The Friday Five: Things on My Mind

June 7, 2019 | 1 Commentary

1.Watch These Videos. Oh my goodness. Who loves James Cordon’s Carpool Karaoke? I love it. And this latest one with Celine Dion just made me smile and laugh. She’s such a character.

If you want to be impressed and you’re okay with tearing up, watch Kodi Lee‘s audition on America’s Got Talent. So good.

2. Netflix. I’m slowly watching David Letterman’s My Next Guest Needs No Introduction. Kanye West was the first guest on Season 2. I’m not a huge Kanye fan, but I thought it was an interesting interview. I also liked watching Letterman try on Kanye’s Yeezy clothes. Episode 2 was with Ellen Degeneres. I have always like Ellen, so I really enjoyed this interview. She’s candid, likeable, vulnerable, and funny (of course).

3. Food. Rachel Parcell shared an Instastory of hootenanny, and I had no idea what it was. So I looked it up. It’s a breakfast food that is kind of like a mix between pancakes and French toast, but not really. Here’s one hootenanny recipe, but there are plenty of others online.

4. Read this. I liked this list of 22 tiny things to do this summer to feel joy.

5. Beauty. Are there any fans of shellac nail polish out there? I love (love, love) how it looks and how it holds up for extended periods of time, but I hate (hate, hate) how it leaves my nails once it has been removed. I had shellac on for my trip to Japan for April, and my nails are still healing. It’s awful. Does anyone else get annoyed by the poor state of your nails after shellac polish has been removed? What do you do about it?

Comment: The Tipping Game

June 6, 2019 | 9 Commentaries

I don’t quite know how to categorize this post, so I went with “Comment.” I have a comment to make about tipping.

In North America, tipping is expected in the service industry. Good service. Bad service. We tip. We tip at restaurants, spas, and hair salons. We tip for cab rides. We tip hotel staff for service. We tip. We should tip to say thank you and to show appreciation of great service. North Americans are expected to tip.

And when the service isn’t all that great? I still end up tipping. Do you? Why? If the tip is a reflection of service received, and service is bad, why should I (or we) feel obliged to offer a 15% tip? It’s a curious question. One that I have discussed with others recently as we’ve expressed frustration and interest and curiosity about the tipping practice in Canada.

Outside North America, tipping practices vary. In France and Italy, tips aren’t common. In Japan, too, you never tip. And this is a country whose citizens pride themselves on providing excellent service. When I was there, I wanted to tip everyone, but since tipping is frowned upon, I didn’t dare!

Although tip percentages in North America vary, they seem to hover around the 15% mark for many of the services I tend to use (e.g., restaurants, spa, salon). Emily Post’s tipping etiquette guide offers reasonable guidelines regarding many industries and services.

Lately, one thing related to tipping has really bothered me (and some of my friends, too). Let me explain.

Some of my regular – and new – restaurants and cafés are self-service whereby you order at a counter and you either bring the food back with you after it has been served on the counter, or it is brought to your table. In these establishments, you pay your complete bill before you receive your meal. The machine that you use to pay with your credit card or debit card gives you an option to tip (some machines start at 18% tip).

Tip in advance of receiving service or a meal? I just don’t get it.

At one place I go to in Waterloo, you order and pay for your meal at the counter. You get your own water from the water dispenser. You pick up your coffee at the counter and bring it to your table. A server brings you your meal (not always the right one!). You clear away your own dishes. Regardless of all the work you do, a tip is requested at time of payment (before any service, besides someone taking your order, is offered). How do you know if or what to tip if you’ve not yet received any service? Do I tip because someone has said hello to me and taken my money for order? It seems odd to tip pre-service. Frankly, the whole situation bothers me. Am I alone in thinking that it’s rude to request a tip for service that hasn’t yet been offered?

I wonder what would Emily Post say about this. What do you think? I’d love to know!

Gift Guide: Father’s Day

June 5, 2019 | 1 Commentary

Father’s Day is around the corner (ahem…Sunday, June 16th), which is a nice reminder for us to get prepared. My own dad is pretty easy to shop for – a bottle of wine – something he likely wouldn’t buy for himself, preferably with the letter B on it somewhere (for his name). And if I can’t find such a unique bottle of wine, I just buy him something that I think he would like, and he seems pretty happy. If you’d like to spoil a dad in your life with more than a bottle of wine, read on! Daniela has yet another excellent gift guide for us all!

***

Dads are hard to buy for, so I hope this gift guide takes some of the stress off as you shop for the father in your life.

Whether dad is king of the grill or of the kitchen this awesome apron will be a sure hit. What makes this apron unique is it functions as a knife roll when folded. Also, by purchasing this Sorichetti apron, you are supporting a father daughter duo that designs and manufactures their products in Toronto, Canada! How cool is that? Read more about Sorichetti.

These sneakers are sleek, go with almost anything, and are made in Italy. And as we all know, the best shoes are made in Italy! Best dads deserve the best shoes

Santoni deerskin sneakers, $399 (on sale), Harry Rosen

Next up…Why not engrave a sweet message or initials on these classic cuff links by Canadian company Birks ?

This unique vintage inspired watch is great for a watch enthusiast or the dad who could use a new classic watch.

Available at a registered Stihl dealer, this next gift is perfect for the dad who has a lot of trees on their property, or if you just want to make outdoor work easier for dad, then this gift is one to get! The Stihl backpack leaf blower is the best leaf blower on the market. I know my husband would love to receive one of these one day.

Is your dad a golf enthusiast? If so, I am sure he would appreciate one or both of these for Father’s Day.

First, keep dad safe from the sun and stylish with this hat

And then make sure he is at the top of his game with this wedge

Is the dad in your life a big yogi ? Then this mat is for him. It’s durable and made so well that it will likely last a lifetime.

Practical dads who always pack their lunch will think of you everyday when using this useful gift. This is an insulated lunch bag that’s easy to use and hand washable from one of my favourite Canadian companies – So Young.

*black paper lunch poche, $42CAD, So Young*

And with that, I have reached the end of my gift guide. I hope you have a fantastic Father’s Day!

Happy Shopping!

***

Don’t you think Daniela has a talent for gift giving? Her gift guides are so well curated, and I’m thankful she spends time creating them for us all! I see, too, that she’s included some of her favourite Canadian brands like The Well.ca, So Young, and Birks. This guide has sparked a few ideas for my own shopping…maybe I should expand on my traditional wine gift for my dad this Father’s Day!

Two for Tuesday: The Minimalist Rainbow

June 4, 2019 | Leave a Reply

June is Pride month, which means all the colourful rainbows are in full force in cities, communities, and homes around the world. Rainbows are one of the most recognizable symbols of gay pride. You might see them on pedestrian crossings, flags, and on every piece of clothing item. Today, I’m sharing two more minimalist rainbows to raise awareness for the rights of all citizens.

*black and white rainbow art, $13.99USD+, Hearts in Colors*

Design: Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey, France

June 4, 2019 | 1 Commentary

Let’s go to France today. More specifically, let’s travel to the Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey hotel which is not only part of the Relais & Chateaux group, but is also a Lalique hotel (as in the famous French crystal company). This combo means that the Chateau has the best-of-the-best of decor, food, and services.

Who is ready to book a flight to Bordeaux to discover this gorgeous property?