Long weekend is finally here

This upcoming weekend is a long weekend and I am very excited about it; I want it to go slow and steady because I have some great plans. I will be visiting Chicago to see my cousins and then go out for retail therapy. I know time is short but hey that’s life, so enjoy to the fullest.

As my hubby is taking a trip with his best friends, I am taking this trip with my parents (after a very long time), that’s why its more exciting. When I was young, I used to take trips with them all the time but not since I got married, it’s definitely hard but it’s not impossible. For the past few years, I never made time for my parents but this year my goal is to make more time for them (as they did for me when I was little).

As we are growing up, we need less of our parents and they eventually let us go and then we start our own family and move on, and we don’t look back often. Remember the time when you wanted a doll which was expensive (and you couldn’t live without), and they would get you; remember when they would pay for your undergrad or for the prom dress; remember when they fulfilled all your needs and didn’t ask for a penny back. Then how come we don’t do the same? I mean, we are who we are — because of them.

Back to my point, how come we don’t take them for shopping or fulfill their needs, pay for something they want to do, or send them away for a vacation, by the time we realize its too late and we end up regretting, and I hate regretting. So my goal is to spend more time with my parents and in-laws, I know they can be pain sometimes but they mean no harm, and they only want love.

So when I told my parents I would like to join them for their trip, they were amazed and excited, and I think it was my best decision in the month of June. Hope all goes well and we have a great time together Amen. Plus, Outlet malls attracted me as well to de-stress from my own busy life, a best therapeutic session EVER, but will cost me a bit.

So I wish everyone a great long weekend and will update you when I get back. Ciao!

Sunscreen for summer…

I am feeling much better today therefore went to work. I still feel alittle weak but can taste food, which is great.

Today I am going to do a short blog regarding Sunscreen since it was 27 degrees today and I believe it is one of the important cremes to apply in summer. Everyone should put sunscreen when they are going out to avoid any sun burns. I would like to recommend La Roche Posay suncreen for sensitive skin people. I buy this brand at Shoppers Drug Mart every year for about $30 and it lasts me all summer. It feels soft on the face, no smell, no weight, Paraben free, and is water resistant. Its a spray, so you can spray once on both cheeks and forehead and just massage your face. I use this for my body as well, its better to carry one sunscreen to the beach than two.

I went to Cuba last month and got tanned, I love getting tanned but not too tanned. I think it looks good on me since it hides any small marks on my face or body, and my skin glows therefore I always put sunscreen on. My point is, use sunscreen in summer and try to squeeze in your daily routine. Tanning is fine but getting a skin burn is not good. The burnt marks are hard to get rid off and are easy to get. Try to avoid skin burn.

La Roche Posay has alot of varieties in sunscreens and you should pick the spf you are looking for. It is pricier than other brands of sunscreens but I think this bottle should last you for three to four months which ends up less than 10 bucks a month, thats worth it.

Remember, skin burn is hard to get rid off but easy to get…

Cleaning up room…

I am a neat-freak and like things to be organized, well who doesnt? However, I go to an extreme sometimes. I buy organizers from Ikea and Home Sense so I have space for things like glasses and broaches as well. I dont like when lot of things are pushed into one drawer, things need to be organized so it does not look messy.

When it takes a long time to clean up your room, it means you have lot of stuff in your room. Try to give away stuff or atleast pack some stuff away. For example, winter clothings should be packed away in Summer. Its nice to have more space in your room so you can breathe freely or even do Yoga comfortably. And its definitely nice to give away stuff, this way another person can make worth of your buck.

I love all my things (i.e. shoes, clothing, jewellery) and I tend to hold on to them for way too long.  I live in a small townhome and the closets aren’t that big. So this weekend, my goal is to fix my room, make it lighter. Yesterday I bought some vacuum bags from Walmart, where you can fold clothings, suck the air out of the bag so it makes it a small bag, I wonder if I should buy some more. 

Lets see how many bags of stuff I will be giving out and how many bags i will be sucking the air out of. I will post before and after pics of my closet. Ciao!

 

Renting a cottage…

I am so glad that summer is finally here because its BBQ, cottage, and swimming time for me. I am planning a cottage with 9 other people this summer and have been researching for a 4-5 bedroom cottage. It’s a hectic process I tell you. We have been cottaging for about four years now, the group started with 4 people and now its 10 in total. Its fun with all of them, but I think more than this would be hard to manage.

 Anyways, lets talk regarding the research. There are so many websites that one can use when renting cottages in Ontario. Here is a list of them that I have used in the past years:

 www.ontariocottagerentals.com
www.cottagecountry.com/ontario
www.clrm.ca
www.cottagerental.com
www.cottageportal.com
www.ontariocottage.com

 This year, I used two different websites which everyone has heard of Craigslist and Kijiji. They were really helpful and informative. I found people responded quicker to emails this year or maybe everyone has become techy and used their smartphones to respond. 

 Few tips to keep in mind:

1. Try to google the cottage owners to make sure they are legit. If its possible, make the deal in person (i.e. signing the contract).
2. Try googling the address and see how the front looks like comparison to the pictures provided on the websites.
3. Always get in writing when paying an initial deposit i.e. Rental Contract.
4. The security deposit should not be more than the rent of the cottage. If it is, one needs to ask why.
5. Emergency numbers of the owners are very important.
6. Take pictures when after arriving and before departing the cottage.
7. Arrive at the cottage in light versus the when dark.
8. Nice beaches or lake or river near you, that’s what makes it fun.
9. Ask what is not provided at the cottage i.e. linens, paper rolls, paper towels.
10. Lastly, ask questions… Don’t annoy them, try to make a list and email

If there is something I missed and you think is important, let me know, so I can add on to the list. This will not only make a stress-free vacation but a memorable trip.

Back to my research – I have finally found a 4 bedroom cottage in Muskoka near a river. It sounds positive so hopefully everything goes well and then I can concentrate on other things since this research has been taking a lot of my time. It’s not easy so start early because everything gets booked pretty quick in summer. I wish you all the best in your cottage research.

Adios Amigos!