My Favourite Posts of 2017!

2017 has been great for the blog. After taking a much-needed hiatus, I jumped back in head first and haven't looked back. Blogging is very cathartic for me and also a lot of fun. I genuinely enjoy planning posts, executing them and connecting with people from all over the world. 

I'm really happy with my posts this year and looking forward to 2018, I'll be looking for ways to raise the bar. Today, I'm rounding up my favourite posts from the year!



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How fun?! I am so looking forward to what 2018 has in store for the blog. 
From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for your readership and support. It means the world to me and without you, this blog would not be possible.

                 

Merry Christmas

Wishing you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas! Thank you for your readership and support this year!

                 

Toronto Christmas Market

The last few weeks have felt like such a whirlwind here on the blog. Christmas content pretty much takes over the last few weeks of November and the entire month of December - which is fun but also a lot of work. This has been one of my best Christmases on the blog in terms of strategy and content. There is definitely a bar which I'd like to raise for next year - but until then I'm letting things wind down and allowing myself to enjoy the last few days of the season! 

I decided to book a hair appointment for Thursday (yesterday) because my hair was looking kind of stringy and dry (thanks, Winter weather). My salon is located in the downtown area, so my sister and I decided to make a day out of the trip. She had already visited the Toronto Christmas Market this year, but I hadn't and really wanted to. 

A lot of people think the Market isn't as fun during the day, but I have to disagree. There are fewer crowds and it's way easier to navigate.

When we stepped into the market, we were greeted by carolers! They sounded so beautiful.

I was feeling extra festive - so I broke out the red coat (sold out: similar) for the day. A lot of people are surprised to see how heavy the coat is. It is lined on the inside so it's both super warm and chic. I wore a pretty basic outfit underneath. My ponte knit pants are a staple in my closet and the plaid shirt felt festive. It was calling for snow, so I wore my LL Bean boots for the day. 

How cute are these ornaments in the window?!

One of the best parts of the market is the abundance of unique food available. From tornado potatoes to vin chaud - the food side of the market does not disappoint. We decided to stop into one of my favourite restaurants in the market - Cluny. It's a French restaurant with a smaller patisserie off to the side. I picked up a croissant and two loaves of the croissant bread to take home. 

My sister really wanted Poutine before we left and I ended up grabbing one too. Poutine is one of the best things about Canada. Three pretty basic ingredients (fries, cheese curds, gravy) make the best treat!

One more picture on the way out! 

                 

Holiday Gift Guide: Charitable Gifts

One of the things I love most about Christmas is the spirit of giving which comes with the season. I absolutely love shopping for gifts which I know my friends and family are going to cherish. It's a great feeling knowing something you put thought into picking out for someone is well loved and will be well used.  

While shopping, however, it's hard not to think about those who may not receive a thoughtful gift this Christmas or the many issues which continue to plague our planet well after the season. Keeping that in mind, I made it a priority to include socially conscious items in my Christmas shopping this year. There are so many wonderful companies who sell quality products which positively contribute to the world. The gifts featured in today's gift guide are ones you will feel great about giving! 

Charity Pot - Lush // 100% of the proceeds from each Charity Pot purchase is donated to organizations devoted to animal welfare, environmental conservation, and human rights. 

Star Clutch - Kate Spade On Purpose // This canvas clutch supports female artisans in Rwanda. 

Phone Case - Pela // Pela phone cases are made from compostable materials, but they are very sturdy! Pela is also a part of 1% For the Planet which means they donate a portion of their annual sales to clean water and ocean organizations.

Women in Power - Shrill Society // Proceeds from the purchase of this shirt will help support women pursuing public leadership through She Should Run.

Hat - TenTree // For every purchase made on TenTree's website, ten trees are planted. Over 17 million trees have been planted by this company. 

Tote Bag - Kimothy Joy // 20% of this purchase will be donated to Emily's List.

Sunglasses - Warby Parker // When you buy a pair of glasses, a pair will be given to someone in need. 

Bangle - Alex and Ani // Proceeds from the origami crane bangle are donated to the National Network to End Domestic Violence. The crane represents strength in difficult times. 

Waterbottle - Me to We // One Brita water bottle replaces 300 plastic bottles. The Me to We collaboration provides one year of clean water to a person in Kenya.

Shoes - Toms // The original One for One brand. Toms will donate a pair of shoes to a child in need with every pair of shoes purchased from the website. 

Most items can be purchased in stores to ensure you have them for Christmas!

No affiliate links were used in this post. 

                 

My Shortbread Recipe!

As you read this - I am delivering MANY shortbread cookies to friends and coworkers for Christmas. This is a newer tradition of mine - one which was a happy accident! A few years ago I really wanted to plan a fun and unique Christmas event for my sorority. After spending a few hours on Pinterest - I landed on a cookie exchange party idea and decided to plan one for my chapter. It happened that I had the ingredients for shortbread on hand and made them for the party. 

They ended up being a hit - so every Christmas since I have made shortbread to give away as a gift. Shortbread is such a versatile cookie and really easy to make. You only need three base ingredients and from there you can customize the cookies by adding things like lavender, lemon, and chocolate. 

Today I will be sharing my recipe for basic shortbread cookies!

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cup room temperature unsalted butter

1 cup powdered sugar

3 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Parchment paper

Cookie sheet

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees

Use an electric mixer to blend the butter until smooth. This should take about 30 seconds.

Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar into the butter. Stop to scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is mixed in evenly. 

Slowly add the flour and mix on low until well blended. The dough should be soft and somewhat crumbly. 

Press the dough evenly onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Do not butter the cookie sheet. 

Bake the cookies for 10-15 minutes or until they become golden. Remove from the oven. While the cookies are still warm, cut them into bars using a straight-edged knife and use a fork to create the iconic holes. Remove the cookies from the cookie sheet and let cool on a rack. 

The recipe will yield approximately 30 cookies, depending on the size of your cookie sheet!

That's it! So easy and quick! If you need a last minute gift, these cookies would look great in a cute cookie tin like this one or a collectible cookie jar. 

Happy baking!