CURRENT FAVES - APRIL 2020

I love to share my favourite things with my friends, and I love when they share their favourites with me! So, in the spirit of sharing, here are some of my current favourite things. I do want to note, I have not been sponsored or asked to talk about anything by an outside company or figure. I honestly have just been liking these items recently. I will not be naming brands, however feel free to contact me with any questions you have about anything I mention.

I have not really ever been one for hoop earring, as I just never felt I could pull them off. Currently, hoop earrings are a massive trend, and I really wanted to try my hand at wearing them, to explore my accessory possibilities. For me, I found this was best achieved with delicate hoops of a smaller circumference. Furthermore, I love finding cute jewellery that is fairly made and distributed. I found these adorable hoops, pictured to the right, at a sustainable boutique shop in Amsterdam’s Oude-West neighbourhood. They are simple, chic, match any outfit, and are not annoying to sleep with - a major bonus!

The next thing that I have been enjoying is the beauty and ease brought to any space by a bouquet of dry flowers. Obviously much easier to take care of than their live counterparts, dry flowers last as long as you want them to! As someone who tries to be the best plant-mom they can be, I recognize that I may not have the greenest of thumbs. Dry flowers are a great alternative for those of us who are forgetful, busy or just not in tune with taking care of live flowers. Add a bit of colour and beauty to the space of your choice with bouquet of dry flowers - I don’t think you’d be disappointed.

I would even challenge you to dry your own flowers of choice, by allowing them to hang upside down until optimum dryness. I know right now most if not all floral shops are closed, so if you happen to have a fresh bouquet laying around, don’t let it go to waste! Before they meet their flowers’ ends, take them out of water and hang them up. This is also a sustainable option to reuse and give extra “life” to something you already have around the house.

When it comes to my wardrobe, I always find myself drawn to the more neutral pieces. Patterns and colour kind of scare me, especially with my pale complexion. I find a great way to add a little something extra to my outfit is through my choice in accessories. When I accessorize, I still keep it pretty minimalistic, but I recently discovered a new-found love of fun socks! I like to keep it chic, but adding a sock with a colour, pattern and/or texture, is an easy way to make an outfit special. I have really been feeling sheer/sparkly socks with a white shoe. I often show ankle with the cut of my pants, so why not show off and customize my look? I know this is also extremely trendy this Spring season. Especially being in The Netherlands right now, where the fashion is much more vibrant and bold than it is back in North America.

Let’s be real… if you are like me, you are all over Instagram liking pics of people wearing colourful and pattern-filled outfits. The trend is here! If you are also like me, and a bit a fraud of going full colour all-out, then the sock trend is an amazing way to get your foot in the door (cringe pun, or brilliant?) of this season’s fashions!

You may or may not know this about me, but I LOVE the world of natural and holistic skincare. There is something so satisfactory about using the elements given to us by the Earth to naturally heal our ailments, and see the difference it makes in our skin. Of course, we have to be careful to not compare ourselves with others, and assume that what works for someone else will work for you. We are all individuals, and we need to put in the time and work to discover exactly what our bodies and our skin needs. I strongly urge you to take the time to make some changes and adopt a more natural approach to your skincare routine. I could write an essay on the different foods, powders, vitamins and more that are completely natural, and how each of them would affect different skin types.

I will save you the essay, but offer up something I have noticed to be helping my skin. I have chronically dehydrated skin, so if you are in the same boat, something I have tried and enjoyed are deeply hydrating 40-60 minute long sheet masks. Deep hydration is a must, especially as we ease in to the summer months, and our skin is more exposed to the direct sunlight. I have been really enjoying seeing and feeling the benefits to taking a longer-form fix to my skincare routine. We have so much time to spend at home these days, why not extend your routine and reap the hydrating properties of a sheet mask?!

The final item on my list of current favourite things, is the deliciousness that is a vegan, gluten-free, almond-based ice cream popsicle. Now, do not knock it before you try it! Sure, it is not the same as a full on dairy ice cream, but vegan treats are constantly getting better and better! All you need to do is give them a goof try and find the treat that satisfies your sweet tooth. For those of us that are not given the choice to even consider a dairy ice cream, I still suggest the same. Not every vegan treat will give you the right bang for your buck, but when you find it, MAN it will make you so happy.

I discovered these almond-based ice cream bars and they were just what I was craving! Again, now that the warmer months are rolling in, ice cream treats are making a resurgence! Vegans, you need not miss out on the perfect summer treat! Furthermore, can we talk about the benefits to a vegan, gluten-free, almond-based ice cream popsicle, versus the classic full dairy, sugary dessert?! We are talking way less sugar and artificial additives, no dairy which is difficult for the digestive system and notoriously bad for the skin, plus a way lower calorie count. If you ask me, that is a pretty sweet deal!

So I hope you’ve liked this list of my current favourite things! Like I said, I am in no way pushing any particular brands, though if you would like to know more specifics on where I personally get my items, I am happy to respond to any messages. I also hope that this can serve as a little escape for you to enjoy during these abnormal times. We are all dealing with a big unknown and a world that is under massive duress. I hope we can all band together to help each other look at the small positives, the little successes and give each other support and the ability to connect, when connection is both at its most difficult and most necessary point in time.