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

DIY Flavoured Water

I try my best to drink close to 8 cups of water per day. Some days I'm really good; other days not so much... As the warm weather approaches, it is very important to stay hydrated. Drinking the recommended amount of water not only helps fight dehydration, but it also helps with removing toxins from your body, regulating your bodily functions, keeping a healthy glow on your skin and keep you feel fit and healthy overall! However, sometimes plain old water can be quite boring... I think I hit that realization about a couple of weeks ago. This is when I started to experiment with making my own naturally flavoured water!

 

You will almost always find me with a slice of lemon in my water. I've been drinking this combo for a long time! While there are a lot of health benefits for using this combo, using it for such a long time had me yearning for something different. So, I thought it would be fun to see what other flavours I could infuse into my water and make it more fun and interesting!

Strawberry, Basil and Lemon
This one sounds really interesting and kind of uncommon (especially with the basil) but I thought I would give it a try! What I like the most about this combo is the sweetness from the strawberry. The sweetness combined with the fresh/earthy taste of basil and the sourness of the lemon makes for a unique combination! I like to add more strawberries as I am a fan of all things sweet.

 

Cucumber and Lemon
The classic but definitely a favourite! I call this combo 'spa water' because every time I go to the spa, they usually have a jug of this ready to indulge in. I really like to drink this combo as there is a a hint of the fresh and cool cucumber with the tart lemon. Aside from just adding lemon to my water, this is currently my next most common combo! There is also a lot of benefits to drinking water infused with cucumber and lemon as it provides extra vitamins and boosts the appearance of your skin (to name a few).

Citrus (Orange, Lemon and Lime)
This combo reminds me of either a tropical punch or Sprite! The tart taste of the lemon and lime is off set by the sweetness of the orange. All three bring a burst of flavour and a unique combo. This combination definitely reminds me of the drink called 'Five Alive'. For something a little more special you could use carbonated water, such as Perrier, to enjoy a 'healthier' version of Sprite .

Do you have a favourite herb/fruit/vegetable water infused combination? Let me know in the comments below!

~RANDOMiss

Survivor Season 30 : Worlds Apart

Was this an awesome season, or was this an awesome season?! It was definitely one filled with drama, lots of back stabbing and plenty of excitement! Hopefully you've had a chance to catch up on the final episode if you weren't available to tune into the excitement live last Wednesday.

Survivor was definitely brave to introduce a completely new concept: Blue Collar, White Collar and No Collar. Basically, executives vs. factory/union workers vs. free-spirited individuals. From the beginning, I thought it was definitely an interesting theme and an interesting bunch of players. And the season definitely lived up to my expectations! Here are my thoughts:

What was up with Vince of the no collar tribe?! He likes to smell people... Definitely an interesting pick for Survivor...

Honestly, I did not like Shirin. I wasn't feeling her character or personality throughout the entire show. Although, I did feel genuinely sorry for her after Will's comments about her family. My most memorable moment of Shirin on the show was when she went back to her white collar tribe to tell them that she saw two monkeys mating... Need I say more?

It was interesting that this season, Survivor introduced a new spin on the Survivor Auction. Will bought himself a return ticket to camp without any food... but when he arrived to camp, a box of food was waiting for him! This was a very interesting concept and its something I don't believe was ever done before on Survivor? Also, having the option to buy letters from home wasn't a part of the auction in the past, (I think) but definitely made things a lot more dramatic, especially between Mike and Dan.

Will's behavior was interesting after he attacked Shirin. I personally think he completely took the whole thing out of context and went a little too far... I still find it interesting that during the live reunion show, I felt that he still didn't give her a genuine apology...

Dan... Oh Dan... What have you done??? If you watched the live Reunion show, then you would know what I'm talking about. Let me break it down a little: Dan has accused Survivor of portraying him in a negative way. He refers to one specific situation where they are sitting on a beach talking, when he says an inappropriate comment to Rodney. Dan claims the situation wasn't as it seems, but Jeff, being Jeff, pulls his strings to set the record straight for everyone in the audience and at home. And I completely understand Jeff's actions, as he wouldn't want the reputation of the show to be ruined. Jeff then goes on to show an unedited clip of Dan and what the situation was. This confirmed that Survivor didn't edit the situation and Dan, in fact, did say a negative comment out of nowhere. I think anyone would feel completely embarrassed and ashamed of this if they were set straight on live television. My point is, this has never happened before on the live reunion show! What I loved even more was the fact that Jeff was confronting, very factual and did not let Dan drag the show down! Good for you Jeff!

Rodney was another interesting character. I think I liked him the best for his comical nature and the wacky behaviour he brought on to the show. I've never seen anyone act the way he did about his birthday? And not being able to go on reward? Are people just that spoiled? However, Rodney's journey on Survivor ended in a very positive way, which I am extremely glad about. If you watch the Ponderosa series, you would know that the reason why he came out to Survivor was to escape all of his problem back home. He never got over his sister's death. After Survivor, he said he has found peace and closure with his sister's death and that his family is number one. He also mentioned that he will never waste food again in his life. I'm very happy to hear that Survivor was able to help someone out in a very positive way.

Mike! I really didn't think that he would win the title, but he did! I really thought the jury would have voted for Carolyn instead. Although, Mike did a lot of scheming, back stabbing and won those immunity challenges - everything that the sole Survivor would do. The only thing that I didn't like about him was the one instance where he gave his word that he would pay money for get the letter at the auction and then he just flipped on his decision. In the end, he ended up paying, but that one decision really painted him in a negative light. I think he was able to redeem himself throughout the rest of the season though. What's interesting about his journey on Survivor was that he did not have many allies, or anyone in the game really rooting for him. He was completely left alone to fend for himself and he made it all the way to the end!

All in all, this season was great! A blue collar participant ended up winning the crown. Does this say that blue collar has the perfect mix of knowledge and physical capabilities to win? What do you think?

I cannot wait until the next season: Survivor Second Chance! I think this game will be really good! I'm completely ready for another season of game play, schemes, broken promises and blindsides that make Survivor so worth watching!

~RANDOMiss

My Favourite Snacks for Work

I'm one of those people that has to snack consistently all day long... Snacking can be very unhealthy if you stick to the wrong kinds of foods, so I try my very best to snack with healthy options. I also try to have a variety of options available in my pantry. If I'm feeling for something sweet, crunchy, salty or fresh, it's important that I have something readily available... otherwise I'm more than likely to drop a few bucks here or there on something at the store. Needless to say, snacks have a very important part in my weekly grocery list and in my daily work routine!

Some of my favourite snacks for work are:

• Fruits of any sort! I like to take bananas, strawberries, blackberries, pears, apples and peaches. Right now I've been enjoying a lot of watermelon since it is in season. I try to take at least two different kinds of fruit per day. 
• Nuts - My recent craze has been these sweet chili pistachios. I've been really loving this flavour! From time to time, I also like to take almonds or cashews.
• Cheese and crackers - My staple in my snack cupboard. I stick to medium cheddar cheese as it's my favourite! I like to pair it with either Ritz crackers or veggie crackers.
• Green Juice! - Of course!
• Chocolate - I have a love affair with chocolate... no seriously I do! I try to  take little mini round chocolates to limit myself from gorging on them. Usually I will take the Cadbury mini eggs (about 4-5) or one Lindt chocolate. In the picture above I'm snacking on Brookside Crunchy Raspberry fruit snacks, which are super good and somewhat healthy! Somewhat healthy because it has fruit in it, super good because it's covered in chocolate! Above all, they make a really yummy treat!

There you have it! My favourite snacks for work. What kind of snacks do you take to work?

~RANDOMiss

Spring Clean Up Lists!

It's that time of year when the weather gets warmer and everything starts fresh! Every spring I like to do a major 'spring cleaning' day (or two) to get everything ready for the nice summer weather. I've been spending some of my time over the past few weekends to kick start my list and get things in gear. Here's what I like to do:

1. Clean out the garage with old junk and discard items that are no longer needed.
2. Store away all winter items (ie. shovels, snow brushes, winter coats, boots etc...)
3. Wash the garage and driveway to get rid of all the salt and sand from the long winter months.
4. Rake all of the dead grass and leaves.
5. Wash my front walk way and front door.
6. Give the garden soil some turning and churning to incorporate air for good growth.
7. Make sure all garden hoses are working and there are no leaks....
8. Pick up all trash and litter around the yard that might have been sitting around underneath the snow.
9. Give my car a really good cleaning (inside & out) from all of the winter dirt and grim.
10. Get rid of all of the garden weeds that are starting to grow. It's important to get the garden weeds under control early to make it manageable throughout the summer.

(Of course in between all of this, going to grab Starbucks or getting an ice cream or two, is also essential as well!)

What's on your typical spring cleaning list?

~RANDOMiss