7 things
Some things I’m loving lately, and you might, too: a Valentine’s Day list, the official White Lotus Podcast, wearing jackets as tops, winter skincare, and more.
If I were to do one of those “Life lately” Instagram posts, my carousel would be rather boring. The photos would mostly be me stomping through the never-ending snow here, shuttling my kids back and forth from school to their extracurricular activities, and stressing about our packed calendar and the state of the world. Things feel hectic and monotonous at the same time, but you know what? Sometimes, real life isn’t an aesthetic. And that’s OK.
Despite all this, I’ve been trying to steal moments for myself when I can. Like, last weekend, when we were in Niagara Falls for my son’s tournament, some of us hockey moms (yes, I’ve come to terms with that label) snuck away for a few hours to do a wine tasting. I’ll take any form of escape from the winter blues right now, and even the little things are making a real difference.
Here are some good distractions and things preoccupying my mind lately. (Fyi, this letter might be too long for email, so you might have to click ‘view entire message’, or read it in the app.)
Valentine’s Day
I won’t even try to play it cool and pretend I don’t care about this made-up holiday (I love love!) Usually, my husband and I make plans for a nice dinner out but as we were filling out our February calendar this week with mostly the kids’ activities, we realized we dropped the ball on date night. That’s OK—we settled on getting wine and cheese from our favourite local shop for after the kids go down, and I’ll probably persuade him to watch Sleepless in Seattle.
Other things I find romantic: anything Sade / sharing dessert (photo @marianna_hewitt) / giving away your last bite of food / open back tops (photo @nevermindressing, Faithfull on sale, St. Agni on sale, Aritzia) / oysters (duh) / meaningful jewellery (Kinn) / a slip dress (photo @sylviemus_, Aritzia on sale, Silk Laundry) / fancy chocolates / red lipstick (Westman Atelier) / anything red (Freja cardholder, Reformation cardigan, Almina Concept V-neck sweater on sale, Donni Rib turtleneck) / a special occasions scent (Le Labo Rose 31) / unexpected compliments / supporting each other’s goals and dreams / having the same sense of humour (photo @case.kenny) / no phones at dinner / written thoughts over video
Wearing jackets (or blazers) as tops
Have to give credit to
who often shares this idea as a way to get creative with your clothes. I love when a piece in your wardrobe can serve multiple purposes and am stuck on the idea of wearing your jacket/blazer as a “going out” top. I don’t yet have a piece that could really work in this way, so I find myself getting lost in these looks and options:
Mango leather-effect jacket in brown (also comes in black)
Sisterhood Cadence puffer coat
Aligne Daphne blazer
Substacks I’ve saved
I’ve learned from experience that friendships change as you get older because, let’s face it, life gets in the way, and it’s harder to put in the effort when you have your own stuff going on. While I no longer invest my time and energy into friendships that don’t feel reciprocal, I love this list of 24 Ways to Supercharge Your Friendships by
for the ones that are worth it.
Along these lines of sharing tips,
shared her to-do list for coping with the winter blues, reminding us that, sometimes, things are totally out of our control and it’s OK to lean into the sads.For some fashion-related reads,
revisited one of my favourite childhood movies, The Parent Trap (the Lindsay Lohan version) for a nostalgic and fun breakdown of the fashion and wardrobe. gave us THE most helpful guide for buying a pair of vintage Levi’s. And, shared Five Things Parisians Are Wearing This Winter, bringing us inspo straight from the streets of the fashion capital. Now, I really want a chunky scarf and leather coat…Keeping a glow during winter
Wish I could tell you I had a magic fix for dry skin in the winter, but I can only tell you what works for me. First, this may already be a given, but I do find it helps to have a humidifier during this season to combat indoor dryness from heaters being on. I’ve even been packing a portable humidifier when we’ve had to stay in hotel rooms for my son’s out-of-town hockey tournaments and I feel like it’s saved my skin from getting too dry/irritated.
Now on to the products I use daily… I find MERIT’s Great Skin serum helps me keep that summer glow all winter long. I use two to three pumps and gently pat the serum on my face and neck every morning. I use the Origins Ginzing Vitamin C Eye Cream to help brighten under my eyes. Then I use the Consonant Skin+Care Ultra Moisturizing Face Cream, which I’ve been trying to ration because sadly, the brand went out of business recently. Sometimes, I’ll use Supergoop’s Unseen Sunscreen depending on how long I’ll be outside. I find these products help create a good base for my daily makeup, which I like to keep pretty minimal.
I love using MERIT’s Minimalist perfecting complexion stick in Camel because it provides light coverage that blurs imperfections (rather than covering them up), which looks a bit more natural. Then I’ll use MERIT’s Bronze Balm sheer bronzer in Seine to contour, their Flush Balm cream blush in Mood on my cheeks, and their Day Glow highlighting balm in Citrine to highlight. I’ve been finishing this off with Rhode’s Peptide Lip Tint in Toast, which I got from my sister-in-law—I find it more hydrating than Glossier’s Balm Dotcom (fyi: Rhode ships to Canada now.)
What I’m watching
Reruns of Girls, The Mindy Project, and The White Lotus in anticipation of the new season coming out this month.
My husband and I also recently watched the Jesse Eisenberg movie, A Real Pain, and really liked it. The story follows two cousins as they travel to Poland on a trip to honour their late grandmother. We didn’t know much about it before watching and were really impressed with how the film was able to strike the right balance between feeling heavy and light. I found the characters so endearing, which probably had a lot to do with the amazing cast: Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin, of course, but also Will Sharpe (Ethan from the White Lotus!) and Jennifer Grey (aka Baby from Dirty Dancing!!) I’ve been recommending this one to everyone I know (and now, you).
A movie I haven’t watched yet but am itching to see is Babygirl because of all the hype around it when it first came out. Anyone know if it’s worth it?
A new favourite podcast
Speaking of The White Lotus, I’m obsessed with the official HBO podcast hosted by superfan and writer,
. The podcast looks back at seasons 1-2, dissecting the storylines and characters with interviews from the cast and crew. There are so many fun and interesting stories on how the show started and what was happening behind the scenes. And we finally get an answer (kind of) on what really happened between Ethan and Daphne on that island. So so good!For the pop culture girls
Now more than ever, I turn to entertainment/pop culture sources for relief from the dreaded news cycle. I’m a fan of
’ newsletter, and her Substack chat, especially, has been a welcomed distraction. It feels like the best kind of celebrity gossip with friends on anything from what the heck Jeremy Strong was wearing at the Golden Globes to what went down between Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell (can’t stress enough how funny Hunter’s subscribers are.)Also, so excited to see @lexniko bring her
to Substack! I get my daily fix of all things pop culture and celebrities through her Instagram, and her Substack is basically an extension of that format.
*This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small percentage from anything you purchase through a link, at no extra cost to you. Affiliate links help support the work that goes into these newsletters, and I carefully select recommendations based on what I love and would wear, regardless of a commission.
I need to listen to that HBO podcast because I am anxiously awaiting season 3 of White Lotus. I *think* I’m going to try to wait until the whole season airs before watching it because I want to watch at my own pace 😂 also, I LOVE your hockey mom outfit. You look chic as hell.
Hockey mom who loves fashion over here too! I have a puffer from Zara that is practically to my ankles (im 5’7) thst I wear to the rink. Like being inside a sleeping bag👏🏻