2022 Resolutions

So we’re just about a week into 2022, which means you’ve probably already come up with your New Year’s resolutions (if you partake), or you’re still actively thinking about them (or feeling pressured to come up with some if you haven’t already).

This year, I’m doing something a bit different. I find that, in my experience, resolutions tend to be too vague, or aren’t specific enough to be measurable. For example, the classic resolution to “eat healthier”. That could mean so many things. For some it could mean not ordering take-out, for another person it could mean eating more vegetables, or for some people it could mean eating less meat if that’s your definition of healthy. For some people the more general resolutions may be helpful, but for me it makes it hard to keep track of my goals and to feel like I’m actually achieving anything.

So, this year I decided to create a 2022 ‘checklist’. I created a checklist of specific actions or goals I want to achieve, which could be related to resolution-type goals I may have set for myself in the past. I think creating a checklist is a great way for myself to stay on track, and keep track of specifically what I’m trying to achieve or work towards. It’s also a great way to see the progress I’m making as I get to literally check things off the list as I accomplish each item.

For example, instead of creating a resolution to be more independent (because, depending on the mindset during that time period, that could mean running errands alone or it could mean going on a small trip alone), I added go see a movie alone and go to a new café alone to my checklist. I know that for me, these activities feel a bit out of my comfort zone to do alone, and I know that doing these specific activities will help me work towards and be more comfortable with my independence rather than always feeling the need to have someone join me in public outings. Plus, with a vague resolution like “become more independent”, if I’m not confident doing everything on my own by the end of the year, it might feel like I didn’t complete my resolution, even though I may have become more independent in a lot of ways throughout the year. Something like independence is a constant work in progress, so by completing specific tasks, I know I’m still making progress, and I’ll feel proud of my achievements.

I also think that, when making a checklist like this, it’s important to have a good mix of both short-term and long-term goals. If all your goals are short-term goals (like going to a movie alone), then you may end up checking everything off your list right away, and you may feel like you have nothing to work towards for the rest of the year. Although, if you find all your goals are short-term, you could try doing them a number of times. For example, go to the movies alone at least five times. Go to a café or restaurant alone once a month. Or – just come up with new goals after you’ve completed your checklist! Nothing says you have to wait until the new year to create new goals for yourself.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, if all the items on your checklist are long-term goals, you may feel like you’re not making any progress. Since they’ll all take a bit of time to achieve, you may get discouraged if halfway through the year you haven’t been able to check anything off your list. For example, one of my goals this year is to get my own house. This is a pretty lofty goal, and one that I definitely won’t be achieving in the early part of the year. If all of my goals were a similar loftiness, and were all going to take most of the year to achieve, then I could easily become discouraged at not having any ‘wins’ for most of the year. Plus, larger goals like that tend to take more time and energy (or money), so if your checklist is filled with long-term goals, you may find yourself getting burnt out early on and just wanting to quit. So make sure you have those shorter-term goals you can check off your list while you work towards your longer-term goals. It’s always good to have some small wins to keep up morale and boost your self-esteem!

So, what do you prefer? Are you a classic resolutions-type, or do you feel like a checklist for the year works better for you? Do you have any specific goals you want to work towards this year?

Until next time,
Nadine

2021 Highlights

Hello! It’s certainly been a while.

2021 was a big year filled with a lot of change for me. I saw a post on Instagram recently that said something like “I feel like I’ve lived three years this past year”, and I definitely felt that. With a lot of changes came a lot of growth, and some of it was…tough. It definitely wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. But even though there were some rough times, looking back on this past year I feel confident saying that I’m in a better place than I was when I entered 2021. And so, since I’m feeling like I’m in a better place now at the end of the year, I wanted to focus on expressing gratitude and sharing some highlights from this past year.

So, without further ado, here are some of my 2021 highlights…

Therapy

This year I started therapy for the first time, and I immediately fell in love with it. I highly recommend it to everyone, even if you don’t think you need it, it’s such a great opportunity to learn about yourself. Therapy has allowed me to learn so much about my thought patterns, how that impacts my actions and behaviours, and helped me realize my self-worth. It provided me with the tools to speak up for myself and confidently speak my mind, as well as developing my overall communication skills with people in my life. Opening up to others is something I always struggled with, and getting over that hurdle has honestly been life-changing.

I know a lot of people think that therapy is only necessary if you’re really struggling mentally, like if you’re severely depressed, but I don’t think that’s the case at all. It’s a great way to learn new strategies and skills to benefit yourself, and take care of your mental health, as well as learning what you need in order to live a happy and peaceful life! I wish it was more accessible to everyone, and I feel incredibly privileged that it is something I have access to. But if you don’t have barriers preventing you from accessing therapy, I’d highly recommend giving it a shot! You never know what you might discover about yourself.

Buying my Dream Car

At the start of summer I was in need of a new car, and the thought of searching for a car was very overwhelming. I don’t know anything about cars, or how much to expect to pay for a decent car, or what kind of car I would need for winter driving. And honestly, because the more practical car stuff doesn’t interest me in the slightest, all I cared about was driving a cute car (don’t judge me).

I’ve always wanted a Mini Cooper, but for some reason it felt like a bit of a far-away, unrealistic goal. The moment I considered the possibility of getting one, self-doubt crept in and I just told myself it wasn’t going to happen. Not even for any particular reason – I just have this bad habit of convincing myself I simply can’t have certain things in life. It’s like I convince myself it’s somehow too far out of reach or maybe like I don’t deserve certain things I want to have. But I really wanted a Mini Cooper, and I finally had a moment of clarity where I asked myself, ‘why not? why can’t I buy one?’. Because really…there’s no reason I shouldn’t be able to get the things I want in life.

So, when I found one within my budget, I sent it to my dad to take a look at (because again, I know nothing about cars and have no idea what to look for to know if it’s reliable or not), and he approved! It felt too good to be true, but I went and bought it and I couldn’t be happier! It was such a nice treat to myself to get my dream car, and I’m absolutely in love with it. It felt extra special because it was also a moment where I realized, see? You can go after the things you want and make them a reality. And that was an incredibly liberating realization.

Practicing Independence

This year I did two things in particular that I never would have thought I’d be confident or independent enough to be capable of doing. The first thing was road-tripping to Canmore all by myself! Shortly after I got my Mini, I had some vacation time already booked, and I really didn’t want to just sit around at home for a week. So, I decided to head down to Canmore for a little solo vacation. It was my first time driving to the mountains (I’ve always just been the passenger), and my first time ever going on a road-trip alone. I was obviously very nervous, but I made it there and back in one piece, and it felt so empowering to manage everything all on my own!

I wasn’t quite brave enough to go on a big hike alone while I was there, but I did check out a lot of walking trails in Canmore, and I enjoyed that opportunity to just go on a lot of peaceful walks on my own. Honestly, when I got home from that trip, it felt so exhilarating and I felt capable of anything!

Do I still prefer going on roadtrips with other people? Yes. But now I know that I can go on my own if I really want to get out of the city and nobody else is available to join me.

The second big act of independence for me would be attending barre classes alone. The first barre class I went to I attended with a friend, because I figured it would be easier to laugh at myself if I messed up while there with a friend than if I was there by myself. But after that, I really enjoyed the class and I attended a couple more all on my own! The first one I attended alone I was a bit nervous for, but I had so much fun with it. I think it helps that the environment is so supportive – the instructors are really friendly and approachable, and everyone there seems to be at different levels. My big concern was that it would be a very intimidating space, and that everyone would be an expert while I just fumbled my way through it all. But it’s not like that at all – everyone is just having fun with it, and there’s no pressure at all to be ‘perfect’. In fact, they encourage you to just do your best and to actually modify the exercises as needed!

Attending fitness classes alone might seem like a small thing for a lot of people, but I’m incredibly shy and not a naturally outgoing person at all, so the fact that I was able to work up the courage to go, and the fact that I actually enjoyed it enough to want to continue attending classes on my own? That feels like a huge breakthrough in my work towards becoming a more independent person.

Friends

My friends really made this year for me. I honestly cannot put into words how eternally grateful I am for them. I don’t know how I got so lucky to have such incredibly supportive, caring, and understanding people in my life. Everything that I’ve been through this year – the good times, the bad times, the confusing times, the times I felt like giving up on things – they were right there for me to offer their support without hesitation. They’ve cheered me on, picked me up when I was down, and celebrated all my wins with me (no matter how big or small). I know I can go to them with anything, and they’ll offer exactly the words and support that I need in that moment. I feel so lucky to have friends who create a safe space that allows me to open up to them about every and anything without fear of judgment. I have made such amazing memories with them this year, and I can’t wait to continue making more memories with them going forward, and continuing to grow with them and celebrate all of our wins together in the future. They truly make me feel blessed, and above all else made this year one worth celebrating.

I hope everyone else is able to reflect on happy moments to celebrate this past year, regardless of what hard times you may have been through. Life can be difficult sometimes, but just remember that you grow from the pain, and there’s always something worth celebrating. Just keep looking out for the positives whenever you can.

Until next time,
Nadine

A Day Trip to Calgary

Last weekend I went down to Calgary with my friends Karlee and Sheryl to visit our friend Tracey. Originally it was just going to be Karlee going, but Sheryl and I decided to tag along to surprise Tracey as well!

We left at around 7am, so we got into Calgary just in time to go for a mid-morning brunch at a place called John’s Breakfast and Lunch. I ordered the pancakes, and when they came I was pleasantly surprised to see that they were Mickey-Mouse shaped pancakes even thought it didn’t specify this on the menu!

I was particularly stuffed after my meal, so thankfully we planned to go walk around for a little while. We parked near a neighbourhood that had some really nice homes, and I think I may have found my dream house – a little yellow storybook-looking house! We also saw a super fancy house that had full windows across the front – it kind of made me think of a cool super-villain home.

During our walk through the park, we went to the water and saw some adorable little ducks. Some of them even waddled out of the water to come say hello to us.

We actually ended up walking for quite a while, which was a good thing because I needed to work off my breakfast so I wouldn’t be too full for sushi later. It was also nice that we covered a lot of ground because we found multiple spots to get some cute group photos together.

Even though I was full from breakfast, I wasn’t going to turn down a chance to get some bubble tea. We popped by The Alley and each of us got ourselves a nice drink – although after we left with our drinks the wind had picked up, so it was pretty cold out. I was starting to wish I had a hot drink instead! I didn’t get a photo of my bubble tea, but Sheryl did snap a nice photo of us inside with the cute decor.

For our late lunch/early supper, we went to Point Sushi. I had casually mentioned it to Sheryl and Karlee prior to our trip, because I’ve been wanting to go there for so long, but I didn’t want to put any pressure on us having to go there specifically in case people were craving something else. But to Point Sushi we went! I was so excited!

You order your sushi on an iPad at your table, and then it arrives on a little bullet train! Ordering this way could be dangerous, because as you’re waiting for the dishes you just ordered to arrive, you can keep ordering more. So, you could end up over-ordering very easily. I had to cut myself off at one point and wait until everything I’d ordered arrived, and I’m glad I did because I was pretty full after that!

The novelty of the little bullet train arriving at our table with our sushi never wore off, I got so excited by it every time. And, not only was it a cool concept for a restaurant, but I thought the food was really good too!

It started raining while we were in the restaurant, so we had a bit of a journey in the rain to get back to the car, but I didn’t think it was too bad because it was mostly misting as opposed to pouring. Plus, I had a jacket on so I was dry and warm.

We decided we’d go to a little cafe somewhere to get some hot drinks before heading back to Edmonton, and on our way we passed a cute little candy shop, so I insisted we go in (of course). I ended up spending way more money than I anticipated in there, oops! I think at one point I had three items in my hand, and then I was left alone for probably 30 seconds, and when the girls found me again I had a basket full of chocolates.

It was pretty funny, but I was also living my best life in there, so I don’t have any regrets. Also – I don’t think anybody should be surprised by my behaviour in a candy store if they know me at all!

We went to a cafe called Deville afterwards, and it was so cute inside. I ordered a chocolate ganache latte (because when you can’t decide between a hot chocolate and a coffee, this is clearly the perfect choice). My only regret is that I didn’t get the larger size because I wished I’d had more when I finished it! Everything on their menu – both drinks and food items – sounded incredibly delicious. If I lived near that place I’d probably be there every day.

On our way back to Edmonton, we stopped at McDonald’s initially just to get drinks, but we got some food as well. I ordered 6 nuggets, because you can’t not get food on a road-trip, even if you’re already feeling full. But when I got in the car I was surprised to find that I received a bonus seventh nugget as well! I was absolutely delighted – it was already such a good day food-wise, and this truly was the cherry on top.

As we got closer to Edmonton Karlee suggested we play this song quiz game on her phone. Basically, it plays a snippet of a song, and you have to guess the song title and artist. I was horrifically bad at it. It didn’t matter the era we chose, I got an embarrassingly low score every time. Most of the songs I definitely recognized, but couldn’t remember the name or the artist. But it was still fun anyways, and a great road-trip game for sure!

It was such a fun trip, and I’m so glad we all went. I can’t wait for my next adventure!

Until next time,
Nadine

You Need This Sunscreen

I’ll admit that I’ve never taken sunscreen as seriously as I should have in the past. It’s not because I don’t get sunburnt, because I do if I spend all day out in the sun. Maybe it’s because I don’t get severe sunburns, and I’m one of those people whose sunburns always turn into a tan. So I convinced myself I didn’t really need to worry about sunscreen.

However, I’m getting to that age now where I’m more cautious of things that can speed up signs of aging (I don’t want to look 50 in my 30s), and I’m trying to be more conscious of taking care of my overall health, beyond just eating right and exercising. So, while getting some sun is good for you (gotta get that vitamin D), it’s maybe not ideal to be sitting out in the sun for 5+ hours without any kind of protection for your skin. And I do enjoy spending a lot of time outside in the summer months, especially after a long winter stuck indoors.

So, I’ve known for a little while now that I should probably be wearing sunscreen regularly. Admittedly, I don’t actually mind wearing sunscreen on my body. But I hate wearing sunscreen on my face, especially as someone who tends to get a bit oily throughout the day. Plus, my skin can break out somewhat easily, so I try to avoid applying products that can encourage this.

I’ve tried specialty facial sunscreens in the past, even ones that swear they don’t leave you feeling oily, but they all always made me feel so greasy and gross. As soon as I applied them, I just wanted to wash my face. So, I didn’t trust facial sunscreens anymore, and I just hoped that the SPF in my moisturizer would be enough (it’s definitely not).

Then my friend told me about this Supergoop sunscreen. She only had good things to say about it, and she’s never wrong with her recommendations, so I knew I could trust this product. Was a I still a bit skeptical when I ordered it? Yeah, I was. I just didn’t want to set myself up for disappointment, and I wasn’t ready to trust that it could be non-greasy and actually do it’s job. That just seemed too good to be true.

Well, it is true.

They have truly cracked the code with this sunscreen. It’s a gel consistency when you squeeze it out of the tube, and the kind I purchased – the Unseen Sunscreen – comes out clear. When you apply it to your face, it’s like it goes on as a gel, but instantly dries as you rub it in. But not in a drying way that it makes your face feel dry. It’s gel-y enough to spread easily across your skin, but it instantly gets absorbed so you don’t even feel like you’ve put any product on at all. And it goes on 100% clear. So there’s no white residue or shiny sunscreen glisten. When I touched my face after applying it, it genuinely didn’t feel like I had put any product on at all. I couldn’t believe it!

The first time I tried it, I honestly probably put on more than I needed, because it just didn’t feel like there was anything on my face, so I kept applying more and more to make sure I actually covered my entire face. I did not repeat this mistake the next time – I don’t want to be using the entire bottle in a week, after all!

And, it works. I was outside at my cabin all weekend the first time I wore it, and I didn’t have any sign of sun on my face at the end of it. And it was sunny enough for me to get a bit of a sunburn/tan on my arms (yes, I know, I still need to get better about applying sunscreen to the rest of my body. Baby steps).

I know it’s a bit pricey for a sunscreen, especially if you’re only using it on your face, but trust me. It’s 100% worth the price and the hype. This will definitely become a staple in my skincare routine, and I feel excited to add it knowing that I won’t dread putting it on and walking around with a greasy face all day, and I don’t have to worry about it breaking me out. And it’s worth the price knowing I’m going to be using it all. This isn’t a product you’ll purchase, be disappointed in after the first use, and then leave it to rot in your cabinet. This is a miracle product.

Seriously. You need this sunscreen. Your skin will thank you.

Until next time,
Nadine

Yearbook – Book Review

I recently finished reading Seth Rogen’s book Yearbook, and it was hilarious. Overall, it’s a nice, light and easy read that you could definitely get through in one sitting, or take your time with if you wanted. I feel like it would also make for a nice summer read, maybe a good book to bring to the beach if you don’t want anything serious or that you’ll get too invested in (like a mystery novel). Just some good old fashioned humour and entertainment!

I also may be a little biased with my enjoyment of this book, because it was nice to see Canadian references I could relate to while reading it. It’s always exciting to see fellow Canadians succeed in a creative field. I feel like we beam with pride when a famous person turns out to be from Canada. We love boasting about it – “did you know they’re Canadian?”

While I thoroughly enjoyed the entirety of the book (seriously, I don’t think there were any parts that I was trudging along to try and get through), these were some of my favourite parts that I keep thinking about since finishing it….

Nicolas Cage

I was both surprised and not surprised to find out how strange Nicolas Cage actually is. I mean, it’s not exactly like you can’t tell he’s a bit different, even when he’s playing a character. But I don’t know, maybe part of me thought he was just an awkward person or something – it’s like I knew he’d probably seem a little off if you ever interacted with him, but I also didn’t expect him to be so blatantly weird (for lack of a better term) around complete strangers. Most people would probably try to tone it down a bit, maybe get a feel for the people they’re meeting before unleashing the more unconventional parts of their personality. But hey, there’s also something a bit charming about a person being unapologetic about their strangeness.

Although he maybe seemed a bit odd based on his segments in the book, I gotta admit, I’m kind of in awe (and maybe a little jealous?) of his ability to just say “I gotta go” and leave abruptly in the middle of a conversation. How many times have I been feeling so done with an interaction and wanted to leave, but didn’t because I knew it would be rude, so I would just sit and suffer in silence? SO many times. Imagine just not giving a fuck and being like “Cool, bye” and ditching. Amazing, I wish I had that carefree attitude.

All in all, I wish I could have been a fly on the wall during those meetings. It seems like the kind of thing where, although Seth Rogen did a great job describing it, you won’t get a full, proper sense of the awkwardness unless you’re physically there experiencing it. I think we’ve all had interactions that we reflect back on years later and wonder, “What the fuck was that?” This seems like one of those situations.

When he accidentally shit his pants

This was simultaneously hilarious and horrifying to read all at the same time. I can’t imagine there would be anything more humiliating and dehumanizing than shitting your pants, especially as a grown adult. Because adults should be able to control when they go to the bathroom or not, and nobody wants to shit their pants, so if it does happen it’s really against your control, and your body is probably not in it’s most peak physical state. But still, I feel like if you said to someone, “oh my god I just shit my pants” they’d probably look at you like you’re a disgusting animal, like you chose to just go poop in your pants instead of finding a toilet. So if you do shit your pants, your best option probably is just to try and hide it, which like, good luck, ’cause that would smell horrendous. And if you are lucky enough that it goes unnoticed, the paranoia of making the wrong move and having someone discover what you did would be too much for me to cope with.

Just the thought of him having to awkwardly walk his then-girlfriend (now wife) to her car, with shit in his pants, and pray that she wouldn’t smell it or see it…my God. It’s one of those situations that if funny enough I can laugh at if someone jokes about their own experience with it, but I would be traumatized if it ever happened to em. I don’t know if I’d be strong enough to live that down (or have a good enough sense of humour to publish the story in a book).

Steven Seagal

Oh, Steven.

It’s one thing to feel represented as a Canadian when reading a book or watching a movie…it’s an entirely other thing to feel represented by the mutual presence of Steven Seagal in your childhood. I think he’s one of those actors who many people aren’t familiar with (at least in my experience), but people who are, they understand how much of a very specific icon this man is. I say specific, because I feel like he’s in his own category. Are there other films similar to what he’s been in? Sure. But there’s nobody quite like him.

And although I’m not a Steven Seagal fan personally, I still get excited when other people bring him up in conversation.

My dad is Steven Seagal fan, which is the only reason I’m familiar with the actor. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a full Seagal movie, but I definitely have memories of his films being played in our house when I was growing up. It became a joke in our house that if my mom, brother, and myself were going out of town, but my dad had to stay home for work, we’d say he was going to hang out with his friend Steven, AKA he would finally get to watch his Steven Seagal movies in peace, and not have to listen to sarcastic remarks from the rest of us.

(I also just did a quick Google search to see if Seagal is Canadian too, because that would have been the cherry on top. But he’s not, unfortunately. He was, however, granted Russian citizenship? And he’s apparently good friends with Putin? Wild.)

Seinfeld

This one technically isn’t a part of the book that was a favourite, but deserves to be mentioned briefly.

I was so sad on behalf of little Seth Rogen for the Seinfeld incident. I feel like that is such a dick move, what he did, and if I were Seth Rogen, it would have felt like one of the biggest injustices of my life at that age. I would have felt completely robbed of a huge opportunity.

On the bright side, the Seinfeld incident didn’t seem to prevent Rogen from having a highly successful career, so I guess it wasn’t like a life-ruining tragic moment.

Anyways, I definitely recommend everyone go and read Yearbook. Even if you’re not totally familiar with Seth Rogen’s work, I still guarantee it will make for an entertaining read.

Until next time,
Nadine

Dreaming of Travel

Now that there’s talk of restrictions being lifted here in the next month or so, travel is starting to feel like more of a possibility. I know that traveling to other countries will be dependent on more than just my province doing well with covid – who knows when other countries will even be ready to open their borders to tourists without restriction. However, prior to this I didn’t even want to think about going on a trip at all, because it felt so out of reach.

Thinking about a potential return to normal, and the potential to be able to travel sometime soon got me thinking about where I’d like to visit – or, more specifically, where I’d like to hopefully return to some day.

So, here are some of the places I’ve been dreaming about revisiting some day…

Bruges

Bruges is my favourite place I’ve ever visited. When my brother and I were there, we stayed near the old town centre, and it felt like…I don’t know, like we left regular life and entered into some kind of storybook world. There were canals and cobblestone streets, and everywhere we walked it smelled like chocolate and fresh waffles.

Everyone also seemed so friendly and happy, and I’ve never felt safer anywhere else in the world. I definitely want to go back one day to explore Bruges some more – my brother has been able to return since our trip there together, and he still wants to go back again. It’s truly a magical place.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam was beautiful as well. One of my favourite Amsterdam memories is just getting up in the mornings, going to a nearby bakery to get a pastry or two for breakfast, and casually strolling around doing some sightseeing while we ate. Or finding a random cafe to enjoy a nice snack and beverage after an afternoon of wandering around doing touristy things.

We also visited the Anne Frank house when we were there, which has been a lifelong dream of mine ever since I first learned about Anne Frank when I was a child. Although I’ve visited once now, I think I’d like to visit it again one day when it’s not the busy tourist season. It was still remarkable to walk around the museum, and to go up into the annex, but I didn’t feel like I could really take my time and absorb it all because it was very busy. We had to just keep shuffling along, and I would have liked the opportunity to stop, look around, and really take it all in.

Berlin

I’ve been to Berlin twice, and I would happily return a third time. The second time I went, I think I just ate Currywurst for almost every meal. I’m not sure what I would want to visit the next time I go to Berlin, but it’s another city that I just enjoy walking around in, taking in the sights, and enjoying the delicious food. It’s also quite interesting to be able to still see the architectural differences between east and west Berlin.

People might be wondering why I’d want to go back to places I’ve already been when there’s still so much of the world to see. And I do want to visit a lot of places I’ve never been to before, too. But I think the reason I’m yearning to return to these cities is because I’m remembering how much I enjoyed visiting the first time, and I know that I would have another great experience in them again. Maybe it’s the pandemic making me reflect on happier times, and wanting to relive those memories.

Hopefully international travel will be available again in the not-too-distant future, and we can actually start making plans for trips rather than just sitting at home fantasizing about it.

Until next time,
Nadine

Office Makeover

Today, I’m going to share the little (yet big) makeover we recently did to my home office. Let’s start with some before photos…

As you can see from these photos, my office wasn’t really a proper office before. When I initially found out I was going to be working from home, we thought it would just be for a few months, so I didn’t really worry too much about putting together a proper working space. As a result, I just had my desk in this spare room, where we also had a few other random things – a dresser, bookcase, and boxes.

Before long, I started to notice that my space was affecting my mood. Partially because the space just sort of felt like a random cluster of furniture that didn’t belong anywhere else, and partially because the wall colours were just so drab and boring. Once I found out I’d be working from home for the foreseeable future, I knew I had to do something. I could handle working in that space for a couple months, but indefinitely? Oh, no.

It was time for a makeover.

I really enjoyed making over the office, especially thinking about the possibilities of what we could do with the space. I knew I wanted brighter, cheerier colours in the room, and really liked the idea of painting the walls a yellow tone. I also liked the idea of using removable wallpaper to add a bit of character and dimension to the space.

This is what we ended up with…

I wanted my workspace to not just feel like an empty room with a desk, but to feel warm and inviting, and like a space where I could sit and read or relax in, as well. So I started getting the idea of having a little sitting area, but didn’t know if I’d have room for a desk, bookcase, coffee table, and an armchair. The more I brainstormed though, the more I was thinking outside the box and not limiting myself to the possibilities of the current space.

So, I decided we could try taking the doors off the closet, and putting my bookcase in there to save space. I was a little bit worried it might look strange – would it look like a bookcase in a closet, and seem out of place? But it’s actually turned into a cute little nook space! Plus, taking the closet doors off really opened up the space and made it feel a lot bigger.

Once I solidified the fact that I would be able to have my coffee table and chair in there as well, I started thinking about coffee table books – I’ve always liked the look of a nice, styled table. I ended up buying the Vogue: Postcards from Home, and a Tiffany&Co book of iconic window displays. I think these look really nice on the coffee table, and add a bit of chic-ness and luxury to the space (flipping through the Tiffany&Co book is really inspiring, as well, and fuels my creative energy).

I decided to rearrange my desk and put it against the wall by my door instead of having it face the window. I prefer being able to see my door, instead of having my back to it, and I can still easily turn and look out the window. Plus, if I still had it facing the window, I think it may have been awkward putting my coffee table and chair in there, and the space would not have flowed as nicely.

My dad made me the geometric/honeycomb shelves, which match the design of the wallpaper, and also fill the large empty space on that wall nicely. I think having a shelf there was the best option, as pictures would have likely been too distracting.

The most difficult and time consuming part of the office makeover was the wallpaper. I was under the impression it would have been quick and easy to apply, and maybe it would have been if I chose a simpler pattern, because the hardest part was just lining up the lines so it didn’t look disjointed. Luckily, we can confirm that the wallpaper does peel off the walls easily and does not take the paint off either (as we had to pull it off and reapply many times).

The only extra pieces we purchased for this room, other than the wallpaper and paint, was the coffee table and rattan chair, which are both from IKEA! Oh, and the plant, which unfortunately is now dead (I’m not a plant person, okay?).

I might still put some kind of artwork or decorative items on the wall with the wallpaper as it does feel a bit empty, but I’m not sure yet. For some reason I really like the idea of putting up a neon sign, but I have no idea what I would want a neon sign of! If anyone has good ideas, or recommendations of what else to put up on that wall, please let me know.

Until next time,
Nadine

My first big luxury purchase

Let me just start this blog with the typical disclaimer: This isn’t me trying to brag in any way, or act like I’ve got heaps of disposable income to just purchase luxury items whenever my heart desires. I had been thinking about these boots for a long time, and saved up my money for quite a while before purchasing them.

Now that that’s out of the way…..

The Boots

I’m super excited about these Gucci boots that I have been dreaming about for probably over a year and finally managed to purchase! I had been looking at them online for so long, and they ended up looking even better in person when I went to the Gucci store to try them on.

That was a relief, actually. I had started to worry that I’d get to the store and be a bit let down by their appearance – maybe they wouldn’t look as good in person, or I’d find they actually look a bit cheap or tacky. I wondered if I’d convince myself I like them anyways and feel compelled to purchase them even if I was disappointed in them, just because I’d been saving for so long. My big fear was that I’d walk out of the store and feel instant buyer’s remorse. So when we went there, I had to make a promise to myself that if I wasn’t absolutely in love with them upon seeing them in real life, then I wouldn’t buy them.

And then I saw them, and I fell in love.

Not only do they look super cute, but they’re also so comfortable. The moment I slid my foot into them, I knew they would be worth the money. They just feel so luxurious and high-end. Since I don’t have any experience with designer items, I was a bit worried that the price-tag would be purely for the designer label, and they’d actually be the same quality as a pair of boots you could buy from Aldo, for example.

But no, these are definitely high quality. And no, I wasn’t just swept up in the moment in the store. Sometimes when I try things on in-store, I feel like I’m in love with them, and then I get home and try it on and I’m suddenly incredibly disappointed and wanting to return the item. But when I got home and tried these boots on, I still loved them just as much!

The belt is also removable, which is nice, so if I want a less flashy, more toned-down look then I can remove it. I also love the detail of the snake on the sole of the boot, too!

The Shopping Experience

I had a really great store experience as well. I didn’t know what to expect since I’ve never been in a high-end designer store before. I didn’t know if there were certain unspoken etiquette rules – would they frown upon me if I touched the product myself? Is there a certain way to ask for assistance with trying on a product? I did fear that the sales associate would try to help me put the shoes on, which I really did not want – please don’t touch my feet, thank-you.

But it was a really good experience, so I worried for nothing! They were super friendly, and it wasn’t intimidating at all. I saw a mom and daughter touching items as well, so I knew it would be okay for me to pick up one of the boots from the display and have a closer look at it.

There were also always sales associates nearby, so it didn’t take long for me to ask for help getting my size to try on. They didn’t try to help me put the boots on, either – they just took them out of the box, and stood aside as I tried them on and looked at them in the mirror.

How I Saved for the Boots

Now, I want to share how I saved up for these boots in a guilt-free way. I’m currently in the process of trying to grow a good savings for myself now that I’ve got a full-time job, so I wanted to make sure I wasn’t compromising my savings in order to get my hands on these boots faster. So, what I did to ensure I wasn’t sacrificing my long-term financial goals, is that for every dollar I put towards the boots, I had to match that amount to add to my savings account. For example, if I put $100 aside for my boots, then I had to also put $100 towards my savings.

That way, I didn’t feel like I was skipping on contributing to my savings in order to save for the boots, so I didn’t feel guilty for putting money aside specifically for something frivolous like a designer item. And when I finally saved up enough to purchase them, I didn’t feel guilty for spending that money, or worried that I should be spending it on something else. Because I saved it specifically for those boots.

I don’t remember where I heard this quote, but while I was going through the process of saving, I read a quote that said “if you can’t afford to buy it twice, you can’t afford it”, or something along those lines. Which I thought was really good advice, and I plan to carry that mindset with me for any future large purchases!

Until next time,
Nadine

Things That Have Been Bringing Me Joy

I wrote a post similar to this last year, and I thought it was time to do another one. We’re over a year into this global pandemic, and I know I’m not the only one who is starting to have a really hard time with it. So, I thought I’d try to spread a bit of positivity by sharing what’s bringing me joy, and maybe it’ll bring you some joy as well.

I know it can be hard to find happiness during a time like this, and something I’ve been practicing lately is finding joy in the small things. I spent a lot of time feeling miserable about the fact that I can’t go out with friends right now, or have people over, or just feeling frustrated over the fact that this is such an isolating time. I’ve also been working to try and create things for myself to look forward to so that it doesn’t feel like every day is just a repeat of the day before.

Anyways, here are some of the things that have been bringing me joy lately!

Podcasts/YouTube videos

I think podcasts and YouTube videos act not only as a distraction, but also obviously as a great form of entertainment. You might be wondering how this differs from TV shows, which is fair. TV shows also provide distraction and entertainment. But with streaming services now, you don’t really need to wait for next episodes – you can just binge an entire series or season in one go. And then when you’re waiting for the next season, you’re waiting a long time.

Podcasts and YouTube videos are typically uploaded a lot more frequently, oftentimes on a weekly basis. This means you have something to look forward to every week.

One podcast/YouTube video I’ve been loving and looking forward to every week is Frenemies.

I just love the dynamic between Trisha and Ethan. The way they bounce jokes off one another or react to what the other person says is so hilarious to me. Plus, it seems like they have a true and genuine friendship, and the fun they have during their episodes is so infectious – it’s hard not to laugh along with them when they’re poking fun at one another!

Another Youtuber I just recently found out about is Jeff Wittek, and I’ve been really enjoying his barbershop videos.

I love his sense of humour – I’m having a hard time finding the words to explain it properly, but I feel like that type of humour can be difficult to pull off properly, and to portray so consistently. I feel like it can be done wrong so easily, and could lead to the viewer feeling secondhand embarrassment, but I just find these videos to be so funny. If there are ‘awkward’ parts they’re still so funny rather than uncomfortable to watch.

These videos have been serving as a great little pick-me-up if I’m ever feeling like I’m in a bit of a bad mood. I’d also recommend checking out his Beefy Boys Weightloss series on his channel. It’s a very different style compared to the Jeff’s Barbershop series, and I find it to be a bit more heartwarming and uplifting to see him care about the health and wellbeing of these guys, and to work so hard with them to lead healthier lives.

Reading

I tend to go through reading phases – I’ll read a few books back-to-back, and then I might go a few months where I struggle to pick up a book. But this year I’ve been reading pretty non-stop, and I’ve been really enjoying a majority of the books I’ve read, too. I’m currently on my 10th or 11th book of the year, which to some people might not seem like much, but for me it’s a lot! Reading has been a really great escape, and allows me to feel like I’m going on an adventure without having to leave my house (which is great because, where the hell am I going to go during a pandemic?)

Exercising

Consistently exercising has been doing wonders for my mood – and once you make it part of your daily routine, I feel like you’ll start really looking forward to it too. It also helps that the weather is getting nicer, so I can get some fresh air and go for a walk during my lunch break, and I can go for runs outside instead of just running on the treadmill.

I’ve also found that working out for my mental health has helped me stay much more consistent with it, and allowed me to enjoy it so much more. Working out to see physical results is a great motivator for some people, but if you’re as impatient as me you might be discouraged and want to quit when you don’t see results right away. But if your motivation to workout is to get that boost of serotonin, I think you’ll be more likely to stick with it. Even just going out for a 30 minute walk can help clear my mind and give me a surge of happiness, and it’s something I’ve started really looking forward to every day.

Baxter

I mean, duh.

Friday Walks with Mom

My mom and I have made a habit of going for walks together on Fridays when I get off work. I found that on Fridays I always felt a bit lost after work because I’d close my laptop and walk away from my desk and then it was like…now what? I want to celebrate the fact that it’s the end of the week, but I don’t know how to do that just sitting in the house alone.

So, going for a nice walk with my mom after work has been a great way to celebrate the end of the work week, and gives me something to look forward to each week. It gives us a chance to catch up on what’s been going on in our lives, and to just enjoy some general company while getting some sun and fresh air.

Friday Night Takeout

This is one of the ways I’ve started creating things for myself to look forward to. One week, on a Monday, I was feeling kinda down, and I felt like I desperately wanted to have something to look forward to, but I felt so limited in my options since there are so many restrictions in place right now. So, I decided that I would order pizza that Friday and watch a movie after work. All week long I was so hyped for it, and I couldn’t stop thinking about what a nice evening it would be.

And it was a really nice evening. So, that’s kind of become a new ritual of mine, and it gives me another thing to look forward to every week. I finish work on Friday, meet up with my mom for a walk, and then when I get home I treat myself to a little takeout dinner and watch a movie or a few episodes of a TV show.

It’s not much, but that new Friday ritual has given me something to look forward to at the end of every work week, and it’s made my Friday evenings feel a lot less glum as I head into the weekend.

Weekends

Although it’s been difficult to plan things for the weekends, I still look forward to weekends. Sometimes I don’t have anything planned, but I still enjoy being able to go for a walk at any time during the day, or laze around reading for hours if I want to. It’s just nice to have those two days every week to give myself permission to do whatever it is I want to do – some weekends I want to use that time to be really productive and work on creative projects, or catch up on cleaning around the house, and some weekends I feel so drained I just want to sit around and be a bit of a blob all weekend.

I think putting in an effort to change my mindset has been helping me realize that there are still things to enjoy about life even when it feels like everything is going to shit. I still have days where it’s hard to stay positive or be grateful for what I have, and I think it’s equally as important to just be gentle with yourself on those days. And on days when I’m just feeling a bit “meh,” I find that going for a short walk, or even just putting on some happy music, is enough to lift my mood and view everything in a more positive light.

Hopefully this post helps you find small joys in your own life right now, no matter what that might look like for you!

Until next time,
Nadine

The Push review

The Push Summary

Blythe Connor is determined that she will be the warm, supportive mother she never had to her new baby Violet.

But in the thick of motherhood”s exhausting early days, Blythe doesn”t find the connection with her daughter she expected. She”s convinced that something is wrong with Violet–the little girl is distant, rejects affection, and becomes increasingly disruptive at preschool.

Or is it all in Blythe”s head? Her husband, Fox, says she is imagining things. Fox doesn”t see what Blythe sees; he sees a wife who is struggling to cope with the day-to-day challenges of being a mother. And the more Fox dismisses her fears, the more Blythe begins to question her own sanity…

Then their son Sam is born–and with him, Blythe has the natural maternal connection she”d always dreamed of. Even Violet seems to love her little brother. But when life as they know it is changed in an instant, the devastating fall-out forces Blythe to face the truth about herself, her past, and her daughter.

General Thoughts

Uhhhh maybe don’t read this book if you’re currently pregnant – this book definitely gave me a bit of the fear for having children.

That being said, I didn’t want to put this book down from the moment I picked it up. If I could, I would have read it in a single day. However, I ended up reading it in two days just because I started it one evening after work, and I couldn’t stay up until the early hours of the morning reading when I knew I had work the next day. But I did manage to finish it the next evening after work.

Review (Spoilers ahead!)

I found this story to be incredibly heartbreaking the whole way through, and I was also filled with rage on behalf of the main character, Blythe. I can’t imagine how she must have felt to give birth to her first child, and then have these feelings of not only disconnection, but a genuine strong feeling that her child resented her from the day she was born. And then to consistently have these suspicions reaffirmed by her child’s behaviours – how she was so awful towards her mom, and made nasty comments about hating her mother or wanting her mother to die or to go away from her, yet she was so loving towards her father and was an angel the moment he was around. And so Blythe notices these things, and she has these feelings of detachment with her child, and when she voices her concerns to her husband, she gets shut down by him. He just keeps acting like Blythe is the problem, that she just needs to be a better, nicer mom and everything will be fixed. I still can’t decide if he didn’t believe Violet was at fault as a result of Violet manipulating him, or if he just refused to accept that his daughter could be to blame, and he couldn’t accept the fact that this wasn’t going to be the picture-perfect family he wanted.

Either way, he’s trash and I loathe him.

Throughout the whole novel, I just wanted justice for Blythe, and I wanted to scream when Violet mouthed through the window to Blythe “I pushed him”. It felt like a relief, to finally have this closure for Blythe, to know she wasn’t just imagining things. She knew exactly what she saw, and she was right to be suspicious and fearful of her daughter.

I found it interesting that the author told the stories of Blythe’s mother and grandmother as well, and that we got to see a glimpse into their lives and struggles with motherhood. It was very clear that there was definitely some kind of undiagnosed mental illness that was going on with the women. I remember with Blythe’s grandmother, a boy she was in a relationship with was run over by a piece of farming equipment while helping on her family’s farm, and she had to go deal with the body. I had wondered if that trauma maybe kick-started the mental health struggles for her, but I’m not sure. It did feel like that scene had some significance to it, though.

One part of the novel I wasn’t a fan of was when Blythe started wearing a wig and took on a new identity to get closer to Fox’s new wife – it felt a bit like it was teetering on the edge of the “this woman is a crazy ex” narrative. But maybe that was the authors way of giving the reader an opportunity to wonder if Blythe was stable or not – or maybe it wasn’t meant that way at all. Maybe I just overthought that part.

Overall, I liked that this gave a different take on motherhood. It provided a glimpse into the struggles that mothers face, some struggles that are considered taboo to discuss openly. The story even mentions how when mothers would complain, they didn’t really complain or express their unhappiness, because it was always followed up with “but it’s so worth it because…” as if they were worried if they were just honest with their feelings, they’d be deemed a “bad” or “unfit” mother. But just because you don’t like certain aspects of parenting, doesn’t mean you’re a bad parent. I’ve never had kids, so I can’t speak from experience, but I assume it’s just like anything in life – there’s parts you love and parts you dislike. You shouldn’t have to sugarcoat or justify your feelings.

Anyways, I really enjoyed this book and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for their next contemporary fiction novel!

Until next time,
Nadine