lifestyle
looking great will help you feel great… but life is so much more than clothes! wellness, travel, and giving back are just a few other areas covered that can help you BE and FEEL fabulous in every way
Cyber Monday
It’s no secret that m0851 is my favorite brand. So with today’s Cyber Monday festivities, I wanted to spread the love… and share the savings. Because friends don’t let friends pay retail. Use promo code “CYBER MONDAY” to receive 20% off the entire webstore. And if you have a chance to check out the new Bayview Village store in Toronto, please tell Frank and Brian I say hello! For those midtown who have been missing the Saint Thomas Street boutique, the new Yorkville store (38 Avenue Road, just North of Bloor) will finally be open mid-December. For other store locations in New York, Montreal, Paris, Vancouver, Calgary, Antwerp and Taipei see m0851′s website.
what are they… drinking?!
I’ll admit to loving the tastes of things most people scrunch their noses up at… unflavored tofu, unsalted nuts, and any green veggie – preferably freshly juiced. I also have a sweet tooth, and I love salt… but with several food sensitives, I do my best to curb those indulgences for the sake of my stomach. While living in LA, I swore by Evolution’s “Essential Greens” that I bought at Whole Foods (I saw Seal at the Brentwood WF, I wonder if Heidi’s on the green-wagon?), or the fresh juices from M Cafe (Jessica Alba is a fan, and just look at her radiant skin). Sadly, upon moving back to Canada I found myself on a fresh green juice quest… Fresh offers a good selection of juices (my go-to is the “all-green”), and Noah’s on Bloor has a cafe with a fully equipped juice bar. These are great options for dining in, or pick-up, but I like to have my juices at home, at the office, and when I travel (the recommended shelf life is three days). Toronto’s Whole Foods and organic grocery stores only carry vegetable juices with some form of fruit (apple, and/or banana etc)… so I was thankful to come across Total Cleanse – a local juice delivery service (and/or cleanse) that drops off your juices between 9pm and 6am the night before /day you want them. Today through Wednesday, I’ll be drinking Green Energy with my breakfast(s) and dinner(s). And while I’m not doing a full cleanse, I’m not going to argue with glowing skin and increased energy. Yes, PLEASE!!
words to live by
One of my closest friends, and the most beautiful woman I know inside and out, sent me this photo. I could not agree more with all of it, it’s always nice to be reminded of what’s important in life… namely everything and anything that makes YOU happy. This is your life, are you living it?
“It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” – George Eliot
do what you LOVE…
… LOVE what you do.
I recently moved back to Toronto (Canada) due to a family emergency – or more accurately I’m in the process of moving back as I wait for my things to arrive so that I can move into my new place next week. Being in LA over two years was an experience in EVERY way. And my biggest takeaway is that you can’t control everything, can’t plan everything – because you just never know what lies ahead… so with that, enjoy each day and do what you LOVE. Everything else will fall into place.
“Sometimes a new beginning is better than a happy ending.”
I ♥ Jonathan Adler
Jonathan Adler is a design company offering gorgeous pieces for your home. Celebrities like Lauren Conrad are fans, and so am I. When I moved from West Hollywood to Brentwood back in February, I took it as an excuse for some redecorating. I ordered these gorgeous “K” and “D” letter pillows (we know I’m a sucker for anything monogrammed), and a custom British Flag (Union Jack) pillow in 20 by 22 (inches). Call it the Commonwealth connection (or the year I lived in England), but I’ve always been drawn to all-things-British… and they don’t offer my home-and-native land – Canada’s – flag. Hand made in Peru, my pillows took three and a half months to be ready. After picking them up, and placing them on display on my chocolate-brown leather couch… I’m in ♥.
GO-h Canada!
Photo: Kim Cattrall & m0851 Vancouver store window c/o: www.thevjmporium.com & www.facebook.com/m0851vancouver
Vancouver is one of my favourite cities in Canada. Boston is one of the favorite cities in the US. But true to my Canadian roots, I’m cheering for the Canucks in tonight’s Stanley Cup final. Hockey is by far one of Canada’s proudest past-times, compared to the three majors in the US (baseball, football and basketball) where the puck just doesn’t garner the same attention. We’re reminded of this every time Canada and the US face each other in the winter Olympics (last year I had the pleasure of watching the final game in a sports bar in Manhattan Beach, California – with one other Canadian – let’s just say our cheers weren’t popular…). Americans are as competitive as Canadians are nice, but a win tonight just doesn’t mean the same to those South of the border.
“Room to Read”
Photo c/o http://www.burghoundinasia.com
A very special woman in my life (who is in many people’s much needed thoughts and prayers right now… thank you) taught me the value of volunteering and giving back from a young age. I’m grateful for the lessons charitable involvement has taught me. Recent life events have reminded me not to anything for granted. So in the spirit of gratitude, this post is dedicated to the woman who read to me every night before bed, who encouraged me to read – explore news places – find my voice and speak my mind (clearly I haven’t stopped since). Thanks mom.
One of my favorite charities that I think everyone needs to know about is “Room to Read” – admirably started by John Wood, a former Microsoft exec who started this global initiative after a trek through Nepal (those Himalayans are nothing if not life changing…). John’s global team works with rural villages to build sustainable solutions to their educational challenges. Most, if not all of these rural schools don’t have libraries, or even books, whether in their native languages or English. “Room to Read” programs are designed to change this, by offering a “hand up”, not a “hand out” - they partner with local communities to build schools and libraries.
