Marketplace: Melamine Dinnerware Sets

July 24, 2020 | Leave a Reply

In the COVID-19 era, I haven’t been hosting dinner parties as I have in the pre-COVID-19 era. I have, however, been visiting with family and friends in my backyard for very low-key social time. I serve a few drinks and snacks (always trying to minimize shared items) alongside an endless supply of Lysol wipes. The outdoor entertaining has made me consider investing in a melamine dinnerware set. I haven’t found a set that I absolutely love, but these are contenders.

All white is so clean, but is it also so boring for summer? *Amazon, $53.02CAD*

*I like the classic patterns on this set from Amazon ($62.08CAD).*

*I really like the graphic pattern on these plates from Crate & Barrel (dinner plate, $10.95CAD).*

*I like the slightly irregular shapes of these* *CB2* *dinner plates (set of 4 dinner plates, $33.95CAD).*

*I like this graphic set from Wayfair, too ($85.99CAD for service for 4)!*

Once stock gets replenished in stores like HomeSense, I’ll have a look at options there, too. I would prefer to see the quality of the dinnerware set in person before I purchase it.

What do you think? Do you dine outside with outdoor-friendly dinnerware or do you use your everyday dishes?

Fashion: 10 White Dresses for Summer

July 22, 2020 | Leave a Reply

There’s no way I’m counting down the days of summer after the months (months and months) of cold weather. There is still plenty of time to wear breezy white dresses. If you’re on the lookout for options, here are 10 white dress to consider.

*shirt dress, $118CAD (on sale), Kit & Ace*

*lace dress, $249.99CAD, See by Chloé at Simons*

*taffeta babydoll dress, $158CAD, Aritzia*

*eyelet midi dress, $270CAD, Urban Outfitters*

*eyelet dress, $60CAD (on sale), Hudson’s Bay*

Interiors: White and Bright in California

July 20, 2020 | Leave a Reply

I know my posts have been sporadic these last few months, but I think my creative juices are slowly coming back, and I feel like writing more regularly again.

I’ve had this California home saved for a while to share, so here it is. The view from the large living room window is spectacular, and I could imagine so many lovely meals at the dining room table. Wouldn’t it be ideal if the table was always set as it is in the photo?

The low-rise bed in the main bedroom is waiting for someone to jump on it, I think. And the the twin room is sweet and cozy.

All photos via Remodelista. Photography by Tessa Neustadt. Design by Jenni Kayne.

Personal: June Update of My 2020 Goals

June 30, 2020 | 2 Commentaries

Back in January, I drafted a list of 20 things I wanted to do/see/eat/think about/read in 2020. At the end of each month, I’ve shared an update with you about what I have (or have not) been doing. Here’s the original post, and here are my updates for January, February, March, April, and May. Here are a few updates of what I have been doing during the month of June, if you’d like to know (I’m only listing items I’ve worked on.).

And if you’re annoyed by my lack of posts or my goal-focused posts, stay tuned, because I think I’m just about ready to get back into regular blogging.

***

1.Complete the challenges that my family and friends set for me for my 40th birthday. I have so many movies still to watch, so I doubt I’ll be able to watch them and complete all the other tasks (some travel-related) by my July birthday. That’s okay. I’ll keep at it!

2. Travel. We all know I love to travel, but with the pandemic, I obviously haven’t done much with this goal. I’ve been staying around the Waterloo region mostly, but I have traveled to Toronto and Lake Huron for family visits. I have a couple of travel-ish plans set for July, so if all goes well, I can fill you in!

5. Play more board games. I’m still on a bit of a puzzle kick, and I have one on the go right now that is a photo of ice cream. Yum! This one is much easier than my first puzzle (Starry Night) because there are a lot of colour variations, and the puzzle pieces are different shapes and sizes. And, yes, I’m still playing Nintendo quite regularly. I still feel proud of my Dr. Mario skills! Now I should work on Donkey Kong.

7. Wear more dresses. It has been so easy to wear dresses now in the warm weather. I love them all, and I find it so easy to throw on a dress and be ready for my day!

8. Consider adding more colour to my wardrobe. I did add pink eyeglasses to my collection. Does this count?

11. Eat more vegetables. I have done okay with my veggie intake this month. And I’m excited for what’s to come in July as the lettuce, kale, and tomatoes in my little garden will be ready to eat!

12. Buy more fun socks. I bought fun socks for other people this month, which brought me joy. Check out these jar socks. Aren’t they fun?

13. Connect people. I made some connections between guest speakers and my students this month.

14. Clean closets regularly. I cleaned out two big closets this month, which was SO satisfying. I’m happy to share that I’m no longer a hoarder of empty boxes or bubble wrap.

15. Trust my gut. Yes, I’m still doing this. I feel good about trusting my gut.

18. Clean up my shoes. My shoe closet is so tidy now! Yes!

19. Pass on my magazines. Yes. I continue to pass on magazines. I’ve added books to this goal now, too.

20. Have fun. YOLO (you only live once), right? I’m still doing things that make me happy!

***

And there you have it – my June update. Thanks for reading! Have a great week, everyone! Here’s to a happy July!

Get Educated

June 2, 2020 | 1 Commentary

Deaths. Riots. Protests. Deaths. Deaths. More deaths.

The news has been overwhelming. I’ve had to stop scrolling through my Twitter feed because it’s just too much. But ignoring what’s happening isn’t productive. Shutting off the news isn’t useful.

At this time, I also can’t stop thinking about This is America by Childish Gambino. Anyone else? It was released in 2018, but it seems that the images could have been taken from the news clips of this week. Terrible. Just awful.

It’s no secret that I value education. I learn from school, texts, books, friends, news, articles, professors, etc. I try to stay informed by reading a variety of sources, thinking critically, and reflecting on my own biases.

Given what’s happening in the USA, and what happens in Canada, regularly, too, regarding racial wars, I’m trying to learn more and fill in the gaps of my own knowledge, education, and experiences. Perhaps you are, too. The lists of educational resources that have been shared online are overwhelming, but these sites seem to be well-curated. It’s a starting point if you and your families want to learn more about racism, implicit bias, and anti-racism work.

If you have other resources to share, please do so.

I believe education is one of the best gifts we can give children around the world. Education tests our perspectives and our previous understandings. Education helps us to make sense of the world around us. Education gives us power, language, ideas, and skills to effect change. Two organizations that I have worked with who provide great education opportunities for black children and youth are:

Leadership by Design – Part of the Lifelong Leadership Institute, this Toronto-based program gives African-Caribbean youth opportunities to develop and practice their leadership skills. The group of highschool students who I met in 2018 were impressive to say the least.
Pendo – Located near Nairobi, Kenya, the first Pendo school opened in 2019 with a focus on providing early childhood education and nutrition to young Kenyans. Pendo means love in Swahili.

If you know of other educational programs, please share them in the comments.

I shared a similar message with my students this week because I know I can effect change through my work at the university.

Be well.

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