Series August 22, 2014

Road Trip: Toronto to CT

One of my favourite things is to go where I’ve never been..

And so our road trip journey to Connecticut began.

It’s a long drive but definitely worth it. Especially if at the end destination you’re reunited with one of your best friends. You’ll need lots of snacks and a big case of water bottles. Keep the long drive interesting by keeping conversations going and maybe even throwing some mini dance parties during your drive. Don’t worry, there are lots of opportunities to stop and get food or go shopping at outlets. We passed 3 outlets and stopped at 2.

Here are some highlights and tips if you’re visiting New Haven, CT or Cape Cod, MA.

When you get to New Haven definitely visit the highest peak, East Rock. You can either hike to the top or drive. Once you’re there, the view is spectacular. Pack your lunch, because it’s a great picnic area!

You must try this breakfast place in New Haven, very close to Yale University, The Pantry! This was the most delicious breakfast I had during this trip. The Oreo pancakes were to die for! It was the best of both worlds of sweet and salty.

Cape Cod, sticking out into the Atlantic Ocean is the eastern most portion of Massachusetts. There are beaches and cute little strips of old school stores to explore. Shopping for interior items for your home is best in Chatham.

We stayed at the Ocean Club on Smugglers Beach in Cape Cod and the beach was just a short walk from our room. Everywhere we went, we noticed sculptures and signs made from sand. They kicked off the summer with these displays of sand art all around Yarmouth. You could even download a map of where they all were and go on a sand sculpture tour of your own!

The rooms have a serene nautical feel to them and it truly feels like you haven’t left the beach. With seashell paintings and side table lamps, a cute light pink kitchen by the den area and a fireplace. Looking out the balcony you can even see the ocean.

Greenwich is not too far from Cape Cod, so if you have a chance, take a short drive and have your dinner or grab some gelato at the La Fenice Gelateria.

Make the most of what’s left of our summer and go for an adventurous road trip!

Happy travels!

Food July 29, 2014

Black & White: Items for motivation

It’s easy to get into a rut and struggle with being able to do anything due to the lack of motivation you’re feeling.

Whether it’s because you’re not feeling well, working hard 9-5 and have the burn out blues or just plain old lazy.

When lacking motivation I like to set up my desk area with things that will motivate me and give me that extra energy or push to get my mind back into full swing.

Smoothie for thought

Find ingredients that’ll give you a burst of energy. Here’s a recipe I came up with:

Handful of blueberries
2 ice cubes
1 teaspoon of chia seeds
1 and half mango cut into cubes
half a cup of milk

Put everything into your blender (I used my magic bullet) and blend away! Instant energy booster.

I love staying up to date with Fashion and the most current trends. I’ve subscribed to some of my favourite magazines and when I have a chance I sit down and read them all. A lot of the times some of the articles spark ideas and I go on a photo and writing frenzy.

Scents can really wake you up! Whether it’s a fragrance or a scented candle. I love Guerlain! My Insolence isn’t everyone’s cup of tea because of its unique scent, but fresh flowers is a good alternative.

Writing down your ideas and starting a brainstorming session makes a huge difference. I have a few notebooks where I keep all of my ideas. One of my favourites is a moleskin notebook. I keep one in my purse at all times. It’s great for when you come up with an idea on the go. Writing it down vs typing it in your phone feels a lot safer, private and can trigger even more ideas. I’m pen happy, so it works for me.

What gives you instant energy and motivation?

Friday Faves July 12, 2014

Friday Faves: Free Your Mind

I apologize in advance for this “after Friday” post. I had it ready to be posted but got really busy hosting a dinner last night. It’s been a busy week as usual. Between filming my next YouTube video, writing the post to go with it, Ramadan, preparing for my sisters upcoming wedding festivities and my full time job. This week I came across many images, posts and experiences that really made me think of the meaning of “Free Your Mind”.

Pause for a second and think about what that really means to you. What’s the first thing you think of? I don’t know about you, but my mind races to think of many things.

Free your mind of negativity, Free your mind of what the media says, Free your mind of worry… I can go on. Here are my faves that can help you free your mind and see things differently.

Fave strong message to spread awareness:

Don’t believe everything you hear in the news. It’s so hard to come by real news. I think since the peak of social media and so many varieties of it, like video, blogging and image databases it has been easier for people to seek the truth and seek the real news on their own. At least for those who want to find it. I’m all for research and spending hours trying to un-code from what is real and not real. With our time on this earth, we shouldn’t fill our minds with garbage and instead free our minds to have our own voice, our own opinions and do our part to spread awareness in every mean possible. This brings me to my fave strong message. Over the years I’ve seen a small group of people in my Facebook friends list who have been following the ~~war~~ genocide on Gaza with all of their hearts, minds and souls. One of them who even took a trip there and witnessed things that we will never get to see through media today. I watched, I listened, posted links on my Facebook wall, which sadly would get 2-3 likes compared to pictures of my cat Beep, that would get 100’s of likes.

I get it, some people feel helpless so they turn away and figure, “well we can’t do anything about it!”. That’s where you’re wrong. Free your mind from thinking that and you’ll see how much you can do. I appreciated seeing my Facebook news feed full of people voicing their opinions on what is happening in Gaza, with images, videos, blog posts and profile picture changes. Thank you to each and every one of you for taking the time to educate, direct and help people see the real heart wrenching media of the ~~war~~ genocide happening in Gaza.

There are a lot of variables within this conflict between Palestinians and the Israeli Government. I by no means wish to say the solution to this conflict resides with only the Palestinians goals achieved. The answer will undoubtedly consist of a two state solution with peace for both sides. However, on the road to this end goal, there should be absolutely no room for the collective punishment/genocide of either side.

Do your research and always seek the truth.

SIGN THE PETITION TO HELP STOP THE ~~WAR~~ GENOCIDE IN GAZA.Fave Illustrations:

I came across a post of empowering illustrations of women and everyday struggles they have of wanting to be free of what society says they should do with themselves. The illustrations are by Carol Rossetti. Confidence to be who you want to be, to be yourself, is something you should never lose sight of. Some can get caught up with what society thinks is cool or hot and start to mimic what others do or how others live their lives and totally lose sight of their own unique ways that made them special in the first place. What’s cool and hot is to be YOU. Your unique self shines brighter than being a carbon copy of someone else.

This illustration stood out to me because I can relate. I love heels! For the longest time I was self concious to wear heels around my girlfriends to events because I felt as if I was too tall. I was always told tall girls don’t wear heels, because heels are for those who want to be taller. I have freed my mind with what people use to tell me. I wear the highest of heels whenever I please. I won’t lie, it has made it easier to wear them with pride now that I have a partner for life who is 6’4.

Fave quote:

I experienced two situations this week that I hope no one has to witness. Nothing drastic or mind blowing to the average person. However, for me.. it definitely boggles my mind. One situation where I witnessed someone make hurtful remarks to another and another where their attitude and intentions were not in the right place. A place of negativity and hate. I handled both situations with peace and kind words. After all, if we did the same thing back then we wouldn’t be making the world a better place for ourselves and our future generations to come.

Lesson here is, if you find yourself in a situation where you see someone is being hurt instead of rolling up your sleeves and hitting them, which by all means I can do with my kick boxing skills. Don’t. Kill them with kindness. Smile and proceed in a kind manner. Chances are, you may have left that person re-thinking what they did and hopefully in the future they would feel ridiculous and awful to repeat it again.

“Be in charge of your mind and feed it with good.” – Hum JK

Style June 26, 2014

F L E U R

Silk and F L E U R from head to toe…

Dress: Designed by me – Inspiration: Spring/Summer 2014 Floral (F L E U R) prints from the runway
Flower Crown: DIY

Beauty June 26, 2014

The Guide to Contouring For Different Face Shapes [Beauty]

Have you ever looked at images of actresses with and without make-up and wondered why they look so different?

Of course a bit of lipstick and blush can transform your face and instantly make you look more alive. But contouring is what really changes the way you look. Contouring is this years beauty buzzword. It can give the illusion of a smaller or bigger nose, high cheek bones, sharp jaw line or change your face shape entirely (which I don’t recommend).

I believe contouring and highlighting should enhance your looks, the natural shape of your face and bring out features that you adore. Many people have learnt the basics of contouring and haven’t researched further to learn that there is a contouring technique specific to your face shape.

SQUARE

The common characteristics of a square shape face are:

Your jawline is square
Cheekbone and forehead width are the same
Jawline and forehead width are the same
The sides of your face are straight

You may not have all of these characteristics and may have a mix of two face shapes. Some people have long square faces as opposed to wide square faces.

Famous Square Faces: Miranda Kerr, Angelina Jolie and Olivia Wilde

Contouring a Square Face

You can keep contouring to a minimum for this face shape. Most people focus on near the outer corners of the hairline. You can also apply contour along the jaw to soften it. Contour the corners of your face to slim your face and give the illusion of a softer edge. Add highlight to your forehead and chin to give your face some more dimension.

Remember to always use a foundation/concealer for contouring that is one or two shades darker than your skin and one or two shades lighter for your highlighter.

OVAL

Characteristics of an oval face:

Forehead is wider than the chin
Prominent cheekbones
Face gracefully tapers to a narrow oval chin

Famous Oval Faces: Megan Fox, Halle Berry and Rihanna

Contouring an Oval Face

Minimum contouring is needed with this face shape. You can apply highlighter to the forehead, chin and cheeks for more dimension. Some like to apply contouring make-up to their cheekbones to create the illusion of high cheek bones or angles. You can contour areas the way you please, like your nose and cheekbones. To contour the nose draw along both sides of the nose and below the tip. You can also lightly sweep product along your jaw line to give the illusion of a longer, slimmer jaw.

Tip: Suck in your cheeks and apply product to the hollow of your cheek line.

DIAMOND

Characteristics of a diamond face:

Cheekbones are the widest part of your face and are usually high and pointed
Your forehead may be wide but it tapers at the hairline
A longer face than it is wide

Famous Diamond Faces: Kourtney Kardashian, Linda Evangelista and Meg Ryan

Contouring a Diamond Face

The cheekbones are the highest part of you face. Contouring your cheekbones can make your face appear more even. By adding highlight to your chin and forehead, it will elongate these areas.

HEART

Characteristics of a heart face:

Your forehead and jawline are a similar width in appearance
Face is longer than it is wide and has a wide width
Your cheek line and the sides of your face taper into your jawline

Famous Heart Faces: Reese Witherspoon and Ashley Olsen

Contouring a Heart Face

A heart shape face generally has a prominent chin and cheekbones. Try to keep contouring to a minimum so you don’t end up emphasizing these features when they don’t need to be. Your face will look pointy if you enhance these areas too much. Contour along the hair line and a bit beneath your cheekbone. Highlight a little on your chin and forehead. Dot on for minimum application.

OBLONG

Characteristics of an oblong face:

Chin is pointed
Your face is longer than it is wider
The forehead and jawline are a similar width in appearance
Sides of your face and cheek lines are straight
Your forehead is tall and wide

Famous Oblong Faces: Sarah Jessica Parker and Kate Winslett

Contouring an Oblong Face

Emphasize under the cheekbone area, forehead and below the jawline. Highlight cheek area where dimension is needed and spot on a little on top of the chin and forehead.

Tip: Always blend your highlighted and contoured areas so that it looks very natural. Avoid harsh lines.

Marketing June 20, 2014

Online Community Manager Tips

Online Community Manager: a growing and developing profession. People in this position work to build, grow and manage online communities around a brand or cause.*

I was recently approached by Sprout Social to be interviewed for their Community Manager Tips segment for their blog and to be shared on their various social platforms. Here are my quick tips:

Sprout Social is a social media management tool created to help businesses find new customers & grow their social media presence. With all of the platforms out there I must say that this platform is not only aesthetically pleasing but has everything you need to successfully manage your social media presence. I’m using the free trial now and so far, really good!

If you’re considering to be an Online Community Manager, I’d follow this check list to see if you have the skills and are prepared to take on this role.

1. PATIENCE – You need a lot of it. Building a community takes time and instant gratification.. well there’s really no room for that. You’ll see smaller gratifying interactions at first within the community you’re building and eventually will see it grow into a bigger community. With time it will become easier to attract more people. Be creative, have fun and people will follow!

2. WEARING MULTIPLE HATS – Often those who are online community managers are social media managers and manage other online marketing aspects of their companies. Sometimes it works, especially since the same online voice and information flows through all the online avenues. Your followers can pick up on it. But in some cases, especially if you have a large community it can hurt your companies growth. Investing in someone to focus on one crucial aspect of your social presence, be it your tweets/posts or building a community, works in the companies benefit. More time to brainstorm new fresh ideas and more time to create compelling content.

3. ANALYTICAL – Decisions you make as a community manager are usually based on data you have gathered through your social media. Whether it was a post that was worded differently and it got more views or if it was a tweet or post directed to a specific demographic. If you can understand that data and action it for the benefit of your community. Then my friend, you’ll do just great!

4. STRONG WRITING SKILLS – You’ll be writing a few sentences or one sentence post/tweets that will have to hold a STRONG message. Can you do that? Can you send a STRONG message to your brand/companies community that will impact them?

5. ONLINE PRESENCE – Do you have a Twitter, LinkedIN, Instagram, Google+ or better yet a blog? Because if you don’t then this role isn’t right for you. Create a colourful online presence as it shows dedication and your passion for this role.

What social media managing tool do you use and what do you love the most about it?

*Wikipedia definition

Series June 17, 2014

Bermuda: Planning a Girls Trip

My girl friends and I like to try and squeeze in a trip a year into our busy schedules so we can get some quality time with one another. This year we chose Bermuda. It was a short trip, but definitely worth it.

We’ve gone on so many trips in the past that doing research, buying tickets and organizing the entire trip has become a lot easier over the years. One of the things I’ve noticed as my typical keyword search to help us decide on a destination is “name of the place” girls trip itinerary. The search results for these keywords are weak. Either there isn’t much raw content out there in this category or I need to step up my keyword search game. Which ever it may be, I’m adding to the data pool!

Length of Trip: 3.5 Days

Day 1

Settle into your resort, villa or house : This could take up your entire morning depending on where you stay. The bermudans love to talk and they’re very kind. You have two options when deciding where to stay. You can stay near downtown, or what Bermudans call the suburbs, countryside. The distance from countryside to downtown is usually less than 30 mins. The south side of Bermuda, Hamilton to the Dockyards I think is where the prettier water is. Although surprisingly Horseshoe Bay Beach had a stunning view.

You’ll need to travel around Bermuda and I think the best way is by scooter. Bus transportation takes too long, from what I read in reviews and cabs can get pricey. If you haven’t ever rode a scooter before, please take it easy. I’ve heard and witnessed enough scooter accidents that lead to death or close to it. Be confident and stay within the speed limit. Or just ride behind someone like I did. I didn’t do so well on a scooter in Cuba so didn’t want to take any chances. Call a scooter rental place and have them meet you at your place of stay or a restaurant. The people at Oleander Cycles were very nice and patient. We’ve ridden scooters in Jamaica, Cuba and some of us in Goa but after a few months you still need some practice and direction before you head onto the road.

Everyone drives on the left side of the road in Bermuda and key thing to remember is if you’re being honked at, they’re just saying Hello! The speed limit is 35-40kph, so it’s not because you’re going too slow. From one point of the island to the other side takes about 45 mins to 1 hour.

Day 2

Rent your own boat and go out on the water and do some coral reef and island hopping!
We packed up a cooler for a whole day trip and rented our boat from H2O sports.

Although we were really tired we still made a trip Downtown and had dinner at Pearl, which is inside Port O Call. It was great sushi!

Day 3

We rode our scooters to the dockyards where cruise ships stop, where you can find cute shops and restaurants as well. After that we made a trip to the Horseshoe Bay beach which is known as the most popular beach in Bermuda. Make sure you climb the big rock beside the hidden cove near the entrance of the beach. The views are spectacular from up there.

Later that evening we went back downtown and enjoyed an evening at Cafe Cairo. For those of you who love hookah, you can order it there.

Check out my vlog I posted to my YouTube channel. Hit subscribe ;”) :

Motivation June 10, 2014

Monday Lift Me Ups!

Waking up from a busy weekend, long weekend, tiring weekend.. you know what kind of weekend I’m talking about here. Those weekends that you haven’t recovered from and you barely get up for Monday.

If you’re having one of those Mondays, here are some quick lift me ups:

I asked my husband what would lift you up on a Monday, he replied “you would..” I laughed and asked again “Seriously! What?!” He replied with the same answer.

1. End of Monday plans.

At the end of your busy day, make plans with someone who will lift your spirits. Someone who will make you laugh and forget that it’s Monday.

2. Scents.

Certain scents can change your mood. Light a scented candle. Preferably soy or home made. The best scents to put you in a happy place are lemon, ginger, rose and jasmine. If you’re not a candle person or allergic, try burning oils.

3. Treat yourself!

It can be anything! Like your favourite food, new clothes, buying flowers or how about go for a manicure or a pedicure. What a great way to start your week!

4. Music for your soul.

Classy jazz puts me in a great mood. Everyone needs some “sha-ba doop-dah-dah doo-da” now and then. Whatever music you know would jog your memory of good times would do for Monday blues.

5. Make-up!

I am certain a bright lipstick, eye shadow or nails will pick you up instantly! Go for a bright red or fuchsia lip colour. For eyes, highlighting the inner rim of your eye with gold, yellow or turquoise does the trick.

Friday Faves May 31, 2014

Friday Faves: Feel the love!

What a beautiful Friday! The weather is amazing. It’s sweltering hot outside and I’m 5 days away from being in Bermuda! I have some pretty awesome videos and posts coming up, so don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel and Like my Facebook page to be the first to know. ;”)

Here are my Friday Faves that really made me feel the love for education, fashion, life and Coca-Cola.

Fave App & Website:

How many of you remember Reading Rainbow? It went off air a few years ago but now it’s back in a new way! Now there’s a Reading Rainbow application that you can download to your phone and tablet. Levar Burton is advancing with the new generation and bringing his love of books to life through technology today.

Check out the website here and here’s the video:

Fave YouTube Video:

Watching some YouTube videos and I found this one! Who doesn’t love parody videos? The babies are so cute and kudos to the parents for putting all of this together. After watching this one, I went over to the comments and saw RIP Connie and found a video about one of the mom’s in the parody video passed away due to giving birth to her second child. My heart and prayers go out to that family.

Fave pin:

I love Denis Gagnon’s designs.

denis gagnon 2013 — One of my favourite Canadian designers, Denis Gagnon.

Fave Movie:

Found out about this movie this week and I can’t wait to watch it! The story of YSL.

Fave Marketing Strategy:

I love what Coca-Cola did here. They’re filling a want by helping people connect with their loved ones. In return they’re affiliating that love and gratitude for their service into a long term love for the Coca-Cola brand. You know they’ll be reaching for a Coca-cola as opposed to Pepsi because of this added on benefit.

Series May 30, 2014

The Latest Technology event at EFS

GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH THE LATEST TECH

This was a great opportunity for tech fanatics like myself to try out some of the most awesome latest technology on the market.

On Thursday May 22nd, The ADCC (The Advertising & Design Club of Canada) brought us closer to technology that we don’t commonly see here. When I was in New York for Social Media week, which the venue happened to be around the corner to the Google head quarters, I saw Google glasses on people everywhere. Here in Toronto, never.

Here’s the list of what we got to try:

Oculus Rift
Google Glass
Leap Motion
Kinect
Bubl
Makerbot

Some of these toys you may never have heard of, so let me break it down for you.

Oculus Rift

This I thought was pretty cool. I know this technology has been in the works for quite a while now. But now it’s ready for pre-order! On their site, the Oculus Rift is best known as the next-generation of virtual reality technology.

So I didn’t try this one on, because I was one of the last people to do so. Those of you who know me, I’m a bit of a germaphobe. It’s the end of the day, a hot day, people sweat, break out… you know where I’m going with this. Anyways, they had a tv screen set up to show people waiting to try the Oculus Rift what the viewer was experiencing. I’m impressed. I wonder if xbox, playstation and other consoles are looking into adapting such technology into their future upgrades? Hmmm.. or will Oculus Rift bypass them all with their very own console?

Google Glass

Some people hate it, some people love it and then some are just disappointed. I was disappointed. This technology I was really hyped up to try because of all the buzz that was going around about it, ever since the designs first leaked and it launched for sale.

One of the things I noticed was how many times the person managing the Google glass area had to charge its battery. Hmm.. if the Google glass has battery issues, what an epic fail at being able to wear them for long periods of time.

When I finally tried it on, it took awhile getting use to figuring out how to navigate through the glass. So you swipe the side arm of the glasses left to right to scroll through different apps like games, camera, calendar etc. I thought there would be touch sensor buttons. Okay, swipe it is.

I was wearing the glasses for 5 mins. I played badminton and scrolled through the main screen. When I took them off I felt dizzy and off balance. Which made me realize, this entire time my one eye was dormant, while the other looking at the glass worked super hard to play that game of badminton. This technology scares me when I think about the future of eye health or how ridiculous I looked, looking at something that other people couldn’t see.
It’s one thing if you’re at home, playing a video game on your Oculus Rift, but can you imagine outdoors, when you’re with friends or while you’re out and about.

It’s bad enough we are addicted to our smartphones and look away from the person whose talking to us to sneak a peek, now we’ll have that distraction on our heads. I’m not sure about my love for Google glass all of a sudden.

Check out Engadget’s review on Google Glass:

Leap Motion

Many products already have leap motion installed into them. With a wave of a hand, you can use your Mac or PC in a whole new way for games, design, and more. The Leap Motion 3D Controller senses your hands moving naturally.

Kinect

This technology is old news for me. You can find this with xbox 360 consoles and probably own it or have seen it at your friends place. Kinect brings games and entertainment to life without using a controller.

Old news, but still pretty awesome that we are now forced to get up off our feet and really get into video games. Moving items in the games with our motions and getting a great workout too!

Bubl

Newest technology for taking pictures and videos. The design allows the 4, 190º lenses to overlap capturing everything inside a digital bubl. It’s even small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. I’m excited about this one! Bubl, I can’t wait to own you!

Makerbot

Say hello to the new standard in desktop 3D printing, engineered with the professional designer in mind.

There are so many 3D printers out there now, but now you have one that is small and can sit right on top of your desk.

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About

Toronto Lifestyle Blogger
I love Sushi and BBQ, just not together. I'm a mom of two, I love to travel, obsessed with the cosmetics industry and we can have a very geeky conversation about Social Media Marketing and I promise you'll learn something new. I also founded many small businesses that you'll learn about the more you get to know me. Visit any of my social pages to connect or directly via email hihumjk @ gmail.com

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