A Letter: To My Younger Self

Dear teenage Brittany,
 

Hair gel should be used sparingly, "hair fuzzies" are not the end of the world.

School and more importantly high school is such a fragment of time compared to the rest of your life. Have fun, make dumb choices, learn from those choices but don't let those years weigh too heavily on the person you become.

 

 
Hang out with people you actually like. I still don't understand why some people are "popular" and others are not. I know that you care a lot about being considered popular and NEED to hang out with those who will give you that status but making lasting relationships with people who share your interests is much more important.

Work on that project with that cute boy in English class... you might marry him someday ;)

Don't put your hobbies and interests on the backburner for fear of "missing out" on parties. You should totally go to the parties just don't make partying your only hobby and/or interest.

I want to say don't wear the dorinhas. But who am I kidding, you loved them and they gave you motivation to work hard so you could afford $100.00 jeans on your own.

Love yourself more than anyone or anything. These are the years in your life when you SHOULD be selfish.

Have more than one favourite bra....

Stay away from the drama. You will never get back the hours wasted on talking shit about other people.

Try to put yourself in other peoples shoes. You felt like you were struggling and I can guarantee that everybody else is too.

Don't listen to any of this. You are a teenager and you know everything already. Have fun, be safe and don't drink and drive!!
 

Essay Series: Hot Topic Intensity

 

I love the internet. I love that you can find the answer to anything with just a few key strokes, that you can plan every facet of your life through so many outlets and that it has made our world incredibly small. One of the things I do not love about the internet is the bandwagon type mindset that it has created.

 

Somewhere between researching history projects and connecting with friends and family grew this monster of a gang mentality that I just do not understand. People are so quick to voice their opinion by simply clicking "share" on a post or article. I honestly wonder how many people actually read the whole thing or if they simply agree with the headline. It gets worse on publication websites where everything from politics to world affairs to lifestyle choices to celebrity gossip is being miscommunicated, extorted and slandered.

 

I understand, and believe me, appreciate the right of freedom of speech (hello, I'm standing on my soap box right now) but I'm just tired of the obvious lack of research most people do before they hop on whatever bandwagon is driving by that week.

 

For example, my Facebook and Instagram newsfeeds have a different trend monthly if not weekly. This week it is the refugees from Syria, prior to that it was Cecil the lion, Transgender Awareness, Bill Cosby, Ferguson etc, You get the point. ALL of these topics are IMPORTANT, do not get me wrong, I believe they should be  talked about. My issue, is the intensity that these events have and their quick rise to "trending topics" the amount of times something is shared and commented on before they implode and are pushed aside for the next big issue.

 

And have you read through the comments on controversial topics? Holy moly. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but when you have to degrade someone by commenting on their appearance, race or religion to get your point across... c'mon people. I no longer consider your opinion warranted at that point.

 

My plea today is to simply read, educate yourself, form you own opinion and discuss (in a respectful way) all of these important issues. If you feel strongly about it, then share those articles, posts, photos and links with your friends and family, comment on a thread if you think your 2 cents are valid and respectful. And probably the most important, remember that if you want something to change in our world you have to be willing to be apart of it and support it for the long haul. They say Rome wasn't built in a day and no major advances globally were either. If you want to support a cause, you have to share the correct information and find other ways to make a change other than on the internet.

 

Home Renovations: The Bathroom

Finally, another installment of Home Renovations! Today I thought I'd show you our lovely main bath. This was by far our biggest transformation and what I was most excited and nervous about. Growing up in a family of interior designers (none professional but all should have been) and watching HGTV all day everyday, I felt comfortable picking out paint colours and accessories and planning the layout of a room. What I had no experience with was starting from scratch and picking out every single aspect of a space.

 

The Before:

 

Brandon brought this room to the studs as there was fear of water damage. So we really had a clean slate to deal with. I knew I wanted bright and airy but with a pop of colour. We don't have an en suite, so this bathroom is also where I get ready everyday, with that in mind I knew it was important to have sufficient storage.

 

 

I'm so proud of Brandon for laying every single tile in that room. I wont lie and say that it was super easy. There were a lot of late nights and even more swear words and crashing and banging than you can imagine. But he didn't give up and now it looks amazing.

 

The After

 

I am so in love with this space. Its so fresh and clean and everything turned out perfectly. Our amazing vanity is from Costco Online and our silver tree shower curtain is from Bouclair Home. We have always loved subway tiles and I'm so glad we chose the grey grout look. Another favourite is our tiled flooring. It's that tile that looks like wood. It's really nice on the feet and very easy to clean. This room is basically finished although I'm still looking for some artwork so let me know if you have any ideas on what to put on the walls.

Enjoy your Thursday!

August Love List

 

As I mentioned in this post last week, I'm crazy obsessed with Youtubers lately. Especially the British beauty vloggers. My sister and I often talk about them as if they were close friends of ours (no shame). One of those Youtube/Bloggers is Victoria from Inthefrow. She recently did a video titled August Love List. And I thought it would translate well into a blog post so here goes! 

 

What I Watched: The entire first season of True Detective. Holy moly, I still don't understand how I become so invested after only 8 episodes but I'm not ready to say goodbye to Marty and Rust.

What I Snapped: My favourite picture was of one of the Joffre lakes at the peak of our hike a few weekends ago in Whistler. Find the photo here.

Who I Loved: Mi familia! This month was full of family camping, hangouts and get togethers. I feel so lucky to be surrounded (and related) to such amazing people!

What I Wore: I've been loving these boyfriend jeans (called girlfriend jeans) lately and love to pair them with casual t's or dress them up with flowy tanks.

What I Did: Our Scenic Rush day for sure! It was just so beautiful and I loved seeing Brandon's excitement. Truly a once in a lifetime experience.

What I Ate: Can I say too much? haha

What I Drank: Rickards Radlers became a summer fav, because of their light sweet taste. Perfect for patio sitting and sunset watching!

Where I Went: Camping in Whistler with the whole family and dogs was a favourite trip this month. It was casual but fun. We saw some beautiful spots, ate some amazing food and had plenty of laughs.

What I Heard: My favourite song this month was a tune that I found on a workout playlist and it seemed to get my ass in gear when you need that little pick me up!  Waiting All Night ft. Ella Eyre - Rudimental. Have a listen here!

What I Used: I'm currently using Laroche Posay Effaclar face wash in an attempt to clear up my face and after 2 weeks of use I am actually noticing a difference! Still not crystal clear but I do know that it is a process. Stay tuned as I plan to post a review after a month of use!

 

 

 

A Little Bit of Randomness

 

I swear this week has gone so fast! One day it's Monday morning and the next it's Thursday afternoon. Where did the week go?

 

I was planning to share another room in out home renovation tour but silly me still hasn't uploaded the after photos so we're going with a random thoughts post and maybe I'll be productive tomorrow and upload two posts! We shall see.

 

A few thoughts bumbling around my head this morning:

 

-I am 100% ready for fall and winter. I apologize to all you summer sun worshipers but I am so excited for rain and wind storms, cozy nights snuggled up, having a REAL fire in our fireplace, peppermint schnapps and hot chocolate, Hunter boots, toques and mittens, the fresh smell of cold morning air, all of the candles, bubble baths, ski season, holiday movies and everything in between. And I am aware that around February 12th I will hate most of the above. There's four seasons for a reason.

 

-This post made me laugh and then has continued to make me laugh throughout the day. I'm hoping she wasn't serious on everything but it did give me several "it's funny because it's true" moments!

 

-It doesn't matter how on top of it you are or how efficient you become there will ALWAYS be laundry, dishes and cooking to do. Like forever.

 

-I think it should be a rule that no matter what you're doing, if you feel like exercising you should just be allowed to drop everything and work out. Doesn't matter, working, getting your teeth cleaned, in school etc. I feel like I would work out more if that was the case.

 

-What does it feel like to have a 6pack? 

 

 

A Letter: Sleepless Nights

Bear not losing any sleep

 

Dear Sleepless Nights,

 

Good morning. Or should I say Bad morning?

 

Recently you've come into my life and I want to let you know that you were not invited nor expected. You've made waking up for early morning gym workouts incredibly difficult. Not impossible just hard. I've met you several times over the years, usually when my life was stressful like around exam time or during intense life decisions. And to be honest I understood your presence. Right now however, you've come at me with wild dreams, restless legs and increasing bathroom breaks. These night time interruptions are not welcomed. I'd like you to leave. I look forward to my 7 continuous hours of sleep each night and you've completely ruined that. Please consider this letter a polite way of asking you to move on.

 

Many thanks,

 

Brittany

 

P.S. My cup of tea does want to thank you for deepening my relationship with it as I now require two.

 

 

Taking Stock

 

Making: a point to do what makes me happy
Cooking: the most random meals for dinner lately. Brandon hasn't been complaining but I definitely need to bring back meal planning.
Drinking: blueberry black tea
Reading: just started the Girl on the Train, so far SO good
Wanting: to enjoy the last few weeks of summer
Looking: at holiday décor already... oops!
Playing: oldish Mariah. Aka The Emancipation of Mimi. Love.
Wasting: time watching old episodes of Australia's Next Top Model. You could say obsessed.
Wishing: my skin would sort itself out! God damn adult acne...
Enjoying: my workouts again
Waiting: for clear answers
Liking: my morning routine: gym > breakfast > getting ready > hanging out with Bear
Wondering: about the best choice for our federal government
Loving: relaxing nights in with my hubby.
Hoping: going back to school is a good choice
Marveling: at how fast this summer has gone!
Needing: a couple extra hours this weekend to get the boring stuff done
Smelling: fresh linen scent... everywhere, Brandon is in love with air fresheners!
Wearing: jeans again, loving that the temps have dropped a bit
Following: so many YouTubers, especially the British ones
Noticing: that True Detective before bed leads to CRAZY dreams
Knowing: everything happens for a reason
Thinking: about so many things
Bookmarking: a lot of recipes (see note above about meal planning)
Opening: up to myself about what I really want
Giggling: at Bear, all day everyday
Feeling: anxious but hopeful

 

Stole this from Sidney at The Daybook Blog.