Firstly I wanted to thank Van Dusen for giving me the chance to bring my entire family! We had a blast.
If you’re in or around Vancouver, BC and you want to do something joyful for the holiday season, look no further than the Festival of Lights! With over one million lights decorating 15 acres, the scenery is sure to dazzle even the smallest of humans! With free rides on the carousel (my niece went on like 8 times!), a dancing light show, photos with Santa, food trucks and much much more – you are guaranteed to have a lot of fun! We did.
Don’t forget to share your images with the hashtag #vandusenFOL – Learn more about the event at: vandusenfestivaloflights.ca
Settling in to my new room has been something new. It’s definitely awesome to be able to decorate a space JUST how I like it!
I was lucky enough to partner with Mira Bed and they were so kind to send me their mattress.
It’s so comfortable and was the easiest to set up. It’s affordable, made in Canada and perfect for a good nights rest!
I have been sleeping so amazingly well and the foam is super dense and really takes any of the stress off my joints which I find happens to me a lot on spring mattresses. It was delivered quick, came in a box and was very easy to unroll and set up.
Until October 31st use code OCTOBER70 to get 70 dollars off!
I asked on my Facebook page if anyone was interested in having me share some of my favourite content on YouTube and seems like the answer was YES!
I have definitely found myself becoming increasingly bored at the content that Netflix and cable create. YouTube has been a great source of original content. These are in no particular order.
Dan Bell is definitely a film maker who has carved out a niche: he finds dead and dying malls and captures it all on video. His narration provides the viewer with lots of information and trivia.
Super 80’s, Jr. High School goodness. I am in awe of some of the clothes. It’s a peek in to what Canadian tv was like for teens. It definitely helped establish the franchise.
Rachel and Jun live in Japan. Rachel is originally American and they share all kinds of cool tidbits about living in Japan and the differences in western culture. They also have very cute cats.
Defunctland is all about defunct theme parks and goes through what used to be and what didn’t work. It’s really interesting to me to learn about times gone by.
Alex Meyers provides the ultimate narration on shows and movies infused with perfect comedic timing. He breaks down character flaws and plot holes in a really creative, entertaining way.
Bright Sun Films captures my interest in abandoned, bankrupt or cancelled changes to old properties – mainly hotels and amusement parks. It’s done in a way that you can’t help but want to watch more. Perfectly narrated and very interesting.
Barcroft TV is a channel with a lot of documentary style programming. They cover all kinds of different topics that deal with different lives and lifestyles at it’s core.
Vice is pretty much the millennials guide to news and entertainment features. They’re always updating and providing new content. I am really desiring more Oobah Butler content.
Justine Leconte is a French fashion designer. She provides all kinds of information about clothing quality and what to look for when you’re shopping. She is a wealth of information and can really educate people who are looking to make informed decisions when they’re shopping. I’ve already learned a lot from her!
Safiya Nygaard is an ex Buzzfeed video creator. They were moving in a direction that didn’t seem to work for her so she branched out and created her own channel. She has a great sense of humour and makes videos about a number of subjects including beauty, home, fashion and probably more things I can’t think of. Her and her Fiancee Tyler have great chemistry and work really well together.
I LOVE this channel so much. My favourite types of videos are ones with Claire and Carla. The majority of videos featuring Claire really showcase her talent for taking items off the shelf and making her own gourmet version of them. I love Carla’s back-to-back baking challenges with celebrities.
What channels and videos on YouTube do you like? Let me know! I’d love some suggestions.
(I received complementary tickets in exchange for my review)
Annie has always been one of my favourite musicals. I watched both versions on VHS religiously as a child, had a chance to be in a production in school and saw it at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre many moons ago.
Photo taken by Emily Cooper
This version seemed different to me and I learned that it’s not uncommon for the scripts to change and get rewritten. There were songs I didn’t remember and scenes that seemed off to me. I also didn’t know why they said “always” instead of “only” during Tomorrow. It’s actually because the movie version changed it. Who knew?
Camryn McDonald plays Annie and brings a very unique approach to her performance. She’s incredibly animated, professional and focused, much like all the seasoned professionals around her! I see a bright and successful future for Camryn.
The whole ensemble had great chemistry and I really enjoyed the choreography. A Hard Knock Life was a great display of the talent of the young ladies playing the orphans. It was really mesmerizing and one of my favourite songs.
The sets were beautiful but it was hard for me to not pick out pieces that didn’t fit the depression-era that the musical is set in. I don’t blame them, it’s not easy (or cheap) to completely retrofit the set to be 100% accurate. Same thing can be said for some of the costumes. There’s a scene where President Roosevelt is seated at a table with his staff and two of the ladies look like they came right off the set of Laverne & Shirley, but again, there’s only so much you can do with budget restraints. I also can’t help that I have an innate attention to detail.
Align has an incredibly dedicated team, committed to providing experiences you and your family will enjoy. It’s so important for the soul to immerse yourself in some arts and culture. Clearly i’m a big proponent of this!
Align Entertainment presents:
Annie: The Musical
Dates: February 1–16, 2019
Preview: February 1, 8pm
Family Matinee: February 2, 2pm
Opening Night: February 2, 8pm
Ticket Prices: Regular: $29–$42
Special Preview Pricing: $20
Thrifty Thursdays: $25
Family Matinee: $15
Address: Michael J. Fox Theatre
7373 Macpherson Ave
Burnaby, BC V5J 2B7
I’m so excited to announce that Kim’s Convenience is BACK for Season 3!
I think as a collective whole, we can agree that the wait has been long but good things come to those who wait and I can assure you it’s good, really good.
I want to thank CBC for giving me the chance to watch the first episode, aptly titled “New Appa-liance”. I honestly don’t want to give too much of the plot away. What I can tell you is it starts with a fart and ends with a dishwasher.
Janet’s has her struggles in her photography program and grapples with her name. There are some wonderful moments with Jung and Appa. Umma is a bit more emotional in this episode, but I find she has good reason. If you haven’t watched the show and you’re looking for laughs, you can catch up on previous episodes on CBC Gem & Netflix.
I want to thank the Vancouver Park Board for giving me the chance to attend this beautiful event.
The Bloedel Floral Conservatory first opened it’s doors in 1969 and has been delighting families ever since. It had been an especially long time since I had been – probably over 15 years! I was in awe of the plants and the birds! The gorgeous lights that have been added to make holiday heights come to life.
We were warmly greeted and asked if we wanted to participate in the scavenger hunt. OF COURSE. No hesitation. Find all the GNOMES?! YES! In case you didn’t know, I love garden gnomes. I think it has to do with my fascination of all things kitsch.
The birds are stunning and wonderful to see. For me, it evokes memories of my past. I grew up in a house full of pets. One of them was Arthur. Arthur was a blue and gold macaw who absolutely loved my mom. They were inseparable.
Arthur now lives at the conservatory and I stopped by and talked to him. I could tell that he remembered me. He was family, after all.
We approached a photo wall, complete with hashtag and beautiful flowers. Couldn’t help but snap some shots! Insta-worthy moment.
I noticed that some of the trees had very eclectic decorations. Shells and other kinds of natural wonder adorning them. Things like this please me because they give me artistic ideas and I love the fact that they are so unique.
Navigating Life 