Mother's Day Lunch in Ottawa

Happy Mother's Day! 

Despite cloudy skies and a bit of rain here in Ottawa, today was absolutely lovely because my parents and youngest brother came to visit. We went to the Lord Elgin for a special Mother's Day lunch where we got to enjoy huge cups of coffee (seriously, they were more like small bowls!) and a huge buffet spread that included bacon, eggs, roast beef, smoked salmon, and flambéed fruit! 

The Lord Elgin is a beautiful hotel in the heart of downtown Ottawa, so we were able to walk around and see some of the sights after lunch. After stopping by to see the changing of the guards at the War Memorial, we walked down Sparks Street so my dad could pick up a fleece sweater since it was pretty chilly out. Once it started raining we all piled into the car and drove to the Glebe, where we took a short walk along the canal. Had it been a bit warmer and less rainy, we probably would have extended our walk, but considering the weather, we just did a quick tour before getting back into the car and driving to the apartment. Even still, we were able to see some beautiful flowers and trees along the water. The tulip festival is currently going on here in Ottawa so there were plenty of brightly colored tulips on display all around the city.

After our walk we headed over to the apartment for some tea before my parents had to drive back to Kingston. We had a really lovely visit and are so lucky to be able to get together more often now that we live (relatively) close to each other. I hope you all had a lovely day too and happy mother's day!

Getting Ready for College/University (Part Two)

Once you've got your head in the right place to take on going off to college (or university), you'll have to put some thought into actually getting yourself organized to go. Since it'll be a whole new system, and you'll be figuring it out on your own (for the most part), it will definitely help to get a few tips from some college graduates. 

Every college and university is different, just like every student experience, but there are a few general tips that will help guide you through first year without too much stress!

1. Go to ALL first week events 
This is especially important if you're going somewhere new and you don't already have a group of friends. Some of the first week events may seem silly or pointless, but trust me, this is the time to meet new people and forge some solid friendships. Join clubs and get active, not just within your school, but also in your community! 

2. SAVE money on textbooks
You will need more textbooks in college than you ever needed in high school. By the end of the year, these textbooks will have cost you more than a month's worth of groceries. In order to cut down some of these costs, you're going to have to get creative! 
-Buy used copies from the bookstore
-Buy online from Amazon for a fraction of the price
-Buy from fellow students (check Facebook for groups designed specifically for this purpose)
-Check out Google Books to see if you can read online (FREE!)
-Photocopy pages from the books you need at the library (many classes only require you to read a chapter or two from the textbooks they use) 

3. Avoid eating at the cafeteria everyday 
If you're on a meal plan, it is way too easy to just head over to the cafeteria (or associated restaurants) and swipe your card. The food available on campus is generally very expensive, so before you know it, you could be out of food money long before term is up. If you live in a place with a kitchen, use it! If you don't have a kitchen, and you're pretty much forced to eat on campus, you can cut down your expenses by going to the grocery store once a week to buy your snack items! Think about it: one Starbucks muffin costs about $2.00 compared to a whole box of granola bars for $5.00 at the grocery store.

4. Learn the art of communication 
If you live with roommates at any point throughout your time at college, you're going to need to become a master of communication in order to maintain your sanity. Even if you live alone, I can pretty much guarantee that you'll be required to complete at least one group project that requires you to communicate with your peers. In any case, learning how to speak openly and clearly will be immensely helpful when you're trying to sort out things like a shower schedule or who takes out the garbage and who washes the dishes. 

5. DO NOT neglect other parts of your life by engulfing yourself in your studies
This might seem like an obvious one, but when you're in the thick of midterm season, you are definitely going to want to keep this in mind. No matter how busy you are with your studies, do not let your social life or domestic duties suffer. You simply can't hole yourself up for weeks at a time, ignoring your friends and family, and not wash a single dish in your house. Just don't do it. Ultimately, your school work will actually benefit from you giving your mind a break. Even if it's just a half hour walk, you absolutely must give yourself a break to clear your mind.

6. Work smart, NOT hard
Learning to budget your time will be incredibly important in college, so focusing your energy in the right places will save you a lot of time. If you've got a part-time job and 3 papers due in 3 days days, you're going to need to budget your time accordingly. Reading through your syllabus at the beginning of term will save you time at the end of the year when your professor asks you to write a paper linking the major themes of the course. Get an agenda or personal notebook and USE IT! Things like SparkNotes, can actually be a really useful learning tool when used correctly. Obviously you know that you can't plagiarize (no matter how desperate you may feel, NEVER do this), but if you're having a hard time understanding the plot of a story or keeping track of characters, SparkNotes actually does a really great job of laying it all out clearly. 

7. Try new things 
There are going to be so many new and exciting opportunities available to you throughout your time at college. Sometimes, it'll be overwhelming, but no matter what, do not limit yourself. Whether it's an interesting sounding course that's not directly in your field, or a school club that does something you've never heard of, you'll only be enriching yourself and broadening your horizons by giving it a try. You might start your first year thinking you want to be a vet, and end up changing your mind when you discover all the other possibilities out there. I'm not suggesting you join every club and team out there, because if you do, you'll probably get overwhelmed, but I am suggesting that you at least try one or two. 

Finally, don't forget to have fun and make the most of your experiences! Before you know it, you'll be graduating from college and looking for a full-time job! 

Graduation with my friend Yvonne!
We met in our first year!

*Edit:
My boyfriend, who is actually back at college right now to get his computer technician certification, reminded me of two very important tips I left out! Here they are:

8. Seek out help when you need it
Your academic advisors are there to help you but you have to take the first step by scheduling an appointment to meet with them. They can point you in the right direction if you need a tutor, or help you pick out the courses you need to complete you degree. 

9. Surround yourself with people who love and support you
This is incredibly valuable advice! There will be some very trying times ahead, so it's important to have the support of your most trusted friends and family. If someone is a bad influence or has a really negative attitude, they probably aren't worth keeping around. You're old enough now to pick and choose your friends, so make sure you're careful and take the time to invest in quality friendships.

Getting Ready for College/University (Part One)

This post might seem a bit odd in terms of timing (after all, school is about to finish for the year, not start!), but I got a request the other day from a young lady anxious about her upcoming first year of college (or university), so here it is!

Whether you're staying in the same city you grew up in, or going to another country, getting ready for your first year of college can be daunting. Aside from the obvious educational worries (Will it be a good school? Will I struggle with my studies?), starting out in your first year of college can also be a major social adjustment as well. You might have decided to attend a completely different school than the rest of your friends, or maybe you'll be going to college in a city where they speak a different language. In any case, congratulations! Making those kinds of important (and often a bit scary) personal decisions is a major stepping stone on your way to becoming a full fledged, independent, and educated adult. 

After I graduated from high school, I took a very different path than most of my peers by deciding to defer my studies for a year and go backpacking through Europe. Long before my graduation at the end of June, I had studied, prepared, and saved up for my trip, knowing it was exactly what I wanted to do. After completing 12+ years of straight schooling already, I knew I wanted to take a break and explore the world before I jumped right into the next stage of my studies. I backpacked through 17 countries in Europe, and it was an incredible experience. Looking back, my decision to defer going to university was the best thing for me, and it really gave me a chance to focus on getting a better understanding of myself and the world around me. When I did go off to university, a year later, I felt confident and ready to begin my post-secondary education. 

That's me in my first basement apartment in Vancouver!

I wouldn't recommend that everyone take a year off after high school to go travelling, but what I do recommend is that you take some time away from the chaos of getting ready for college, to really sit down and take the time to focus on yourself. What are your dreams, beliefs, and aspirations? What are you hoping to achieve over the next few years? 

College will challenge you in ways you could never have imagined, and introduce you to new things you never knew existed, so it's incredibly important to have a strong sense of yourself before you begin. 

This new transition in life will force you to take a leap of faith, so trust in yourself and good luck on your next adventure! 

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Mother's Day is officially only a week away! If you haven't put much thought into how you'll be showing your appreciation for mom yet, now would be a good time to start!

No language can express the power, and beauty, and heroism, and 

majesty of a mother’s love. It shrinks not where man cowers, and grows stronger where man faints, and over wastes of worldly fortunes sends the radiance of its quenchless fidelity like a star. ~Edwin Hubbell Chapin

 I am very lucky to have a wonderful relationship with my mother and I am incredibly thankful for her constant love and support everyday. Looking back, I regret that it took me so long to understand how incredibly special she is to me and just how much I respect and admire her. I'll be the first to admit that I was by no means an "easy" child to raise. I was incredibly demanding, had a quick temper, and an insatiable curiosity that meant I needed a lot of supervision! Yet despite everything, I knew I could always count on my mother to look after me when I was sick, give me advice when I felt like no one else understood me, and love me no matter how many times I messed up. To this day, I am still in awe of how she managed (scratch that- still manages!) to look after me, run a household, have a career, and still have a fulfilling life! 

I've told her this many times now, but I sincerely hope that when it comes time for me to become a mother, I'll be able to do it with as much love and grace as she does. 

Whether you're on great terms, or things are a bit shaky right now, it's incredibly important to show your appreciation for the woman who brought you into the world and raised you. It doesn't have to be big or flashy, but as long as it comes from the heart, I'm sure it will be appreciated!

When it comes to gifts for mom, I tend to either go with DIY (Do-It-Yourself) projects, or gifts that are indulgent and relaxing. The DIY route can be more budget-friendly, but you have to be prepared to put in the time required to actually complete the project. 

Here are a few Mother's Day gift ideas to get you started:

* DIY Heart-shaped tea bags

* Framed photo of you and mom

* Scented candle or perfume

* Spa package (at home or in salon) 

* Afternoon Tea (when I lived in Vancouver, The Secret Garden was my favorite place to go!

* Lotions (the Pear & Pink Magnolia collection from Crabtree & Evelyn smells amazing!) 

* Customized jewelry (I really like the custom bracelets from Etsy. You can feature both of your birthstones for a meaningful touch) 

If you're short on time, or you just can't think of something original, it's always a good idea to at the very least, give (or make) a card. You can always up the ante by pairing it with flowers, which add a pretty and fragrant touch! 

Happy Mother's Day to all! 

Color Profile: Yellow

There are a number of colors that are (nearly) universally flattering. Yellow is not one of them. For most people, the color yellow evokes images of sunshine and happiness. It's definitely a feel-good color, and when it's worn well, it can look stunning! 

The most important thing to keep in mind when trying to incorporate yellow into your wardrobe is to consider shade. From lemon to goldenrod, there are a multitude of bright shades to choose from. In order to find your perfect shade, you'll have to really get to know your skin-tone and hair color. This is especially true if you have blonde hair, because you don't want to end up blending in with your dress! 

Generally speaking, if you're unsure about which shade is best for you, ask yourself these basic questions:

1. Do I have warm or cool toned skin? 
Hold up a piece of gold jewelry to your skin. Now do the same with a piece of silver jewelry. If the gold looks better it means you have warm toned skin. If the silver is better, then you have cool toned skin. Similarly, you can also do this with white and ivory fabric. If you look better in ivory, you have warm toned skin, and if you prefer white, your skin is cool toned. 

2. What color is my hair?
Blonde hair tends to look best when paired with light, soft shades of yellow like lemon, daffodil, and butter. Brunette hair can be paired with a wider range of yellow shades because it's such a contrast, but a few nice shades for brown haired gals are canary, goldenrod, and mustard. If you have red hair, you're going to want to stick with neutral shades of yellow, like gold, bumblebee, and pineapple.

3. What's the occasion and time of year?  
Although this might not seem like an important question, it's worthwhile considering because yellow is not a color you can wear at any time or place. If it's spring, you can wear lighter and brighter shades of yellow. If it's fall, you're better off going with richer, darker shades of yellow. Similarly, if you're dressing for a casual look, it's best to stick with neutral shades of yellow. If you're going for a fancy look, you've got more flexibility to experiment with bold shades of yellow in a variety of textures. 


Finally, if you're going to be mixing yellow into your outfit and not wearing it as a stand-alone piece, you'll have to consider what colors will look nice. Yellow is complimented very nicely by shades of blue, whether it's cobalt or cornflower. Coral is also a nice, bright color to pair with yellow. If you're looking for something more neutral, yellow always looks crisp and clean with white.