Dear Diary

I complain about winter lasting too long every year, but even I can’t deny the magic of that feeling when the temperature first drops. The thing is, Summer and sunshine is by far my favourite, but they do tend to go hand-in-hand with a certain level of guilt about staying indoors. Though cabin fever will eventually strike, for now it feels good to have a reason to cuddle up and get cozy instead of sucking up every second outside.

Tea Time //

Warm drinks are without a doubt one of my favourite things about cooler weather, and since coffee seems to stoke my anxiety if I drink too much, I tend to stick to tea. Last Fall we had the pleasure of collaborating with Sloane Fine Tea Merchants on a custom blend exclusively for Shop RAOP. With soft floral notes of lavender, rose, and the fruit-loop flavour of bergamot, it’s a truly dreamy black tea that we suggest you serve with milk and honey! Shop it here. We also highly recommend the dreamy SMEG Electric Kettle – Pastel Pink to elevate your tea time!

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Cozy Clothing //

Working from home gives us the unique opportunity to wear pyjamas all day long if we want to, and though I find getting dressed up generally leads to more productivity, sometimes you have those days where you just have to stay cozy! This Mae Short Sleeve PJ Set is just what the doctor ordered – affordable, easy to wash, and the softest fabric ever! I’m also completely obsessed with heated slippers (yes, that’s a thing) and when I saw Narwhal Heated Slippers I simply couldn’t resist.

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Self Care //

Tis’ the season for upping your self-care game, and Saturday Skin has landed in Canada just in time. Created by the scientists at CHAUM, an iconic wellness centre with a network of 15 hospitals and 27 research labs in Seoul, Korea, this brand is much more than pretty packaging. Keep your skin soft and prevent damage all winter long with their advanced formulas! We’re currently loving the and .

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Home Sweet Home //

If you’re going to hibernate, you need to make sure your den (erm, apartment) is ready for the shift. Blankets, books, and fun activities are all absolutely key to making it through the cold times. I like to think of Fall as the season of letting go, and though I haven’t been in school for years I always start a new day planner in September. No one does planners better than Ban.do, and their newest Ban.do 2017-18 Monthly Agenda makes scheduling and goal setting SO FUN.

A good blanket of some sort is also key, like this Handmade Giant Chunky Merino Wool Knit Throw – how great does the knit look in my CB2 living room setup?

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Baby Light my Fire //

There’s no such thing as too many candles. Ever. Last winter we burned through an average of 1 candle a week, and though I have much better central heating I’m assuming this year’s count won’t be too far off, so it’s best to stock up! Amazon is filled with ALL of the options, including Tocca Candles and this gorgeous Paddywax Tobacco and Vanilla Candle

I also find myself super drawn to the smokey warmth of incense this year. I first found Cinnamon Projects wandering Silverlake while living in
California this past winter, and their scents totally swooned me. If you want to smell a range you can order the series here, best paired with their stupidly beautiful new mineral + brass burners (rose quartz is obviously our fave!)

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Shop our favourites on Amazon!

FallFavesAmazon copy

1. Mae Short Sleeve PJ Set
2. Paddywax Tobacco and Vanilla Candle
3.Clear Quartz Cluster
4.Handmade Giant Chunky Merino Wool Knit Throw
5. Narwhal Heated Slippers
6. Ban.do 2017-18 Monthly Agenda
7. Pink Matte Zippo

Party Time

The first long weekend of Summer is HERE, and though we won’t be escaping to a cottage like so many of our Canadian counterparts, we’re definitely ready to celebrate right here in the city. We decided to throw a lakeside beach staycation at one of our favourite Toronto landmarks, the Sugar Beach! Dotted with white Muskoka chairs and pink umbrellas, there’s no better place downtown to spread out a towel and soak up the sun with friends. Especially when you have VEGAN PIZZA and a BIRTHDAY to celebrate.

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In honour of Canada’s 150th birthday, our pals at Panago created a limited edition Canada 150 box, illustrated by Chairman Ting, and you get to colour it in! Better yet, they also launched a new Vegan Canadian Pizza – with hot banana peppers, sautéed mushrooms, extra vegan pepperoni and dairy-free Diaya cheeze, it’s definitely a pizza that deserves a party.

With our soda pop and pizzas all packed up alongside pool floaties and sparkly flamingo sunglasses, we hit the beach! Has there ever been a better way to celebrate Canada’s Birthday?

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A special thanks to Jeanine and Amy for celebrating with us.

This post was sponsored, but all opinions are my own. To inquire about sponsored posts, please email jess@shineinfluencers.com

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Get CreativeParty Time

It’s been a long time since Paige and I have gathered the time and energy to put on another #getsocialworkshop, and in all honesty we were a bit nervous this time around. We were working with a new space, a lot of new sponsors, and both of us have shifted our focus so vastly over the past couple of years we didn’t really know what to expect.

But for the third time, we were so pleasantly surprised with how it all came together.

The workshop this time around was packed, despite having expanded to a larger space, and everyone came from totally different backgrounds, which made the range of information we had to discuss so much more dynamic. Over incredible pink waffle breakfast sandwiches from Burger Pawty, fresh blooms by Wild North Flowers, and hot tea from Teapigs, attendees spread out around the space, snapping photos on coloured backdrops with glittery fun props. I think it’s safe to say that even when time was up, no one was really ready to go back to reality and head home!

Paige and I feel so incredibly lucky to have the chance to take part in such an inspiring and creative community, and it’s days like this past Sunday that really remind us why we do what we do. Thanks so much to everyone who joined us!

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Special thanks to our incredible sponsors //

Burger Pawty
Teapigs
CONVEY
Wild North Flowers
Cake Beauty
Flow Water
I Love Puffy Love Marshmallows
Fancy Pufs
Richer Poorer
Bite Beauty
Ban.do
Nude Bee Honey
Rosehound Apparel

Dear Diary

August has always been a bittersweet time for me. On one hand, it’s the end of summer, which always hurts my heart a bit as a sunshine girl, and growing up I knew it was only a matter of time till I would have to head back to school. On the other hand it’s the gateway to Fall fashion, it’s a great month for local produce, and it just so happens to be my BIRTHDAY MONTH!

I’m not going to lie: August’s list of favourites is a bit of a mashup due to my mixed feelings about this time of year. It’s a little bit back to school and a little bit sugary, but mostly it’s a farewell to Summer as told through some of my best finds from Summer 2016:

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Sorelle & Co. Bakery //

I cannot repeat enough how much I adore this bakery. Brand new on the scene here in Toronto, Sorelle & Co. is completely vegan, gluten free, soy free AND nut free! I had the pleasure of attending their opening event and in all realness everything from the blended iced tea slushes to the grilled cheese sandwiches was crazy delicious. I couldn’t have been more excited when they sent not one but TWO birthday cakes for my party this past month, and they absolutely did not disappoint. Whether you have dietary restrictions or not, I highly recommend you try everything you can from this beautiful spot.

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Ban.do Stationary //

I always had a soft spot for Back to School – there was something so wonderfully exciting about picking out my new stationary and lunch box, curating each year into specific themes and colour schemes. When Ban.do sent me some pieces from their amazing new collection, I felt like an excited schoolgirl stocking up on pens and notebooks all over again.

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Sunnylife Decor //

Sunnylife has been on my favourite brands list since last summer when the flamingo pool float first stole my heart, but it wasn’t until this past month that I finally came into ownership of a few of their cute items! My current top picks? Their adorable ice cream ice cube trays and matching ice cream candles!

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David’s Tea Summer 2016 Collection //

You know what’s great about tea? You can make it iced or hot depending on the season, which means it’s something you can look forward to all year round. It was love at first sip when I tried the David’s Tea summer collection earlier this season, and I can’t wait to rediscover these flavourful blends as hot teas in the Fall.

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Good Day Hair Products //

Locally handcrafted and sold in Kensington Market, Good Day’s line of hair products is totally cruelty free, perfectly packaged, and oh my word do they ever smell crazy good! I mean really, does it get better than a bottle of shampoo with a unicorn on the label that smells like orange creamsicle? No, no it doesn’t. Side note: this is also where I get my hair cut and coloured by Jaymi and I can’t recommend it enough if you’re in the market for pastel locks!

What where your favourite Summer finds this year?

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Dear DiaryDress Up

One of the best things about summer here in Toronto is the cycling culture. Though we’re not the best for bike lanes and we have a horrible reputation for bike theft, the love for cycling is alive and well in our city, and both Jo and I love getting around on two wheels.

A particularly rough winter left Jo’s bike from last summer unusable, and my frame was stripped down late one night to a point where it wasn’t worth it to rebuild, so when this summer rolled around we had, well, no way to roll around.

After a bit of window shopping we decided to put our cycling needs into the trustworthy, grease-covered hands at Curbside Cycle. Known by many as “the friendliest bike shop in Toronto”, this large shop in the Annex is filled with pastel accessory goodness and dreamy bikes galore. With the help of Curbside’s lovely staff we both walked in on two legs and rolled out on two wheels.

After much deliberation we picked twinning team bikes in shades of mint, though Johanna stuck to a more classic style (The Crosby) and I insisted on a speedy fixie (The Victor). Of course hints of pink and gold were non-debatable, so we spiced up our rides with shiny bells, a perfect pastel pink basket, and the cutest pink lights ever. I even sprung for a rose gold cup holder for my handlebars, because well, there is no such thing as too much rose gold!

What do all of those ingredients make when paired with #TeamRAOP and some really cute sneakers? A pastel girl gang on two wheels, ready to roll through the city and fill it with summer fun! Make sure you ding your bell if you see us coast by?

Scroll to the bottom for an RAOP exclusive discount code at Curbside!

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Ready to upgrade your bike gang’s game? Get 15% off on all Pure City and Pure Fix bikes, all Basil products including baskets, bells & bags, all Abus locks and all Bookman on the Curbside site with code “RAOP15”


All clothing via Ban.do, shoes via VANS, all bike accessories via Curbside Cycles