Loving Lately

Hello there! I thought I’d share a few things that have been making me happy lately :)

My Favorite Murder Podcast

It may seem a bit macabre to start this list off with something that has “murder” in the title, but I’ve been listening to this podcast SO much lately that I had to give it first place.Here's a short description of what it’s all about:“Ready yourself for a murder adventure hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, two lifelong fans of true crime stories. Each episode the girls tell each other their favorite tales of murder, and hear hometown crime stories from friends and fans. Check your anxiety at the door, 'cause Karen & Georgia are dying to discuss death.”I think my fascination with true crime started with the Serial podcast, was enhanced by the Netflix series Making a Murderer, and has now culminated in My Favorite Murder. It doesn’t get any better than this! I love the two hosts, Georgia and Karen, because they are hilarious badass bitches. They start each podcast off with relatable banter - which often makes me laugh out loud like a crazy person - and they’re just such good story tellers. They started this podcast very recently, and already have a growing fanbase of “murderinos”. Listen to one episode and you’ll be hooked. I listen to them on my walk to and from work, and it makes it so much more enjoyable!

Overnight Oats

This is adult-ing 101 people! I have to get up really early for work these days, so any prep work I can do the night before helps immensely. Would I rather spend 5 minutes making breakfast, or would I rather spend it by having a spiritual experience with my coffee? Coffee. The right answer is always coffee.I stumbled upon “overnight oats” recipes on Pinterest (as one does), and thought they’d be an easy enough addition to my night-before prep sessions. They don’t take that long to prepare, and the flavour pay-off is AMAZING! Overnight oats are so much creamier than microwaved oatmeal - it feels like I’m eating dessert for breakfast.All you have to do is throw together oats, milk of choice (I use vanilla almond milk), chia seeds (optional), fruit/nuts/dates/seeds, and honey into a bowl or tupperware container (or mason jar if you’re into that), and refrigerate overnight or for 4-6 hours. I put enough milk so that the oats are saturated completely, and then a little more. Chia seeds soak up liquid like crazy.If you are looking for some ACTUAL recipes, and flavour inspiration check out this helpful and fantastic post!

Workout Classes and Fitbit Blaze

I have always had a really hard time with finding the motivation to exercise. I definitely go through cycles, and I think I’ve been trying to lose 5 lbs for the past ten years of my life (no matter what my weight is at the time). I’ve decided to actively work on changing my negative outlook by working on both my mental and physical health.Lately I’ve been loving workout classes. Normally I like to exercise with a YouTube video in the privacy of my living room, but getting out there and joining classes has really made a big difference in motivating me to stick with it. I should also note that the workout classes I go to are totally off-the-wall bonkers. I’ve tried Electric Yoga and Soul Cycle, and I think I’m addicted to the crazy. Because it is crazy. When you’re in a dark room with electronic dance music pumping, and your instructor is yelling “Are you READY? YES OR YES???”…you slowly become crazy too. :)My Fitbit blaze is also an encouraging tool. I’ve stopped entering calories on the Fitbit app (I became a little too obsessed), but I do use it to try and get to 10,000 steps every day. I also love that if I’ve been sitting for too long, it nudges me to take a short walk. I didn’t realize how much of the day I spent sitting at my desk before I started wearing my Fitbit regularly!The best part about wearing my Fitbit all the time, is that I can now justify investing in different straps for it. Currently I just use the the boring black waterproof strap that it came with, but I’d love a brown or grey leather strap to wear casually on days when I’m not exercising. Funny how I can turn every conversation/subject back to fashion and accessories :)

Enjoying Toronto More

Lately I’ve been spending less time being a homebody and more time enjoying my city. Here are a few of the things I’ve done lately:

• I visited the Vintage Show at Exhibition Place with my cousin, and shopped til I dropped. We had such a lovely time getting to know the vendors and playing dress up with beautiful vintage clothing and accessories. We went from stall to stall and I picked up a vintage trench coat, a fancy swing jacket, a 50’s fit and flare cocktail dress, and a black fur collar. I can’t wait to show them off on the blog!
• With the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s youth discount program (TSOUNDCHECK), I think I’m able to go to the symphony at least once or twice a month now. I love getting a little dressed up, and the concerts are always outstanding. I took my family to go watch opera singer Renee Flemming, and then shortly after attended an ABBA experience concert - how cool! Next week my brother and I will be going to the Tim Burton themed performance for Halloween!

• My best friend and I went to Fashion Night at Friday Night Live at the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum). Friday Night Live is such a unique Toronto experience, and I encourage everyone to go at least once!

The museum opens up after hours, and includes a host of live music, cool DJs, trendy food vendors, and a bar. You can dance with the dinosaurs, and explore some of the exhibits :) Each Friday has a different theme - we attended “Fashion Night” and saw several designers displaying their beautiful wares. Everyone in attendance was dressed to the nines in accordance with the theme, and it was really cool to see Toronto turn out in their best outfits!Tickets are only $15, and it’s a great party - I much prefer it to going out to any bar or club. I loved seeing the exhibits at night too, it’s almost as if they could come alive ;)

• Casa Loma: Legends of Horror. My family will be going to Casa Loma for Halloween, to experience the haunted house theme they’ve put on! It’s an incredible venue for a haunted house, and I’m excited to be scared out of my boots :) Eek!

Thanks for reading, and I’d love to hear any suggestions you have in the comments! Do you have a good breakfast prep recipe you use? Any Toronto events I shouldn’t miss? xoxo