Life – Leave it to Lea

Life

Tattoo & Piercing FAQ

February 7, 2023February 7, 2023by LeaLeave a Comment

Hey guys! I always get asked questions about my tattoos and piercings, so I thought it would be nice to do a little post about it. That way all this information can live in one place on my blog! I don’t have many tattoos and piercings but I do love each of them dearly. So let’s get into it!

Q: What tattoos and piercings do you have?

A: I have three tattoos and three piercings! I got my ears first pierced when I was a baby. I got my nose pierced before I went to university, in the summer of 2015. I got my first tattoo in 2017 and my second in 2018. I got my second earlobes in February 2022 and my third tattoo in April 2022.

Q: Do your tattoos have any meaning?

A: People always love to ask about the meaning behind tattoos, which I always find funny. I don’t think you need any justification to get tattoos but that being said two of my tattoos do have meaning.

The three daisies on my foot have many meanings. Daisy is my birth flower and it’s also my middle name (in french – Marguerite). My paternal grandmother and my maternal great-grandmother were named Marguerite, so I have three daises for each of us.

My bee tattoo I got because I liked the look of bee tattoos!

My pinecone is for my mom. My mom’s term of endearment for me is cocotte, which is pinecone in French Canadian. She gave me a silver pinecone necklace that I love so when I was thinking of a new idea for a tattoo the pinecone stuck out to me. It also matches the nature theme I have with my other tattoos.

Q: Did they hurt?

A: I just want to start by saying that I have a pretty high pain tolerance. I find going to the dentist more painful than getting tattoos and piercing – but to be fair I have sensitive gums haha.

Piercings just feel like a strong pinch to me. They hurt for a few seconds and then it’s over. I always find it helpful to not look at the needle. I do the same thing when I get any shoots or immunizations.

I don’t find tattoos particularly painful, it’s more uncomfortable. My most painful tattoo was the one on my foot because part of it is on my ankle bone. Tattoos are more painful over bones than fat or muscle areas. Since you have to sit still while getting tattooed, I find that the area usually goes numb (or ‘falls asleep’) just from the fact that I’m not moving it. When I got the one on my right bicep my shoulder got sore just from how I was sitting. But I would describe the sensation as a cat scratch. It’s not fun but you get used to it.

For both my piercings and my tattoos I didn’t take any medication before or after to help with the pain. I didn’t feel like I needed it.

Q: What was the healing process like?

A: My tattoos were all easy to heal. Every tattoo artist and piercer will give you different aftercare instructions. For my tattoos, I have them wrapped for a day and then left them to air dry after that. I was told to wash it with unscented soap and then just let it be. I didn’t put any lotion on. All my tattoos have healed and worn well. I’ve had the one on my foot for five-ish years now and it still looks good.

I would say the most annoying thing about healing my tattoos is that you’re not supposed to soak them in water. Which was difficult when I worked as a lifeguard, I had to work it around my schedule to have enough time to heal them before I had to be in the water again. Now it just means that I can’t have any baths while a tattoo heals.

I can’t comment on my first earlobes because I got them done as a baby. I got my nose pierced twice, as well as my second earlobes, and all of them were so difficult to heal.

Both times I got my nose pierced I had bad keloids. I had a stub before I got my current ring. The ring took quite a while to heal. The only thing I really found that was effective in helping with my keloids was tea tree oil. But honestly, it just took time. Now my nose piercing is fine.

I got my second piercings about a year ago and they also have keloids. Luckily they’re on the back of my ears so you don’t see them. But for that reason, I haven’t changed my earrings because I’m afraid of what would happen with the keloids. I don’t have any advice on how to help, I’m just once again letting time do its thing.

Q: Where did you get them done?

A: I got my nose pierced both times at my local tattoo parlour. They did a fine job. The reason why I got it pierced twice is that I had to take out my stud for work and then it accidentally grew in. I still wanted my nose pierced so once I was done with that job I got it re-pierced and switched to a ring. I’ve had the same ring in my nose since 2016.

I wouldn’t recommend where I got my second ear piercing done because they were overpriced.

I’ve gotten all three of my tattoos done by Tori Kopp. When I was looking to get my first tattoo done, I was recommended Tori by a friend. I fell in love with her work and found her prices to be more reasonable than tattoo artists in Toronto. She does work in Niargara so it’s a bit of a drive but it’s so worth it. She’s not only an amazing artist but an amazing person. I always feel so comfortable around her, it’s like hanging out with a friend for a few hours. She now has her own shop and it’s such a safe and inviting space compared to other tattoo studios.

Q: How much did you pay?

A: I honestly forget how much I paid for everything except my second piercing, which was overpriced.

Q: Do you want any more?

A: I was never huge into piercings. When I was in my late teens, it was very big to get a lot of ear piercings and I was never into it. I just wanted my nose and that was it. I am happy that I got my second earlobes. But with how difficult all of my piercings have been to heal I don’t think I’ll get any more any time soon.

As for tattoos I definitely want more. I know what I want to get next, just waiting for the right moment. While I want more tattoos I don’t see myself ever having full sleeves. I think I’ll just have a collection of little tattoos all over. Most people don’t even notice my tattoos unless I’m wearing a tank top and am barefoot. I like that my tattoos are not super obvious and I see myself keeping it that way or at least for now. Who knows how I’ll feel in the future.

If you guys have any questions about tattoos and piercings, please let me know in the comments and I’d be happy to answer them!

xoxo

Lea

Life

I’m Going on Vacation!!

February 18, 2022February 17, 2022by Lea3 Comments

Hey guys! Just wanted to let you know that I will be going on vacation starting today! I’m very excited because this is the first real trip that I’m taking since the pandemic again. I’m so excited to take some time off work and get to relax and explore.

That being said I won’t have any posts going up next week. I was trying to work ahead but it was becoming too hard to do. I decided it wasn’t worth working myself to death to have content go up during my vacation and instead should just take the actual break! I take a break from work but for some reason, it’s hard for me to take a break from posting content. But I think you guys will understand me not posting next week.

I’ll be back in March with some exciting content detailing all my travels so stay tuned for that!

xoxo

Lea

Holiday, Life, Tips and Tricks

10 Cute Ways to Celebrate Galentine’s Day

February 1, 2022February 1, 2022by LeaLeave a Comment

Hey guys! If you’re like me (aka single) then you really couldn’t care less about Valentine’s Day. But Galentine’s Day, on the other hand, I love it. I’ll take any excuse to show my friends with love and adoration. I wanted to share a few cute ways to celebrate! There is a combination of gifts to parties. So let’s get into it.

1. Cocktail Competition

I always see girls online doing cocktail competitions and I think Galentine’s Day is a great time to do it! The idea is for everyone to bring the ingredients for a different cocktail and make one for each guest. This is better for a more intimate get-together unless you and your besties are down to have a bunch of drinks (or you make them non-alcoholic). If you need inspiration for drinks, check out Pinterest!

2. Dress Code

If you have a bigger group of gals (or want to include some of the guys as well) then do a dress code! To stay within Galentine’s theme, doing pink and red clothes only is a great option. Or it can be whatever floats your friend group’s boat.

3. Rom-Com Movie Night

There is nothing better than curling up on the couch with your besties and watching a cheesy or corny romance film. My friends and I have down the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy the past couple of years. This idea can be easily adapted to do over Zoom if you have wanted to celebrate with your long-distance besties (or based on lockdown restrictions in your area). Grab some snacks and a glass of wine and I’d call that a perfect night.

4. Send cards

Sending out cards to people isn’t exclusive to Christmas. I think sending a card to someone is a pretty inexpensive way to put a smile on someone’s face, especially if they don’t live near you. I love to send cards to my friends who live far away that I can’t see in person. You can also easily make a handmade card and then you only need to pay for postage!

5. V-Day Brunch

Maybe you and your friends all have partners in your life and are too busy in the evening. Well going to brunch is the perfect way to squeeze some time in with your gals! As someone who loves brunch, I will take the opportunity to eat some eggs benedict.

6. Baking Exchange

This is a great combination of a gift and a party. The idea is everyone brings one baked good and then shares it with all the other guests, so everyone goes home with a variety of delicious desserts! Or if you have a few close friends, you can also bake something together.

7. Personalized jewelry

I always tell guys to never buy their girl jewelry unless she specially asks for something. For girls though, as long as you know your bestie’s style, you’re set. I think getting something personalized, either their name or zodiac or birthstone is a nice added touch. And if you want to go the extra mile, getting yourself a matching piece so that way you can twin is super cute and memorable.

8. Secret Cupid

Everyone knows about Secret Santa, but why not do a Secret Cupid? The principle is the same, everyone gets randomly assigned a person and gets that person a gift. Then exchange gifts at the get-together! Make the budget as high or low as your friends are comfortable doing.

9. Self-Care Kit

If you have a friend who may be feeling particularly down during this time of year, get them a self=care kit! Throw in some skincare products, some makeup, some candy. Bonus points if you get everything pink or red to match with Valentine’s Day!

10. Spa Day

If you want to amp up that self-care kit a bit, then do a spa day! This is easy to adjust to your price point. For a more budget-friendly option, you can organize a spa day at home and invite the girls over. If you have a mid-tier budget, then going to get a treatment down, such as a pedicure or a facial with a friend is a great idea. And if you want to go all out, planning a whole girls spa weekend is another great option. Getting out of town and spending some time at a spa with your friends is a great way to make some unforgettable memories.

And those are my 10 cute ways to celebrate Galentine’s Day! If you have anything fun planned for you and your friends, let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Lea

Life

2022 Goals!

January 11, 2022January 11, 2022by Lea3 Comments

Hey guys! I’m back from my unannounced break! Sorry about that, I did announce it on my Instagram but didn’t say it on here or on my Youtube. Originally I was going to take a break between Christmas and New Year but pre-film and write to still have posts go up during that period. Since I got COVID-19 I was too tired to work ahead so I had to work during that week. I was just going to muscle my way through going back to work and making content but when Ontario announced another lockdown I knew I needed a break. I’m back now, but I think in the future I need to be better at planning and announcing my breaks. Something to add to the goal list.

Speaking of goals, the past couple of years I’ve shared my goals with you guys so I thought I would continue the tradition. I like to call them goals versus resolutions because these are things I’m planning to work on all year instead of an immediate change. Some of my goals directly impact my blog and Youtube and others are just about my life, but I like sharing them as an accountability thing but also to give you guys inspiration for your goals. Let’s get into it.

1. Pick a new healthy habit each month

In 2021, I had a goal to do some form of movement five times a week. This could include going to the gym, going to yoga or even walking my dog. And I have to say I did a pretty good job of accomplishing that! There were some weeks here and there but I would say I exercised pretty consistently, even during lockdowns, so I felt satisfied enough that it’s now a habit and doesn’t need to be a goal.

I want to continue improving my health but couldn’t figure out one area that I thought deserved my attention the whole year. So that’s why I came up with the idea of picking one healthy habit each month to focus on. If I’m successful, hopefully I gain 12 new healthy habits by the end of the year. For January, I’m trying to up my water intake since it’s pretty poor right now. The goal is a litre a day, which might not be a lot for some but it’s way more than I was drinking before. If I’m successful I’ll pick a new habit, if not I’ll carry it over to February.

2. Read 20 pages a day & 20 books this year

I was pretty ambitious last year with a goal of 50 books. Maybe if I was unemployed all year I could have hit that goal. But as soon as I got a job (which I am very thankful for and rather have than read more books), my reading rate when down. I ended the year with 36 books. So taking into consideration the rate I read while working, my goal for this year is 20 books.

Along with that goal, I want to read 20 pages each day. One of the things that affected my reading rate was that some nights I was too tired (or spent too much time on TikTok) and didn’t get the chance to read anything that day. By reading at least 20 pages a day, I’ll read around 600! I often find that once I get into the rhythm I often read more than the 20 which will just help me read more books!

3. Track my expenses

A big goal in 2021 for me was to get a job and have some money coming in. Once I accomplished that goal, I decided that I needed to be smart about my money and not spend it all at once. I created a budget for myself and was trying to take my expenses.

Like many people, I found that budget went out the window come the holiday season. I want to get back into the tracking and saving mode I had created last year. I don’t currently have any savings goals, but that might be something I add later in the year.

4. Do one big self-care moment a month

I got this idea for Sierra Schultzzie. She’s a new mom and one thing she’s doing is once a month she leaves the house and does something special for herself such as get her nails done, get her hair done or go to the spa. I’m not a new mom, but the idea of treating oneself to a big thing each month sounds pretty good to me.

I have a bad habit of spending on frivolous things in the name of self-care, such as getting a Starbucks drink or buying a new shirt. But I think it would be smarter to channel that money into one big thing that is more of an experience. I’m not going to remember when I bought a new eyeliner but I will remember when I treated myself to a spa day. I haven’t decided what I’ll be doing this month since I’m not sure what’s open with the lockdown restrictions but I am very excited to do something for myself.

5. Increase my income from my blog

If you guys are unaware, I do currently have it set up that I get some money from the ads on my blog. At this point it’s a pretty small amount – I make a few pennies each day – but I want to continue increasing that amount to where I can finally get paid out and earn some money from my blog.

I also want to start doing some sponsorships and partnerships as another way to increase my income from my blog. This is a goal that I’ll probably be working on later in the year, but I want to push myself to start pitching myself to brands instead of waiting around for opportunities to come to me. I have some specific goals and objectives around this, but I want to keep those to myself for now.

6. Increase my social followings

And finally, I want to increase my social followings. Obviously, numbers aren’t everything and it’s not something I follow on the day-to-day level. But I do like to track my followers month-to-month and also see how much I’ve grown over a year.

Instagram is where I’m currently struggling the most. My growth has really stagnated and I’m really unsure what direction I want to take my page on that app. I do have a goal but it’ll take some serious work to reach it. My TikTok page really grew last year but unfortunately also stalled because in the fall I really dropped off posting as much because I just wasn’t reading as much! I want to try and diversify my TikTok to help me have more content to continue to grow. Finally, for my Youtube, I think I did pretty well last year. I have two videos that got over 1000 views, and my overall average is going up. I think just being consistent with my Youtube channel will hopefully have the best impact.

And those are my goals for 2022 guys! I would love to know what some of your goals are for this year. And if you have any advice for me I’d be happy to hear it!

xoxo

Lea

Life

A Self-Care Day With Me ✨

September 24, 2021September 24, 2021by LeaLeave a Comment

Hey guys! I realize it’s been a bit since my last blog post, something that doesn’t occur often. If you missed it on Instagram, sadly one of my cats passed away last week. I decided to take some time to grieve. As well, I have been super busy at work the last month and have just been feeling uninspired when it’s come to my blog and Instagram. I think the break was very much needed because I hadn’t taken a break since Christmas.

During my break, I thought about what I want this blog to be like. I concluded that I definitely still want to continue blogging, but that what I was doing in the past might not be sustainable for me currently. My consumption habits have changed so it’s not realistic for me to be constantly doing reviews of new makeup and books. I want to incorporate other aspects of my life more into my blog. I’m also not sure if I can continue posting twice a week, but I’m going to try for a bit before making that decision.

Anyway, that is a long-winded way to say I wanted to share a bit of my day this past Wednesday. I had the day off work and decided to do a little self-care day. I decided to get all dolled up and do my makeup. I’m testing a bunch of new makeup so stay tuned for that blog post. 😉 It was chilly and rainy (perfect first day of fall) so I decided to break out this new cardigan I got from Winners.

The first stop on my self-care day was afternoon tea with my mom. For my birthday my mom had given me an IOU coupon to go to afternoon tea wherever I wanted. I found this place called Tea At The White House in Waterdown. If you’re local I highly recommend this place. We decided to go all out and get the White Tea House, which comes with tea, sandwiches, scones and desserts. They have over 200 teas to choose from! The food was also delicious. It was a big meal, but they also offer smaller tea services. It was great and definitely go back.

Then the next stop was The Freelton Antique Mall. This place is a huge antique store and is only about 20 minutes away from Waterdown. My mom and I love antiquing so it was nice to walk around. We were there for only half an hour and only did a quarter of the store. I found this gorgeous rose quartz bowl. It’s the perfect size to hold jewelry or other little trinkets, and it was only $40!

To finish off my self-care day, I got a 60 minute registered massage at Zenbar. I received a gift card for my birthday but hadn’t had the chance (because of lockdowns and then work) to use it until now! I’ve had massages and facials at Zenbar before, they’re a great spa. I let the massage therapist know I had some tension in my neck and shoulders and she did a great job of working them out. I also know that many insurance plans will cover registered massages, so I also recommend people look into that because it’s a great way to relax but also save some money.

And that was my self-care day guys. I also hope you enjoyed this post, sharing some more local places that I enjoyed visiting. Let me know in the comments what are some of your favourite activities you like to do on self-care days!

xoxo

Lea

Back to School, Life, Review

Back-to-School Supplies For College

August 21, 2021August 21, 2021by LeaLeave a Comment

Hey guys! Today’s post is inspired by my brother. He was doing some back-to-school shopping and was asking for my opinion. He suggested I do a back-to-school post. Now while I’m not going back to school this year, I still love shopping and want to help you guys out! So today I’m going to compile a list of links for you guys for back-to-school supplies! I haven’t tried all of the products (such as the backpacks) so I’m just going off reviews. Also, let me know if you want me to do a post on some school tips and tricks, I can do that as well! Let’s get into it.

One of the most important items, second to a good laptop, is a good backpack. This is what you’ll use to carry every to and from class. And since you’ll be using it almost daily, you’ll want something to last through the school year. My first pick is the Ela Backpack. I like the wide, rounded shape of the bag. It’ll fit a laptop and many other things, and the black leather design is simple and timeless. My second pick is the Kanken Original Backpack by Fjallraven. This bag was designed as a school bag so it’ll meet all your needs. I also like that it comes in a range of colours so you’ll find one that matches your personality. One of the cheaper options is the Travelon Anti-Theft Signature Nylon Slim Backpack. It is on the smaller size so won’t fit the largest laptops. But if you want something that’s also great for travelling this is it! If you want something with lots of pockets, check out the Kenneth Cole Reaction Women’s Chelsea Backpack. It has four compartments as well as a place to put a water bottle on the side. I like the quilted design and it comes in four colours. If you’re looking for a bag that’s good for the classroom and the gym, check out the Lululemon City Adventurer Backpack 17L. As the name suggests, the bag can carry up to 17L so you can fit everything in this bag. There is a compartment for a laptop and one for sweaty workout clothes!

Now let’s get into pens and such. My favourite pen is hands down the BIC Velocity Bold Ballpoint Pens. I know not everyone is into large pens, but I find them so much easier to hold. And I find ballpoint pens the smoothest to write with. It’s helpful to have some coloured pens as well and BIC has Velocity Bold Fashion pens! They have blue, pink, green and purple in the pack. For bullet journaling, I prefer a fine point pen, since I like to draw as well as write in it. The Sharpie Fine Point Pen Stylo, Assorted Colors, 12-Pack is a great basic pack since it comes with two black pens and 10 different colours. And finally, if you’re looking for some nice markers, my favourite is the Tombow Dual Brush Pens. The pastel set is my favourite because you could also use them as highlighters. I use the pens when drawing in my bullet journal.

Now to hold all the pens and markets you need a pencil case! If you want something cute, then check out the NOTA brand at Indigo. They have a ton of designs and different sizes. If you are looking for something with a lot of room in it, then look into the Mokani Large Capacity Pencil Case. The pencil case can hold up to 50-80 pencils, erasures, calculators, etc. This is perfect for an art student who has tons of different pens. If you’re on the opposite end and don’t need a large pencil case, then check out the INECIY Grid Mesh Pencil Case. It’s also made of mesh so you can always see what’s in your pencil case. Finally, if you have a lot of pencils and pens to organize, then check out the Gamenote Assorted Colors Plastic Pencil Case Box. It comes in an eight pack so you can all your pens and stationery supplies. The plastic allows you to see through and know what’s in each box without having to open them.

And the final important part of back-to-school shopping is getting notebooks and planners. Indigo makes some of my favourite pretty notebooks. They have both hardcover and soft notebooks as well as a range of sizes. I have a bunch of the A5 Spiral Notebooks and they work well and look pretty. When I was in university, I used the Five Star Spiral 5 Subject Notebooks. I had five classes in university so I would use a section per subject. That way I could have all my notes in one notebook. If you’re looking for something simple, then check out the Amazon Basics College Ruled Composition Notebooks. They look nicer than the cheap Hilroy notebooks but they won’t break the bank. Next is a planner. Planners are very personal and need to meet your specific needs. I currently used a NOTA 17-Month Agenda. It has space for the days of the week and to write notes which I like. If you want to customize your planner, then maybe try bullet journaling. Most people start with the Leuchtturm1917 Dotted Hardcover Journal. But if you want to step things up, check out the Archer & Olive Bullet Journals. And finally, if agendas or planners aren’t your thing but you still want to stay organized, maybe try a desk calendar.

Those are my recommendations for some back-to-school shopping! Let me know if I forgot to include anything and maybe I could do a part two? I’m also very excited about doing some fall fashion shopping, so stay tuned for that as well. 😉

xoxo

Lea

Holiday, Home Decor, Life, Tips and Tricks

Easy Ways to get into the Valentine’s Day Spirit

February 2, 2021February 2, 2021by LeaLeave a Comment

Hey guys! So today we’re talking about Valentine’s Day. It’s less than two weeks away! I’m all for the Valentine’s Day spirit this year even though I’m single as a pringle. February can be a depressing time of the year normally, with it being winter and cold outside. Add on top the pandemic and it can be easy to spiral into a deep depression. But instead, I’m celebrating the little moments and getting hyped for this holiday. The colours are bright and cheerful. And the holiday includes chocolate and flowers, things that always brighten my mood. So today I’m sharing some easy and budget-friendly ways to bring some cheer into your lives for Valentine’s Day.

Decorate your space

I love decorating seasonally. If you follow me on Insta or Youtube you might have seen that I decorate my room for fall and Christmas. Well, Valentine’s Day is no exception. It brings a smile to my face every time I see my decorations up. It doesn’t have to be expensive. I just got a couple of things from the dollar store. And you can always use them again and again, so skip the Starbucks for one day and get yourself some decorations.

If your budget is tight then try rearranging the decor you already have. I change my letterboard sign to match the theme. If you have framed photos, you can always switch the photos for something Valentine’s day themed. Pinterest has tons of options.

Change your electronic wallpapers

Speaking of Pinterest, that website is full of free wallpapers for your phones, tablets and computers. It might seem silly, but changing your wallpaper can help improve your mood. Think about how often we are on these devices. That way whenever you open them, you can see a cute image instead!

Add some flowers

Tulips#flowers#beautiful#pretty#loving#christmas#flychorddigitalpiano | Valentines flowers, Valentine bouquet, Flower gift

Flowers are a traditional gift given on Valentine’s Day, but who says you have to wait for someone to give them to you? When I was in university, I always bought myself a bouquet on Valentine’s Day. I usually got tulips because it’s around this time of year that they are available again and tulips remind me of spring. But you can get whatever flowers you want. Some florists will do sales to celebrate, so getting what’s on sale can be helpful if you’re on a budget. Plus with everything going on right now it can be a nice way to support your local florists!

Send out Valentine’s Day cards to friends and family

Listen, whoever says Valentine’s Day is just limited to romantic partners is just being selfish. I think this holiday can be about love in general, which can include familiar and platonic relationships as well. With lockdowns and restrictions it might be hard to have the normal Galentine’s Day festivities, so sending a card instead is a great way to still share some love with your friends. Plus there is nothing more special than receiving a card in the mail. And send one to your parents as well, because I’m sure they would love to hear from you.

Indulge into all the sappy songs, books and movies

Nothing sets the mood more than music. So trying putting on a playlist full of love songs. A lot of them are just amazing songs and put me in a good mood.

I also am a sucker for a good romance book or movie. With everything going on, it’s nice to escape into a world where true love saves the day. Let me know, I can always do a follow-up post sharing some of my favourite romance books and move if you are interested.

Make an amazing meal

They say that the way into a man’s heart is through his stomach, but I love a good meal as well. Since Valentine’s Day is on a Sunday this year, why not take the time to make a really good meal, whether for yourself or to share with a loved one. You can make a big brunch, create a charcuterie board or make a big dinner. And don’t forget to eat lots of chocolate, because that’s what I’ll be doing.

And those are a few of my suggestions to do in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day. Let me know what you guys are planning to do this year. I’ll probably be cuddled up with a good book reading haha.

xoxo

Lea

Life

My 2021 Goals!

January 8, 2021January 7, 2021by LeaLeave a Comment

Hey guys! Today I am sharing some of the goals I have set myself for this year. I thought I had written a 2020 goals post but apparently I didn’t, even though I had one in 2019. Anyway, for a couple of years now I sit down at the beginning of the year and create some goals for myself. I don’t call them resolutions because I find New Year’s resolutions are most habit based (well I have a few habits as well). Now I didn’t accomplish many of my 2020 goals because you know, ~it was 2020~. Some of my goals I am repeating and others I am modifying. Let’s get into them!

goals, 2021 goals, bullet journal, bullet journal spread, goals bullet journal

1 – Journal three times a week and reflect on goals once a month

Okay so these are technically two separate things, but I wanted to have six goals so I put them together. I thought they went together anyway because they are both are reflection and accountable. Journaling three times a week was my goal last year. I was okay at the beginning, great during the height of the pandemic, dropped off in the summer, and improved again late fall. I want to journal more often because I like to look back and see what I have done and thought in the past. I don’t think I could journal every day, but three times a week seems like a good number.

The second goal is related to this because it’s how I got the idea. I started journaling again in the fall once I looked back at my 2020 goals. So my thought process is if I reflect on my goals and think about them more than just writing them down I am more likely to accomplish them. I created a tracker so I can see how I did and I will hopefully continue using it the whole year. And maybe if I accomplish a goal I can set a new one.

2 – Read 50 books this year

I finally got back into reading in 2020 and I couldn’t be happier. I was a huge reader in high school but dropped off during post-secondary education. Once I finished school in April I was able to read so much, and I finished the year having read 33 books. So this year I want to read more! I was averaging around 4 books a month – which would be 48 books in one year. I decided to just round up and go with 50. I have so many books on my bookshelf and so many I want to read, so it only makes sense to me to read them. This is a goal I am very excited about and hope to achieve.

3 – Have a way to financially support myself by the end of the year

My goal last year was to have a full-time job by the end of the year. That didn’t happen since I’m currently unemployed. I had three jobs last year lol. While I still would love to have a full-time job by the end of the year, I am being flexible. If it’s part-time or a contract and I’m doing something I love I will still be happy. I just want to move on the track of being able to move out of my parents’ house.

4 – Reach 1000 Instagram and 1000 Tiktok followers and 500 Youtube subscribers

This is my social media section. I know that followers are everything (except for Youtube because I need a certain amount to get monetized). But I think it’s useful to have goals. More followers mean more opportunities.

I have been struggling with Instagram lately. I have plateaued around 700s for a while now. I have lost my love for Instagram for a while, but I am trying to get back to it.

TikTok on the other hand is the place where I’ve been gaining more followers. I think it’s because I’ve been active and enjoying myself on the app. I’ve also found my niche among booktokers which I think is a fun change from Instagram. I think this one is pretty attainable.

Finally Youtube. This one is the biggest reach because I only have 20 subscribers right now. But I remember while watching someone talk about manifesting to not settle. If I wanted the goal to be easy I would say 100. But I want 500, so I am going to aim high.

I am also going to say if any of you guys aren’t following me on any of these social media I would appreciate it if you were to give me a follow and help me with my goal. 😊

5 – Earn $100 from my blog

You don’t think I could leave out this blog, could you? One of the few goals of 2020 that I accomplished was getting my domain name and enabling ads on this blog. Well, the next step of that is to bring in some money! Blogging has been my hobby and something to put on my resume for the past couple of years, but I would love to be able to earn some money as well.

So how can you guys help me accomplish this goal? Read my posts and interact with them! The more people that see my blog, the more money I can make. From my end, I am going to be working hard to create content that you guys like and trying to optimize it the best I can.

6 – Do some form of movement five times a week

In the past, I have fallen prey to the mentality that I need to lose weight and go on a diet. I have been working on my self-love and body positivity. I’m still not perfect, but one of the ways I’m working on it is by not setting a goal weight and not going on a diet. Instead, I just want to focus on moving my body.

I left this ambiguous for a reason. Moving my body doesn’t always have to be working out. It can be going to yoga, going on a run or even just walking the dog. But I want to get some movement in. Obviously, there is the physical benefit of keeping in shape, but I see so many other benefits to regularly working out. My energy levels are higher, my immune system is stronger and my mental health is better when I regularly exercise. I think five times a week is pretty easy and attainable for me. Right now I’m doing a combination of working out in my basement and walking my dog. But this will probably change as (hopefully) the lockdown lifts and I can go to yoga again.

And those are my 2021 goals guys! Going to work my ass off and make them all a reality! Let me know in the comments what some of your goals are for this year! ✨

xoxo

Lea

Book Review, Life

Never Have I Ever Book Tag

October 27, 2020October 26, 2020by Lea2 Comments

Hey guys! Today is a first on my blog. I got tagged by the lovely Riddhi of Whispering Stories to do the Never Have I Ever book tag! I thought this would be a great way for you guys to get to know me more 🙂

The Rules:

Link back to the original creator. (Madame Writer)
Link back to the person who tagged you or the blog where you first saw this tag.
Answer all prompts.
Add one more prompt of your own.
Tag at least 5 people.
Don’t lie.
Have fun!

Pretty straight forward right? Let’s get into this!

Never Have I Ever… read a later book in a series before reading the first book

I don’t think so. Maybe accidentally as a child, but I can’t remember a specific situation so no.

Never Have I Ever… burned a book

Okay technically yes but not really. So in university sometimes we could have to get a coursebook for a class, which is basically just a bound packet of printed out readings. And when I say bound, it was just regular paper bound together with a plastic spiral. It was really a rip-off that they made us buy those. But anyway, sometimes at the end of the year I would bring my notes home and burn them since we have a wood fireplace at my house. So I think I’ve just cut off the plastic and burnt one of those coursebooks if you can count that as a book. For some reason, it’s satisfying burning your notes after you finish your final exam haha.

Never Have I Ever… read a book I knew I would hate

Yes, for school. Two that immediately come to mind are The Catcher in the Rye and A Complicated Kindness. I dislike both of those very much.

Never Have I Ever… wrote a fanfiction about my favourite books

I’m not much of a fanfiction person. I had a brief stint of reading it when I was 13 but otherwise I haven’t read much, so why would I write it? I’d be more inclined to write original fiction just because then I wouldn’t be bound by the fictional universe that I was writing about. But I have studied fanfiction in school which is pretty cool!

Never Have I Ever… loved a book when I was young and hated it when I got older

I think everyone has a love/hate relationship with Twilight. I was obsessed with the series when I was younger. And then once the movie series was done I had this streak where I became pretentious and thought that Twilight was trash. But there I’ve come back around and realized that the flaws are kind of what makes it so good. And I think TikTok’s craze with Twilight has really brought me back to team Twilight. So I guess this is yes and no because I like it again? Lol I can’t answer any question correctly.

Never Have I Ever… dressed up as one of my favourite literary characters

No, I haven’t. I’ve dressed up as Olive from Easy A one year for Halloween. That’s the closest I’ve ever been, but that’s a movie so it doesn’t count.

Never Have I Ever… hated a book by an author I love

You guys might remember that in the summer I read The Siren by Kiera Cass. I loved The Selection series but was quite disappointed by The Siren. So I’m not sure if disappointed is the same as hate but that’s all I can think of.

Never Have I Ever… gone into a bookstore to buy one book and come out with many more

You mean every time I go into a bookstore?

Never Have I Ever… read the end of a book before reading the beginning

I’ve done this many times by accident. I’ll skip to the end just to see how many pages a book is and accidentally see something on the last page that kind of spoils the book. Usually, if I haven’t started the book yet I can kind of forget what I read, but if it’s a series then that’s the worst.

Never Have I Ever… read a book without the dust cover

I am team dust cover all the way. I don’t get people who read without them. Most books under the dust cover are plain so I want to see the dust cover instead. Plus I kind that the dust cover helps protect the book more. But either way, I prefer softcovers over hardbacks anyway.

Riddhi’s additional prompt was: Never Have I Ever… had a book boyfriend

I’ve had quite a few over the years. But my original one was Fang from the Maximum Ride series. I’ll keep the rest of them to myself 😉

And now my additional prompt is: Never Have I Ever… bought a book and not read it before getting rid of it

I am guilty! When I was a teenager I bought so many books because I would use all my money from work and birthdays to buy books. When I redid my room when I moved back from university and did a huge book purge. I got rid of some books that I was just not interested at all in reading because they were middle school level. I have a few middle school books and quite a bunch of YA books but I don’t mind them that much. I just spread them out between more mature books.

So I think my score is 8/12? Depending on how you count my half-answers haha. And finally, I am supposed to tag people but I don’t have anyone to tag! I’ll be honest and admit I am more involved in the booktok community than the book blogging community. So if you guys have any favourite book bloggers, please leave them in the comments so I can expand my network!

xoxo

Lea

Fitness, Life, Review

A Non-Runner tries the Couch to 5K App: Review

October 9, 2020October 9, 2020by Lea2 Comments

Hey guys! Today I am sharing my review of the Couch to 5K app. There are a few different apps on the market, the specific one I used was the Couch to 5K Runner app (it’s yellow). The concept of each app is the same where they help the user go from not being able to run to running 5 km.

History with Running

Now let me give a little backstory about my relationship with running before getting into the app and the review. I was never a runner. My favourite sports when I was younger was hockey and swimming, two sports that don’t involve running. Whenever I went ‘running’ in the past it was walking with a bit of jogging. The most I’ve ever jogged I would estimate at 2 minutes.

The main reason why I never got into running wasn’t necessarily my cardiovascular abilities but the fact that I am prone to shin splints. If you don’t know what shin splints are consider yourself lucky because they are painful. They are pain that can be along the front or rear of your shin bone. I’ve been getting them for years. I usually get them when running or walking for long periods, but I’ve even got them from standing on the pool deck in flip flops for a long time.

Whenever I have tried to get into running in the past, I would do it for a week or two and then the pain would get so bad that I would stop. But with the pandemic going on I wanted to pick up running again. The nice thing is that I can do it outside and not have to deal with other people (and all the virus concerns that entails). I’ve heard many people talk about the Couch to 5K format so decided to give it a shot.

App Overview

The app is an interval training program that progressively increases the time that you run throughout the weeks. It’s pretty simple. Every run has a five-minute warm-up and cool down. Then within the main ‘run’ is a set of intervals between running and walking. The first run is 25 minutes long but only has 6 minutes of running in total. The intervals fluctuate to help increase the runner’s stamina over the week.

The app is pretty easy to use. I just swipe to pick the run and then hit “LET’S GO” to start the run. I can play my music and the app will give prompts over my music. It will let me know when it’s time to run and time to walk. It also gives little motivational prompts throughout the run as well. While running, the app tells the runner how far along they are, how much time is left and time until the next interval. The app will tell the runner when they are halfway through the run.

At the end of the run the app gave me a summary of the run included time, distance and calories burnt. It will also show a map of the route taken, distinguishing which parts were running and walking. All this data can be accessed in the History time to be referred back to.

The program is structured to be three runs a week for eight weeks. By the end of the eight weeks, you should theoretically be able to run 5km.

The app has a few free runs, but to access the full program the runner must pay. I got the premium 3-month subscription, which is $10.49 for three months (or around $3.49 per month).

My Progress

I thought I would share my progress and process using this app. My first run was on June 1 and I ran 1.7 km. My last run was October 8 (so yesterday) and I ran 4.5 km. So I took double the amount of time and was just under the 5km goal. But I am honestly SO proud of myself.

The first couple of weeks I was consistent in running around 3 times a week but I was repeating runs. I didn’t think it was smart to move onto the next set of intervals if I couldn’t finish one. So I repeated W1/D2 (week 1, day 2 – this is how they name the runs and how I will reference them), W1/D3 and W2/D3 twice. I was in pain. I went from not running to running. I found that I could have easily kept on running cardio wise but my shins were killing me so much that I had to stop. I ended up talking to my dad’s friend who is a physical therapist and he gave me a list of stretches to do before and after my runs. I also got myself a roller stick and that helps SO much.

Around week 3 my shins were starting to adjust and I was able to progress. Until I got to W4/D1. I did this run five times before I felt comfortable enough to move forward. This was the point where my cardio was the issue. It was a jump from 10 minutes of running to 14 minutes. It probably didn’t help that I also took a two-week break in the middle of this when I went to my cottage. That’s probably why it took me so many times haha.

Once I passed that W4/D1 hurtle though I had no further issues. I was able to progress throughout the rest of the program without having to repeat any runs. I also did start going back to yoga in late August, so I wasn’t running three times a week anymore. That’s probably why it took me two months to finish what should have been one month. But I wasn’t mad about my progress. I was running more then I have ever before in my life!

In my last three runs, the time and distance lined up pretty well. I was able to run 3.5km in 35 minutes, 4.0 km in 40 minutes and 4.5km in 45 minutes. So by that logic, I could probably run 5.0 km in 50 minutes. I’m not upset by the fact that I didn’t run 5km using this app because it helped me build the stamina to be able to do so. And either way, 4.5 km is still pretty good!

Would I recommend this app?

Yes, I would 100% recommend this app to anyone who isn’t a runner but wants to get into running.

If you are new to running and have no idea where to start, this is simply laid out for you. It’s easy to see what future runs will look like and it’s easy to track past progress. The app also recently got an update that will ask for your feedback after a run and will recommend whether or not to move onto the next run.

And the app worked! I liked the interval training system because it helped me move from a non-runner to a runner. I would have loved if this app was free, but I think the money I spent was worth it. I also rationalized it that I wasn’t paying for a gym membership (because there were closed and then I had my account frozen). And I think it’s important to invest in ourselves and our health.

If you are someone who is just looking for a way to track their runs then I wouldn’t recommend this app. I think there are probably better (and cheaper) running tracking apps out there.

Which leads me into:

What I’m doing next

So now what? That’s the beauty of this app that now that I’m done this program I can do whatever I want. I know the app company has a 10k program but I think that’s a little too advance for me. I think I’m going to actually run 5km and then work on bringing my time down. I would love to run a 5k next year. A few of my friends have recommended Strava, so I will be checking that out. Let me know if you would like a review of that app as well!

So guys, I just want to end this year by saying that you can do anything if you work on and believe in yourself. I never thought I could be be a runner, but then I decided to download then app and said to myself “I am going to be a runner”. You can do it guys!

xoxo

Lea