”, but be conscious that the person you end up with, may not necessarily be your type. I'll be completely honest in saying that my boyfriend was not my type when I first met him. I honestly didn't think it would work out because of our differences, but something in my mind told me to stay. I'm glad I did.

I am in a relationship that is going on 4 years. I love him. I think he’s the one, but that is not to say that our relationship is perfect. We bicker. We argue. We fight. But we also love and support each other. We are not perfect. To be completely honest, we recently got through a very rough patch.

Some days I feel head over heels in love with him and some days I don’t even particularly like him that much. But that’s normal. Spending so much time with one person – you’re bound to get a little sick of them a little bit.
Saying that, how do I know he’s the one? Because we made the choice to commit to each other and love each other no matter what. Love is a roller coaster – there are so many ups and downs and it’s hard. Not everything falls into place like I thought it did. That’s just not realistic.

It takes a lot of effort sometimes and a lot of compromise. But the key is that this person makes it all worth it. You wouldn’t want to go through it with anyone else. They make you look back on your previous relationships and make you think, “Woah. So this is what true love is.” Everything you thought you knew is out the window and it’s a whole new experience. It’s kind of like your soul just feels complete and happy.

Love isn't always as clear as night and day. There's a lot of uncertainty and it's terrifying. It's so scary to be so open and vulnerable with someone. Letting them into your mind and life, trusting them and giving them your heart to hold. It's not easy. 







So what's the point of this post really? I guess to say that love probably isn't what you think it is. Don't get too caught up in the gloss and the image of perfection. You could let something really good slip by. Relationships are work. Love is work. It can be hard and it can be easy. It's definitely worth it though. I had this idea of what a perfect relationship was and how love should be and I was completely wrong. I almost lost the best I ever had. I would hate for the same to happen to you.

Fairy tales, movies and books are nice and it's okay to wish for those things, but remember that they're not real.
Love is not just a feeling. It's also the choice we make to stay committed to someone.


I hope everyone finds someone to love and to be loved by because when it's good, it's the absolute best thing in the world.