Fitbit Charge 3 – I got this late last month and have been religiously wearing it (except for showers and baths, though it is waterproof) every day since then. I only need to charge it every week and even then the charging time doesn’t take long. I love checking my sleep stats from the night before, seeing how high my heart rate goes when I’m watching a really scary movie, and checking my step counter (longest walk to date is 7.05 miles). I’m sure it will be even more fun to check my stats once I actually start working out again…whenever that may be.
Haircut by Alex at Bob and Paige and my new hair care routine – My first (and probably only) haircut of the year happened on the same date as last year (literally 366 days ago). I didn’t plan for it to happen that way, but with the pandemic and salons being overbooked for months after opening, I was only able to get a slot on October 3rd (Mean Girls Day). While in the chair, Alex commented on how much thicker my hair felt; and to a girl with really fine and thin hair, that is the best thing to hear. I hadn’t coloured my hair (professionally) since December of 2019, and we thought that maybe it had something to do with that. So I made the decision to continue keeping my hair colour-free in the mean time. I had been getting my hair colour treated for almost 6 years straight, varying from baby highlights to a full on almost blonde balayage to playing with Overtone colouring conditioners; and I was more than happy to give my hair a break. I’ll probably get sick of my natural colour after a few months but for now I’m really enjoying not having to worry about my colour fading or my hair getting brassy. There’s a certain freedom that comes with just using any shampoo (more on that later). As for the haircut, she decided to do some layers in the back which I was at first hesitant about because my previous experience with layers (think early naughts) was that it just made my hair look thinner. But whatever she did this time around makes my hair actually look quite fuller without requiring a lot of maintenance or heat styling. I love it!
SK Cookks – My cousin ordered dinner from them recently and the Epi was really excellent. The jollof rice was great too but I had to mix in regular white rice because the spice was a lot (and I do enjoy some spice). My cousin got me an order of the OG Puff Puff to take home because she said “It’s the best caramel sauce I’ve ever tried.” I agree. Even Mike (who does not like sweets) really enjoyed it.
Bioderma Atoderm Cream – With the change of the seasons comes the turning on of the heaters and the insanely itchy and dry skin. This happens to me in the spring and in the fall, so while I’m not surprised, it isn’t any less annoying. Yes I’ve changed detergents, laundered and changed my sheets, and turned the humidifier on. Admittedly the one thing I can’t let go off are hot showers (lukewarm showers make me feel like I’m not clean), so that definitely could play a part, but this lotion is really playing a big role in helping keep the itch at bay and the skin less dry. My skin is still dry the next morning but at least I’m not scratching myself throughout the night.
Treo Fleur d’Fig candle – Ahh, the ubiquitous Diptyque Figuier candle that owes a significant amount of its sales to Into the Gloss’s Top Shelf series. The first time I smelled this scent, I remember being really underwhelmed. “A hundred bucks for this?!” was my exact thought at the time. I couldn’t even remember the figs I’d eaten smelling similarly. Over time I’ve smelled it here and there- at friend’s homes and some stores; and I think I’ve understood why it’s so popular. It’s mild enough to be pleasant while being unobtrusive. I still think $100 is a lot to spend on a candle, but I do know I also enjoy the scent. So when I found this candle at Winners that smelled exactly the same for eighth of the price, I couldn’t help myself. The next time I see this candle I’ll buy myself a backup and get one to send to Justine.
Green & Frugal – One of the reasons I wanted to stop colouring my hair was so I could try natural shampoo bars, and from what I’ve seen; colour safe shampoo bars are more hard to find and definitely more expensive. I’ve tried the Lush shampoo bars but I wanted to find a more local and preferably cheaper option. I have now been using their Dandelion + Lime shampoo bar for three weeks and I really love it. It lathers well (a known issue for these bars) and leaves my hair really soft after I wash it. It’s worth mentioning that immediately after I rinse my hair, it feels hard; similar to what you would feel after washing your hair with hard water. However once it’s dry it doesn’t feel hard at all. I’m thankful my hair and scalp didn’t go through a transition as I switched to this product but the website gives you instructions on what to do if you experience that. If you like the smell of Vicks, then you’ll love the Muscle & Joint Rub. What really sold me on this is it was recommended for body aches and pains, even menstrual cramps! I’ve been sitting at a bar stool instead of an ergonomic desk chair for seven months and my back can definitely use all the help. I also really love this on my traps when they start feeling tight.
Utopia – I still don’t like Jessica Hyde, but the story is excellent.
Mean Girls Reunion – Still one of my favourite teen movies and it was great to see everyone back together after 16 years. My favourite trivia I found out from the reunion was that they sewed tiny vienna sausages on to the bra of Amy Poehler to get the dog to bite on her ‘nipples’ in that scene. Also, Tina Fey doesn’t look like she’s aged at all!
@siblingsordating – This account describes itself as ‘Chaotic Good‘, and I couldn’t agree more. From the choice of zoomed in screen shots to the comments of the poster, this account is always a bright spot in my day. I used to think I got everything wrong because I’m an only child and don’t understand sibling dynamics but I’m glad to find out it’s not just me.
Herbaland Sleep Plus Gummies for Adults – I know gummy vitamins for adults is controversial, but I cannot knock the efficacy of these when it comes to helping me go to sleep.
Since my successful Kijiji haul last month, I’ve been browsing Facebook Marketplace incessantly. For what, you ask? Absolutely anything and nothing all at once. That’s the magic of the Marketplace, you don’t even know what you’re looking for until you come across it. This month alone I’ve bought two humidifiers, though my favourite is definitely this Honeywell one.
Seamy’s Catboy costume
Lovecraft Country – I’m still unsure how I feel about this entire series, but the stand out of this entire series is definitely Jonathan Majors. If you don’t know him yet, watch his 10 Essential Things on GQ’s YouTube and tell me if you don’t think he’s magnetic.
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm – I still can’t believe everyone in this movie did now know who Borat was? I kept insisting that some parts had to be scripted and Mike kept saying the beauty of this is how truly unscripted it is. The one thing we did agree on though was that the lady who played the babysitter had to be an actress. Apparently, she wasn’t.
Taco Bell Cinammon Twists – Anyone who knows me knows I do not like fast food (save for Jollibee and breakfast offerings). So when I’m not eating at the house, Mike orders fast food for himself. One day I came home to an order of these Cinnamon Twists and I could not stop eating them. If we’re being honest it’s more like cinnamon air, but it was so good. I’ll definitely ask him to buy that again if he orders from Taco Bell soon.
Exorcist Season 1 – Reasons to like it: Geena Davis and the incredible reveal. But don’t bother with Season 2, I only honestly finished it for John Cho. But if you’re looking to just watch a great John Cho movie, go watch Searching.
Grand Army – The beauty of this show is that no one is perfect. Everyone is problematic to a certain degree and you never really know if you’re rooting for anyone. This might truly solidify me as a tita but I’m genuinely curious, it this what kids really are like nowadays? This painting of the cast is really great, btw.
This essay by Caroline Donofrio really spoke to me.
We got S this Catboy costume for Halloween and I think it’s safe to say we were significantly more excited than he was for him to get it. They called us when they got the package and when S saw the costume, he said “It’s Connor!” confusing all of us because we had forgotten that Connor was Catboy’s name. Despite COVID and the cold, Halloween was a success. Walking down the street, a grown man saw S and excitedly exclaimed “Hey Catboy!” which I think made his day.
Ditse got us a bottle of the shakshouka mix from Simit & Chai and we absolutely loved it. I can’t wait to go back and try their other stuff.
I’ve been talking to my block mate and friend Frannie throughout the month about horror movies. One time in college, she invited me to sit in one of her then-boyfriend’s classes since he was taking a horror movie elective; and ever since then our horror relationship was established. It’s really been a delight talking about our horror movie preferences (mine: jumpy, hers: slow and sad) since I don’t really get to analyze horror movies with anyone else.
I’ve gotten back into making inks from food, but this time in hopes of dyeing fabric with it. So far, I’ve done avocado pits, red cabbage, and yellow onion skins. The big difference with this and ink making for paper is that the dyeing , mordanting, and scouring process is so long that it’s a true test of patience. I’m really enjoying it all though, there’s definitely no instant gratification but the results are beautiful.
attybladorny 