Summer Faves

It's the last week of August and here I am sitting, thinking to myself, "Where did summer go!?". Summer has certainly announced its entrance, but it has also disappeared way too fast! Some may argue that summer is here until September. While that is true, I always associate the start of school as the beginning of Fall. Do you do that too?

I've enjoyed summer a lot this year. For once, the weather was super hot, which has made a difference. My husband and I have really done some amazing things this summer. There have been a few things that I've been absolutely in love with and I don't think it would have been the same without these faves. They are definitely worth the mention.

Erin Condren Life Planner
If you follow me on Instagram, (which if you don't - you should! lol) you would know that I've been obsessing over the Erin Condren life planner. I love this planner! I'm not one to plan out every single detail of life, (In fact, I like to go with the flow and just let things happen), but what I like about the planner is that it doubles as a scrapbook, where I can save ideas and jot down important milestones and events. It's a keepsake for me to look back on. I plan on doing a more detailed post on my planner in the Fall. Stay tuned!

Sharpie Markers
I've been putting off this purchase for so long as I didn't really know if they would have a true purpose in my life. But they do! I love to use these markers in my life planner and note books. It makes things so much more fun and exciting! I just have to look at them and it brings me joy.

Zen Colouring
Apparently the most recent craze is adult colouring books... which many of you may severely question. I completely did as well. I didn't completely shut the idea down because when I was kid, I LOVED colouring. So I decided to give it a try, and I have to say that it's worth it! The simple act of colouring is very calming and relaxing, and it puts me in a summery mood. I love to do this in the mornings while my husband makes breakfast and I sip on coffee. Completely blissful!

Washington DC
I had the opportunity to travel to Washington DC in July for my full-time job. It was amazing! I love the city and all that it had to offer. Everything from the food, the people, the vibe and even the history was unbelievable! I really want to go again in the near future. I made so many great memories and learned a lot. Definitely a major highlight of the summer.

Mango Black Tea Lemonade
Starbucks recently introduced a new summer drink - the Mango Black Tea Lemonade. While I am obsessed with the Passion Tea Lemonade drink from Starbucks, I am overtly obsessed with the Mango Black Tea Lemonade! It is so good! This drink in its entirety, speaks summer! It's been my favourite all summer - If you haven't picked one up yet, you have to try one!

The Martian
I'm a natural bookworm. The only problem I have is that there's not enough time in the day to do all of the reading I would love to. I try my best to fit it in as much as possible because it makes me happy. The Martian, in particular, has been my summer fave. It is so good! Very thrilling and keeps me on edge! I will definitely do a future post on this read. I can't wait for the movie to be released to see the story come to life! I think I want to try and view this one on opening night.

My Pink Water Bottle
I was in need of a new water bottle and went on the hunt for one. My husband happened to find this pink, glass water bottle that was perfect! If there was such as thing as a perfect water bottle - this would be it! It's made of glass, it's pink, it has inspirational words written all over it, has a secure cap and even a handle to carry it. Basically, it checked off all of my needs on my water bottle wish list! I've been enjoying my water with a slice of lemon for a refreshing taste.

Audible.com and Spotify
I've been wanting to try some new things this summer and that's been listening to Spotify and Audible.com. Love these apps! I've been really enjoying these both during my morning drive to work and while I work out. It keeps me motivated! For Spotify, I really like listening to stories and Latin music. Right now I'm listening to Far From the Madding Crowd. For Audible.com, I've listened to The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo (which I also plan on doing a blog post about since it was really good!).

What have been your summer favourites?

~Usha

DIY Message Center

Don't you hate it when papers, memos, reminders, bills are scattered in places they don't need to be? I know that feeling all too well. I decided that we needed a centralized place where all of this can be stored in a fun and exciting way! My pet peeve is walking into my living space that is left untidy. At one point, I had bills and random memos lying in a pile on the half wall in my kitchen and I decided that enough was enough! I needed to solve this issue ASAP. So, I did some research on Pinterest and came up with this nifty idea for a DIY message center in my kitchen!

Materials Needed
For this DIY project you will need a cork board, paint, a paint brush, some magnets, a hot glue gun, some push pins, a few decorative buttons and a shower caddy with strong suction cups.

Method
Start by painting the frame of your cork board with a colour of your choice. I chose to leave mine au natural. Once the paint is dry, glue on the magnets to the back. Ensure that the magnets can easily hold the weight of the cork board. In the meantime, glue on decorative buttons to the top of your pushpins. Makes things more interesting and exciting!

Once everything is dry, you are ready to hang the cork board on the side of your fridge. Right underneath, attach the shower caddy using the suction cups. (I got mine from IKEA for a great price!).

And you're done!

Why You Should Probably Do This
It makes life so much easier! All of my papers, important memos, invitations, bills etc. are now in one neat little spot. I no longer have to go on a hunt on my half wall to find something. I like that it's in a common spot so that my husband and I can see every time we walk past it. We can both go to this centralized spot to view upcoming reminders, to-do lists or invitations to events. It also adds a quirky touch that I love in our kitchen! We spend so much time in here, so it's important to add a personal touch and I definitely think that this was achieved with this DIY project.

How do you stay organized?

~Usha

I'm Back - Announcement!

I'ts been some time since I last wrote a blog post. Don't worry, I have a good reason! At the time I felt I had a lot of projects on my plate and I was simply spreading myself a little too thin... it just ended up being unproductive. I decided I needed to take at least one month off to focus on one thing at a time. After the month, I could start blogging again. Well... it took two months... but that's okay! I had the time to concentrate on my project and really focus on what needed to be done.

So you may ask... "So, what`s this project your talking about?" Well since the beginning of the year, I've been experimenting with creating candy bouquets. The idea became somewhat popular between my coworkers, friends and family that I decided to go a little further with the idea and created a website devoted to my new found passion! I didn't really have a place where interested members could go and look at what I have to offer... But now I do! It's called Random Little Bouquets!

Of course, along with a website, there are other pieces to put together as well, such as social media, business cards and supplies, which are just only a few of the things to name. Along with my website, I also decided to try my luck at selling on Etsy. Let's see how that goes!

Website: http://randomlittlebouquets.wix.com/bouquets
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/randomlittlebou/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/randomlittlebouquets/
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/randomlittlebouquets

I'm very excited for this new chapter in my life! If you want to know my inspiration behind the idea, visit my website for the full story. Check it out and let me know what you think.

I'm very grateful for all the support I've had during this process and I'm very excited to see where this will take me next! These last two months have given me a lot of insight into many different things. One thing I can share is that I missed blogging A LOT! I was craving to get back behind the keyboard with new ideas to share with all of you. And boy, do I got lots to share! I'm glad I had this time to realize that blogging means a lot to me and that it adds to who I am as a person.

I'm glad to be back and I'm extremely excited to share Random Little Bouquets with you!

~Usha