Winter can bring on melancholic feelings and I’m here to give you a few tips to help you get through the rut! The sun is not out as long. Sunshine is lacking. Pick up some vitamin D! There are a few things that I like to do in the winter to stay cozy and positive. First thing is have a CUPPA! I prefer coffee in the morning, noon or anytime really. A MUST! Get cozy with a CUPPA! You can spike it if that’s what makes you cozy. Not I though. I don’t like alcohol. But I do love chocolate and marshmallows. *Mug in this photo from Avon.ca
Get Creative!!! I love to write, paint and cook.
Do something that helps you express your self.
You can draw, doodle, write a letter or paint!
Pick a recipe and cook!
I’ve been enjoying making yummy delicious food with HELLO FRESH CANADA. This is not sponsored or an AD. Don’t worry, even if I was working with them I’m here to tell you they ROCK. Love everything about them. Anyhow, I’ve gotten off topic. NOT a surprise at all. lol I’ll go into detail aboutHello Fresh Canadain my next post. I’m not finished preparing all the content yet…oh wait yup here’s a photo of my lunch. Documentation is a must! Chicken Sliders with slaw. Healthy fast and easy. I have a code if you like 40% off your first meal.
CODE: BESTDAYBLOGGER40
hellofresh.ca
*pr sample
Taking hot baths in the winter really feels relaxing and rejuvenating. I love LUSH and you all probably know that already. My husband bought me a Christmas Lush Box. I didn’t want to write “What I got For Christmas” post… I really didn’t… but I want to share this one with you because LUSH is fun and colourful and everything I need in the winter. My girls love it too. But of course I share my bath bombs…Only if my girls are well behaved. Reminds me of goldmember “Oh Behave!”…off topic again. I’ve been feeling cray cray lately. Okay so here is the box that I received from my sweet husband.
CHRISTMAS BATH TIME FAVOURITES
Golden Wonder Bath Bomb, Luxury Lush Pud Bath Bomb, Butter bear Bath Bomb, Shoot for the stars Bath Bomb, Never Mind the Ballistics Bath Bomb, Christmas Sweater Bath Bomb, Sherbert Dip Bath Bomb, Star Light Star Bright Bath Melt, Thundersnow Bath Bomb, Lord of Misrule Bath Bomb, Snow Angel Luxury Bath Melt.
Very fun and relaxing. A must in my life to relax in a hot bath with LUSH Bath Bombs. I highly recommend you try them out. Winter Blues go away oh LUSH! you made my day!
Once I’m out of my lovely bath I like to spritz and spray and smell fresh all day!
YUP I just rhymed!
omg I love how fresh *Mark REBEL + ICE Smells! Very invigorating and refreshing! How about the beautiful scarf? I love getting cozy after the bath and one thing I love is to cover my neck. I find my neck needs to be kept warm. mark Rebel and Ice limited edition bath and body collection is an icy mix featuring notes of cool mountain air, winter iris and white birch woods. Body Wash is refreshing and moisturizing. The body Mist is refreshing and lightly scented with a beautiful hydrating mist and the Body lotion locks in moisture leaving the skin feeling soft and silky.
*Body Wash $10.00
*Body Mist $14.00
*Body Lotion $10.00
*”What A Scene Scarf” $18.00
*Tasseled Multi-layer Bracelet
The look of multiple bracelets with a goldstone charm. Stunning!
Turtle $14.99
Available through Avon independent sales representative or
A must in the winter is to snack on healthy food and I kindly received Sabra Hummus to review which I said YES to because I love delicious food. Snacking and drinking water really helps in the winter. Important to keep our energy up. These three are my favourite. The Olive Hummus, the Spicy Hummus and the roasted red pepper! So delicious! Delicious and healthy!
I also enjoy reading a lot during the winter months. I just finished the Novel “The Break” written by Katherena Vermette. It’s an incredible novel and also Canadian.
I hope this blog post inspires you to do more things that make you happy.
What are some things you like to do in the winter? I would love to know!
Don’t forget to buy your self something sweet and lovely just like this.
Oh SO Cute! LOVE LOVE LOVE
*Lots of Kisses Journal 90 Lined pages Faux Leather $7.99
*Home Fragrance Collection “Celebrate Love Candle” Notes of sparkling citrus, tart berries, effervescent musks and rose petals. $12.99 each
*just Kiss Me Lip balm Cute lips-shaped case holds a kiss of tinted balm. Flavourless. Comes in a gift box. $10.00 each
The beautiful items are available now on avon.ca or through an avon representative.
Happy 2018! I wish you all the best this year and I’m very excited and look forward to many wonderful, positive and happy experiences. Life is a gift and I’m grateful for everything. I feel happy and excited about learning, loving and living. I would like to make 2018 the very best that it can be.
December was a hard and challenging month. The loss of my brother-in-law was difficult and emotional for the entire family and of course his friends as well. The entire experience taught me never hold on to grudges, to let go of the past and focus on the people that surround me.
In December I did a lot of reflecting and spending time with my husband and children. I thought a lot about what my purpose is as a creator and I’ve made huge plans! I’ve made a bucket list for this year. I hope I can accomplish a lot on the list. I don’t know if you remember my last year’s video about my goals for 2017? I think I did about 2 things from that list. One was to get my nose pierced, second one was to be in an article and I was so honoured to be a part of the BUZZ MAGAZINE #BodyPositive Movement with other beautiful and inspirational people. Read more about the feature HERE.
I hope in 2018 I can cross off more things on my bucket list. Would you like to hear more about my bucket list? How about your bucket list? Did you do something that you’ve always wanted to do? Do you make a bucket lists or goals for the year? Would love to know.
During the cold December I baked delicious chocolate chip cookies from the book * “Brad Long On Butter”. A really fabulous cook book. Brad Long’s passion for cooking comes through each page in this great Canadian Cookbook. If you love butter as much as I do you will love this book. The writing is humorous and very fun. The recipes are delicious and I can’t wait to try more recipes from this cook book.
The weather hasn’t allowed us to get out doors as much as we would like because it was too darn cold. I’m okay with -10 but it got down to -21 or more. I also hate when it is too windy. Cold Wind drives me crazy. I would LOVE to do outdoor things like skate, ski, snowshoeing, building a fire and all that lovely hugge living. The Danish know how to make things cozy! So I lit a lot of candles, played games with the family and also read the book “THE BREAK” written by Katherena Vermette. She is a Canadian Author and the novel is Fiction. I’ve given this book a 5/5 on goodreads. It’s a really amazing and heart wrenching novel. It’s sad, emotional and yet the women in this book are strong and stick together. The story overall is very emotional. The characters are very well developed and very believable. This novel is about identity, gangs, rape and healing. A very moving novel and a must read in Canadian Literature.
Random thought…I would like to travel to Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland this year. It’s a dream to check these countries out. When I was younger my mother would come home with photos, postcards and clippings from various countries. I loved collecting them and I would look at them everyday and envision my self traveling. The pictures that I remember most were from Switzerland. As I got older I had the opportunity to visit Zurich and I fell in love. It’s a beautiful most magical place. The food and people are amazing and the city is so clean. The architecture so beautiful. This year I’m going to cut out clippings and images and do some serious visualizing!
In December I was Vlogging a little and If you would like to watch Vlogmas 2017 you can check it out HERE.
Here is my most recent Vlog. I would love your support. Please Subscribe to my channel. I truly appreciate it. It is really important to me to develop my Vlog channel this year. I love my vlog channel a lot because it shows who I am and my lifestyle. It is more rough cut editing and I my self watch more vlogs then other videos do you? I enjoy sharing parts of my life with you and I hope you feel the same way too.
I also made a Beauty Video for my Beauty Youtube Channel. If you like have a look at my most Recent Video. CHANEL NEAPOLIS
I haven’t blogged for a long time because I had the children home for two weeks and they kept me so busy. I was in the kitchen almost all day. Cooking breakfast, cleaning up, prep for lunch, cleaning up and prep for dinner. It’s a lot of time in the kitchen but I really love it. I enjoy cooking so much! It makes me truly happy to cook and feed my family. There is nothing like a home cooked meal!
A few PR samples came in the mail over the holidays and I wanted to share them with you. I’m always grateful for PR and in 2018 I’m incorporating the PR in my blog posts. I really love and enjoy mixing it up. My lifestyle and everything in my life is free flowing and I enjoy it that way. I hope you enjoy my posts better this way.
I received some lovely delicious dips for December. The family really enjoyed them. Sabra Hummus! Very yummy and thank you so much for the PR samples! How perfect are these for snacks and a party! Festive and fun!
For Christmas my husband and I bought a Nesspresso maker and we love it! The machine makes so many different coffees and also steams up the milk. It’s fabulous and we’ve been enjoying our coffee a lot. He got some stencils for coffee and sprinkled cinnamon on my coffee. How sweet is this right? He is a huge romantic! I love him more and more each day. Love makes the world go round and so does coffee.
I was kindly sent two pairs of socks and I took a photo of one pair before my phone broke down and died and I lost all my photos. Make sure you back up your phone and save your photos. On that note make sure you download your blog as well and save your blog posts, photos and info. Did you know you can do that? Thank goodness for apple care because I got a new phone. I use my phone a lot so i’m so GRATEFUL for that.
The socks that I kindly received are from * DEAD SOXY. My daughter took them from me right away and says that they are her favourite socks because they are soft, comfortable and they don’t fall down like her other socks. As you can see in the photo she loves them.
I kindly received * Neal’s Yard Remedies Essential Oils and a beautiful Book that talks about each oil and what the uses are. It explains everything and I absolutely love the oils. They are my favourite Essential oils for December. They really help relax and soothe. So good for my family’s health and wellness. I add them in the bath and in the diffuser but I also add the lavender topically on the family before bed to relax and help them sleep. We have all grown to really appreciate and love Neal’s Yard Remedies oils. My favourite one has to be the lavender and bergamot. Thank you so much to Neal’s Yard Remedies for the organic and natural oils. They are absolutely amazing and if you are thinking of buying oils I highly recommend Neal’s Yard Remedies. They are fantastic!
Avon’s New Spring items! Thank you so much AVON Canada. First Look at Spring. Exclusive Fashion, beauty and decor. Very beautiful floral patterns, bold colours and all so fresh and vibrant.
This is the *Savannah Blooms Beauty Collection. It Includes Gel Finish 7-in-1 Nail Enamel in Clover, Avon True Color Glazewear Lip Gloss in Citrus Shine, Wash-off Waterproof Mascara in Black, Avon True Colour Matte Eyeshadow Quad in “On the Vine” Flora Print Bag, fully lined. Top zip closure with the prettiest tassel pull. This set is $35.00.
Nails are Darling in Pale pink, bright orange, deep royal blue, soft mint and sunshine yellow this spring. Reminds me of pretty spring blossoms! *The yellow is in the colour “Limoncello” and the blue is in the colour “Sapphired Up” $5.99 each. Avon.ca
Last week I received a lovely package from the beautiful Julie.
Thank you so much Julie!
@trysmallthings
Julie has the most lovely blog. She kindly sent me a lovely positive and inspirational book called “Things are what you make of them. Life Advice for Creatives” by Adam J. Jurtz. Also the prettiest card and most heartfelt message, along with a beautiful and Magical Star key chain! Julie, thank you from my heart! You have filled me up with joy and your kindness radiates and is so contagious! You are so kindhearted and we are kindred spirits!
Speaking of friendship and love I kindly received this beautiful trio by Avon.ca. A cute journal that says “Kiss and Tell” a beautiful candle that smells so amazing and is super cute and sweet lipgloss shaped as lips! SO adorable! Very sweet don’t you think? Just kiss me Lip balm is oh so cute! Avon’s Valentines Day gifts are Romantic. Cute lip-shaped case holds a kiss tinted balm. Flavourless. Comes in a cute gift box. $10.00 each. Lots of Kisses Journal with 90 lined pages. faux leather. $7.99. Home Fragrance Collection “Celebrate love” candle with sparkling citrus tart berries, effervescent musks and rose petals. $12.99 each.
I’ve uploaded new artwork in my ETSY Store. I’m really loving making art at the moment. I make each piece with love and each piece is an original piece.
Thank you so much to everyone who has sent me a PR Samples. I absolutely love everything and I’m truly grateful.
I wish you all a beautiful and MAGICAL new year filled with positivity and love. May you be happy and healthy and have the best year of your life! Thank you for being supportive and so wonderful to me.
“Thomas is the researcher, and his subjects are three homeless men, all of whom claim to be messiahs—but no three people can be the one and only saviour of the world. Thomas is determined to “cure” the three men of their delusions, and in so doing save his career—and maybe even his love life. But when Thomas’s father intervenes in the experiment, events spin out of control, and Thomas must confront the voices he hears in the labyrinth of his own mind.” -Goodreads
The Novel starts with a short story about a woman that has an outer body experience and is brought back to life. For me this short story as a reader establishes many questions. One question is “Is there a God and afterlife?”
“…there will always be an unanswerable question at the core of everything; there will always be a shoe on the roof.” -Pg 283
REVIEW
Thomas Rosanoff is the main character in this Novel. His father raised him in a one way glass confinement for a psychology study. He is known as “The Boy in the Box” to many and this hinders his life. “In this second year of med school, Thomas has altered his identity, dropping his father’s surname, adopting his mother’s instead.”-pg41 In many ways I found this to be so sad and I questioned the father’s parenting skills which lacks considerably. Thomas’s mother passed away when he was younger and he searches for a memory just to feel her close again. He hears a tune in his mind but does this music connect to his mother? Time only tells. The story is simple yet complicated and layered.
Thomas doesn’t attend his classes. He no longer wants to be a doctor. He is in a relationship that doesn’t turn out and he tries to make it better. He begs his professor for a new date on his Thesis which involves three men that believe they are GOD. Thomas feels he can cure them. One of the men is his ex girlfriends brother. So he hopes to make him better and in return get her back. Each character is very well developed and I really found the “Magician” very wise.
There are some scenes that really stand out for me. Like the three Messiah characters in the Kitchen. I can’t stop laughing about how funny this would be on stage. The Magician Challenges Thomas in this book and he reminds me of the “Trickster Character” or the “Joker” in a Shakespeare Play. Wise and funny. I really like how there is a bond between the men. Like a feeling of understanding each other and a calmness when they are together. The Kitchen scene like I said before really made me laugh and I like how the “Ginsu Knife” is brought back at the end of the novel. Smart and funny!
The novel has a lot of psychological and medical terminology but not too heavy just enough to make the reader understand and also at times make the reader question “is there a God or is it just all behaviour and science?” As you can tell this book made me question many things. There are funny parts and dark parts of this story. A lot of sensitive parts as well. The novel is put together brilliantly and I really enjoyed how identity is analyzed and questioned.
I like that there isn’t’ too many characters and how well developed they are. I also like the names chosen for each character. Very biblical names like Eli and Sebastian. For example: “Eli” is a biblical figure and a Hebrew name. “In Hebrew the meaning of the name Eli is: High, ascended, or ‘my God’. Famous bearer: The Old Testament priest Eli cared for the prophet Samuel when Samuel was a child.”
I find the relationship between Thomas and his father really sad. There are many moments of identity crisis in the novel and one that stands out most is Thomas. He grew up as a study subject which I find upsetting. Thomas revisits his old bedroom he has flashbacks of when he was little. He would come up to the glass and look at it. His father would write down: “Possible narcissistic tendencies?” But Thomas wasn’t looking at himself, he was looking through himself, or trying to. He though he could see movement on the other side of the mirror. Was someone there? He still didn’t know how to answer to that.” Pg. 238
I highly recommend this book. It is funny and sad. It made me think and question a lot. It surprised me and it also had a really hopeful ending.
I give this book a 5/5 Stars!
Lines & Pages I really love
“His apartment was about to get crowded with Christs” pg. 120
“So…Eli. How did you, um, get out of your restraints?” pg. 123
“Ever seen a Ginsu Knife?” Pg. 123
“Do you know what Eli’s problem is?…No one cares about him. Only God…And if you remove that?” Pg. 191
DISLIKE
The only thing I didn’t like is the grandfather because of his beliefs on Pg . 126
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for the lovely book. I love it!
A highly unusual tale set in a highly unusual Irish village full of dark secrets…Lushly imagined, delightfully original, and very, very funny, it hurtles along from the very first page” (M.L. Stedman, author of The Light Between Oceans).
I really enjoyed reading this novel and it was easy getting attached to some characters and not so much to others. I got a clear picture of what each character is like. The writing in this novel is wonderful and flows nicely. I love the mix of humour with seriousness. I found it to have a lovely balance of mystery, romance and humour.
The story takes place in a small Irish town. The story is adventurous and made me laugh and intrigued me. The characters stirred my emotions and allowed me to feel happy, sad and at the end very content.
I really enjoyed getting to know each character. I found my self cheering on the main character Mahony from the beginning. I found my self wanting to find out what happen to his mother’s disappearance and why she left Mahony at the orphanage. I really liked some characters and annoyed by others. I truly enjoyed the mix of the living and the dead. Yes the dead! Which made it so exciting and gave an erie feel to the novel and pulled me in as a reader. Can you tell I love ghosts?
I really liked the romantic parts. It wasn’t too much. Just the right amount. The book has a great mix of dark parts and funny parts. I also enjoyed the character of Mrs. Cauley so much. She reminds me of the dancing teacher from the Gilmore Girls in a way. I absolutely love how she encouraged and stood up for Mahony many times. I feel that Mahony really needed that support. He definitely finds many connections, some are good and some are really bad. This novel is definitely worth reading.
I give this book a 4 out of 5!
*Thank you to to Simon and Schuster Canada for this lovely book.
SYNOPSIS Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.
-goodreads
MY THOUGHTS
I had to wait a few days to write a review for this novel. I needed time to recuperate.
I really like the story, it made me cry. I related to a few things. I cried like a baby and felt really sad and emotional. I was taken on a beautiful and sad journey. I would not want to read it again though…well maybe again. My mother passed away from cancer 8 years ago and I feel like I was going through all the dark emotions again. A tough read for me but a really therapeutic one. I think I want to read comedy from now on. lol
That being said, it’s a really good love story. In the beginning I find that the characters speak in a very mature way. I just don’t think teenagers speak that way. A little too mature, but I let that go and dove into the book with an open heart and mind. There are sweet, beautiful and delicate moments that are really well written. It’s a very raw story and hard to read at times only because its emotional…well for me it is… especially if you have experienced cancer from close up. I can understand why the characters questioned and challenged a lot of thoughts and emotions. Especially thoughts about life and love. I also liked how the characters pondered about afterlife.
I’ve noticed other reviews and people either like it or hate it. Some people feel the author romanticized cancer but I don’t feel that he has done that in anyway. I think that he did a wonderful job. It’s a beautiful story about love, friendship, family and existence. It is honest and heartfelt. It’s about how small details matter and how we should enjoy every minute that we have on this earth. It’s about being in the moment and cherishing what we have.
bestdayblogger.com 
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