Growing up in Canada, and actually being born in Ontario, the fact I had never been to Ottawa was crazy to me. So when my friend’s partner suggested skating on the Rideau Canal, I was in. I’m not the best skater, but I love to be on skates and feel a great sense of freedom in the fresh air. Since I’ve been trying to keep my trips to long weekends, and since it’s the dead of winter, I hopped on a plane on a Thursday morning and headed for Ottawa to meet up with friends.

This is my third Palm Springs post, and it’s just because I love it so much. I’ve gone there with family, with a partner, myself and soon to be a couples trip, and still find a way to still have the best time. Whether it be hiking, biking, walking around, shopping or golfing, there is something for everyone, no matter what the season. I was there last year with my parents before hip surgery, and it was about 4 years since I was there with people other than family. I can’t wait to get back down there with our friends to show them all the things to love about PS.

It’s coming up a long weekend here, and if you are getting excited about new projects this spring and summer season, I have put together a few new DIY projects that you can try this weekend that range from an hour or two to a full weekend project.

I bought my first home last year, and its been an adventure on top of my health issues. It was a rough time to buy a home personally, but the market was pretty good and I made sure to educate myself ahead of time so that my experience was better. I’ve put together a few things that I found helpful and I’m glad I learned, but some I wish I had learned before starting the process.

As we move into 2023, there are several exciting home decor trends to look out for. From bold colours to natural materials, these trends are sure to transform your home into a comfortable and stylish haven. Here are some of the top home decor trends for 2023.

I’ve taken to skipping resolutions for the new year. I choose to look back at my year and think about all that happened and all that I learned. I also take a look at what I want to move forward with and release from my habits in the year ahead, and build new habits that become regular occurrence. Here are a few things that I learned in 2023 about myself.

Although my favourite style right now is Japandi, the origin of this style is Scandinavian. IKEA is the best example of this design style, and there is a reason people are drawn to clean lines, warm textiles and cozy accents.

Here are a five things that I use and how you can apply it to your space easily without needing to invest too much, and using what you already may have.

September is one of my favourite times of the year. It tends to be a great balance of Summer weather and cooler nights. It also means that it’s the last chance to be on patios, get out on the water, harvest summer’s vegetables gardens and soak up the last bits of sunshine.

I always treat Sept 1 as more of a start to the new year, rather than January 31. I have a few things that I always do below that helps me start what I view as my new year on the right foot:

When I was researching design options for a friend of mine, I was introduced to this interesting style of decor and design called Japandi. It’s a mix between Japanese minimalism, and then Scandinavian influence with cozy textiles, natural fibres, neutral woods and lots of plants. I’ve put together 6 Ways to incorporate the Japandi style into your place, even if you don’t have a sprawling space.

I found this IKEA Duktig Kids Kitchen last year on Facebook Marketplace and used it instead as a way to experiment with techniques and my style. Here is my Step-by-Step guide with links to how I created this IKEA Kids Kitchen.

I think a lot of us can say that by the time we are 30, we have these goals set out that we hope to accomplish. They are not even goals, more like life milestones. I think we’ve created this belief system that we’ve failed if we aren’t in the right space before 30, but I think dismantling this belief, accepting wherever you are, you are at the right spot is the key to happiness at this age. 30 is a scary year, but I’m looking back on 30 things I’ve accomplished, started and done by the age of 30.