The answer to that is, quite literally, nowhere. As with everyone else, Covid-19 has thrown a wrench in so many of my plans for 2020 (like my resolution to visit three new countries) and I’m trying to adjust to the “new normal”. I’d be lying if I said it was easy. I’ve spent a lot of time reading, playing Animal Crossing, and nelecting my poor little blog. It’s hard to blog when you can’t travel, go out to eat, or go shopping. Thankfully now we are allowed to do those things (with limitations, of course) so I’m hoping to get back to writing. To catch you up, here’s the latest on my life..

We are STAYcationing this year! We’ve moved our October 2020 cruise on the Celebrity Equinox to a new, unknown as of now date in 2022 (we already have another cruise booked for Fall 2021, vaccine-pending). We figured we may as well take advantage of being forced to stay at home and actually get out to enjoy our province this summer. We are heading on a 5-day staycay (or shall I say… “baycay”) very soon and I can’t wait to share it on the blog. As of right now, we are planning to travel to Twillingate and the Rocky Harbour area so if anyone has any recommendations, I’d love to hear them! We are also planning a trip to Ferryland to have a lighthouse picnic and an overnight in St. John’s to celebrate our wedding anniversary (where did that year go?!). We’ve already visited Trinity and Port Rexton for the first of many trips to come this summer.

Port Rexton Brewery

We are tackling some home projects. Nothing major, but we are currently in the process of getting our house fully painted. We’ve hired a professional for the main area and we’ve been tackling the other rooms slowly but surely. We have one bedroom left to go in the basement apartment and then it will be complete. We are hoping to sell this house within the next year or so and a new coat of paint makes it look so fresh and clean. Once we sell this house, I can’t wait to take you guys along on the process of building our “forever home”! This house was only meant to be a short-term plan and we have so many ideas for our next home. Step one: we need to figure out where we want to build it.

Mug from Ethereal Boutique

I’ve done a lot of shopping lately. I’ve been trying to support local businesses during this tough time, but I’ve also bought quite a few new items for summer. I’m planning to do an Instagram story post as soon as our living situation is back to normal. I’ve also become an East Coast Mermaid rep for the Sandy Toes Shop. Do yourself a favour and go check them out – they have the cutest line of east coast/beach life apparel. Plus, the tank tops are so soft and comfortable. I have a feeling I’ll be living in them all summer long!

East Coast Mermaid tank from Sandy Toes Shop

I think that’s all the news I have for now! What’s new with you guys? Leave a comment below!

What I Bought in January 2020

January isn’t normally a month where I buy a lot of unnecessary items. Given that it falls right after Christmas, I usually don’t need anything or have any money left to shop. However, we actually made some big purchases this year. Obviously I’m not doing this to brag or whatever (I hate that I have to say that at the beginning). I personally just find these posts interesting & helpful! Post contains affiliate links.

1. First of all, if you follow me on Instagram then you know I picked up this adorable hat which was locally made and looks like it cost way more than it did! Give her a follow on Facebook and enter her contest to win one of your own! Or you know, just buy one.
2. We’ve needed a new sofa for a long, long time. Our animals absolutely destroyed our other sofa over the past five years but I really didn’t want to shell out the money for another one, especially as we paid a lot for the first one. Long story short.. we found a good deal on this one and bit the bullet. While I was initially quite resistant, I’m now very happy about it. Also, I don’t care if they are trendy or not – I don’t think I’ll ever not have a sectional. They are my favourite.
3. If that wasn’t enough, we picked up a kitchen island as well. We first seen it at a friends house and actually thought they had it built, only to discover it was from Canadian Tire! It doesn’t match our kitchen so I’ve debated painting it but regardless, it gives us some extra storage space as well as counter space. Plus the leaf is extendable, which makes it great for parties. We bought it on sale and it’s totally worth the price. It feels much more expensive than it is! For Living Kitchen Island.
4. I bought snowshoes (not this exact pair) from a coworker, however, I haven’t used them yet. Good intentions, bad follow through. Here is a similar pair from Amazon.
5. I accidentally bought the regular Marcelle Face Powder when I meant to buy the illuminating version. I also accidentally bought it in shade “medium”. Surprisingly, it actually works as it’s still quite transparent, even on my ghost-like skin. You get a ton of product here – I’m convinced I’ll be using it for the rest of my life. So far I like it but I still want to try the glowy version.
6. The L’Oreal Pro Glow foundation has been around for a while but it has taken me this long to try it. I love the Pro Matte version and I had high hopes but my initial thoughts were disappointing. I will definitely be testing it out again so fingers crossed that the second time is a charm!
7. I can’t even find the NYX Bare With Me Primer on their own site and I’m not sure why as I believe it’s a new product. There is a jelly version, however, this is the regular non-jelly primer. I’ve only used it once yet as I’m trying to finish my other primer first.
8. I was also in need of a new concealer, so I grabbed the Essence Camouflage + Matt Concealer for a change. This isn’t available on Amazon Canada so if you’re curious, go to your local Shoppers Drug Mart. It costs $5 or less and so far, I really like it.
9. Not pictured, but I also picked up a few items at the thrift store. I’m planning to show those on Instagram soon, so follow me there if you are interested!

Okay, that’s it for January! If there’s anything that you’d like to see a review on, leave me a comment below. Most of the makeup (except the powder), I haven’t really used it as I’m trying to finish up my other products first (nearly there!). Also let me know if you like this type of post or not! I like to keep track of my purchases and share my thoughts & opinions so I’d totally be down for continuing this each month if you guys are interested.

April 2018 Favourites

This post contains affiliate links.

“Outlander” by Diana Gabaldon | I’ve had a few people recommend this series to me, but it wasn’t until my mother received the first book for Christmas that I decided to pick it up. Despite the length of the book (nearly 900 pages!), I devoured it and immediately ordered the second book from Amazon. The books have also been made into a TV show which is available on Netflix. Each season corresponds to each book so Jordan and I just finished watching the first season. Can we just talk about how Sam Heughan is the perfect actor for the character of Jamie? I’m eagerly working my way through the second novel now so that we can watch season two.

Flamingo Coffee Mug | I walked away from this mug a couple of times because I kept telling myself that I didn’t need yet another mug until finally I bit the bullet and bought it. I’m a self-proclaimed mug collector and the flamingos as well as the pink and green colors of this one makes it perfect for spring.

Espresso Maker | We spent a long time debating an espresso machine and in fact, I nearly bought a Nespresso at Winners a couple weeks ago. After a lot of back and forth, we hopped on Amazon and purchased this one. We figured it would be a good starter machine and the reviews were excellent. Thus far, we have been really pleased with our decision! My waist line may regret it though, as we’ve been making lattes every day since this arrived.

Bonavista Coffee Company | After ordering the espresso machine, we had to pick up some espresso beans. Because I love supporting local and also because this packaging is to die for, I chose these from the Bonavista Coffee Company. To be honest, I can’t really compare the taste to anything else as I’ve never tried any other espresso beans but I would absolutely purchase these again.

Laneige Multiberry Yogurt Repairing Mask | Prior to receiving my new skincare order from the Sephora VIB Sale, I was using this mask nearly every night. While the instructions state to rinse this mask off after 5-10 minutes, I was using it as a sleeping mask. My skin was quite dry at the time and this left it feeling moisturized and plump in the morning, without any greasy residue. For the price, I highly recommend this one! It smells super yummy too.

Revlon Colorstay Brow Kit * | I was surprised by this product as I’ve never used a wax/powder brow product before. It seemed cumbersome and time-consuming but it has since become my go-to! It’s actually quite easy to use and doesn’t take any longer than any other brow product. I love how the brush creates a sharp edge while still creating a natural-looking brow. The color match is pretty decent for blonde hair too! A lot of brow products tend to be really warm but this is a nice, natural blonde.

Revlon PhotoReady Insta-Filter Foundation * | I added this one to the list because I love the formula but I have to be honest and say that I hate the packaging. Revlon kindly sent me a few different colors so this isn’t the exact one that I am using because mine has the sponge-tipped applicator ripped off. I’m not sure why but the twist-pump action didn’t work so the only way I can get the product out is to shake it out on to my beauty blender. However, the formula and color match is great! Honestly, it wears better than my high-end foundation. It provides medium-full coverage and lasts pretty well through a 12-hour shift. I just wish they would change it to a pump dispenser!

Physician’s Formula Butter Highlighter in “Rose Gold”| As a huge fan of the Butter Bronzer, I was so excited to get my hands on the Butter Highlighter. Unfortunately, this shade is way too dark to be used as a highlighter on my pale skin. Instead, I’ve been using it for an easy eye look! It blends out seamlessly and provides a gorgeous gold wash of color on the lid.

What are your favourite products for April? Leave a comment or link below!

*PR sample provided

Disney "All That Glitters" Specialty Paint

We’ve been living in this house for nearly four years and I’ve hated the color in our master bathroom for 95% of that time. Yes, I chose it when we built the house but I quickly regretted it. We built a “turn-key” home and we were allowed five paint colors in our price. I chose this green as an accent wall in the living room and I felt like I needed to use it on another room as well, hence why it ended up in our bathroom. Long story short, I couldn’t stand it any longer and finally repainted it this past weekend.

Before

Along with that, someone I know recently posted a picture of glitter paint on their Instagram stories. Of course, I had to find out about this magical paint! Turns out that it was the Disney All That Glitters specialty finish by CIL. I was immediately sold and ran to my local Walmart to pick up a can. The can of paint retails for $30 for a quart (946mls) but we had only planned to use it on one wall in the bathroom so that was plenty. We chose a color called “lilac grey” as the base and for the other walls of the bathroom. As it turns out, it was actually more lilac and less grey, but that’s fine by me!

After

After applying two coats of primer and paint, I had to allow it to dry overnight before attempting the glitter wall. The glitter paint appears to be a cloudy white color in the can. It also changes the color of your wall initially but does dry clear, so don’t fret! The instructions say to paint 18″x18″ sections of wall at a time, then refill the roller. I loosely followed the instructions; painting in small areas while using the roller in all directions. However, the bulk of the glitter applied in the spot that I first touched the brush to the wall. It was very difficult to “roll out” the glitter and as a result, it looks chunkier in some areas and more sparse in others.

Disney “All That Glitters” Paint (flash)

I applied four coats of the glitter before I called it quits. It looks okay, but it’s definitely not like the thick glittered walls that you see on Facebook or Pinterest. The glitter is iridescent and shifts from a green-pink-purple-blue depending on the light. It also looks more prominent under artificial light than in daylight.

Disney “All That Glitters” paint (artificial light)

Disney “All That Glitters” Paint (natural light)

Overall, I do really like it but if you are looking for bold glitter, look elsewhere. For the cost of the product and the effort that it takes to apply, it is fine for a small area but overall not a fantastic buy. That being said, I am 100% more pleased with my bathroom now that it is repainted. The light color has made it feel so bright & airy! I think we are going to tackle the main bathroom next, albeit without glitter.

Have you ever tried glitter paint before?

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