The Chalets on Lake Muskoka - Gravenhurst, ON

It's been a while since I have done a travel post, but now is a good time to talk about our recent getaway that's partly responsible for the quick little break between this and my last post. We traveled to Gravenhurst, Ontario to stay on Lake Muskoka.

To celebrate my husband's birthday, we booked a few nights at The Chalets on Lake Muskoka through Travelzoo. If you've been a reader a long time now, you know I love finding a good deal! Travel is no different and Travelzoo often has some great offers, local, exotic, and everything in between. Not just travel, but experiences as well!

 

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Restaurant Review - Odd Burger

I was searching on Skip the Dishes last Saturday for something quick to order for lunch on a day that I just did not feel like cooking. I love finding restaurants that we haven't tried and looking at the menus. After seeing Odd Burgers and realizing it's fully vegetarian and vegan options, we knew we wanted to try it. 

We always do Meatless Monday, but we sometimes sprinkle other meatless meals throughout the week. We wanted to see if this would be worth it to add to the rotation of our "usuals" for when we splurge on takeout or delivery. 

We had never heard of Odd Burger, so I went down the rabbit hole of research and reviews. Quite frankly, it felt like I'd been living under a rock for never having heard of them. The fully Canadian franchise brings you vegan versions of food that is popular at other fast food restaurants like their Vopper burger. They also have shakes, pizzas, a nicely sized dedicated section for gluten free offerings, wraps, and more. 

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Immersive van Gogh Exhibit - Toronto, Ontario

Earlier this month, I had the absolute privilege to attend the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit. It is no exaggeration when I tell you I was moved to tears multiple times as the projection and music played. There is something to be said about the magic you feel watching your favorite artist's works come to life in such a new and large way.

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Five Friday Faves for October 2020

I'm aiming at doing this type of post once a month. The last one was at the beginning of September. I think it's a fun way to share a few favorites that don't normally make it into a favorites post otherwise.

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A Little Getaway to St. Catharines, Ontario

We're still in the middle of a pandemic, but we had to get away. If you follow me on Twitter, you'll probably have seen my rant about our building management scheduling construction that requires us residents to leave our units for two days. To reschedule, they would fine us $1000+. With a lot of things still closed, having the dog, and not social circling, we had very limited options. A little getaway proved to be the best option and I set out to find a good and affordable choice for us. It felt a bit like blackmail for the choice of construction over health, honestly.

Since we didn't get away for our annual anniversary trip this year, we treated this like that. Granted, we spent a good percentage of the time in the hotel room because...well...COVID-19. It still felt like a vacation! St. Catharines was an easy drive from Toronto, making it a good day trip option if you're not wanting to stay overnight. I'm actually thinking of making that happen again, because I fell head over heels for a food item that you will see below. I've been craving it ever since we got back!

Here are a few things we ate from local restaurants and some of the landmarks we visited!

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InstaMonth for December 2019

Yes, I still have a bit of posts to do with the "2019" date. I want to get up my Christmas gifts and my top products of the year posts. They are coming! I've been suffering my way through a cold and sinus sickness all week. I'm just happy it waited until after the holidays and my trip to South Carolina! I think that is what brought it on with the change of pressure and weather. It has halted me in my tracks though, so I'm a bit behind on the blog posts that I was hoping to have ready. I'm using a rare burst of "sorta" energy to get this post up. Then, I'll probably be back to being a blanket burrito on the couch.

December was a bit short on Instagram for me, because I enjoyed taking a week off while I was home for the holidays. That was absolutely worth it! I enjoyed our trip so much and I will probably go more in depth in my Christmas post. I might break it into two posts! Here's a few pictures from my Insta this past month. And if you've been sick too, I hope you're feeling better or that you are on the mend. The illnesses going around right now are brutal!

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15 Years in Canada!

It's hard to believe that today marks 15 years in Canada for me. 15 years ago, I made one of the biggest decisions I have ever made when I decided to leave everything I had ever known to come to Toronto. When the heart calls, I believe we should answer. Today's post is about how one decision changed my life and how you shouldn't be afraid to leave your comfort zone and leap into the unknown.

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Refinery29's 29Rooms

I was given the opportunity to attend 29Rooms in Toronto and a party co-hosted by Stella Artois this past Thursday. Such a fun event! I wanted to get this post up quickly for any of my local readers who might like to go or to get a further idea on what is offered here in Toronto, as well as when it travels. 29Rooms is a pop-up style event set up with art displays and themed rooms based on causes, cultures, and artistic creativity. Many of the displays travel, while some are distinct to the city it is in. After Toronto, 29Rooms will travel to Washington, DC and Los Angeles, CA. It's only in Toronto until October 6 and that date is coming up fast! You can find it at the Queen Elizabeth Building on the CNE grounds.

To not make this a picture-heavy post, I'm sharing these in collage format to fit a lot more in. There are many that I am not sharing, so I hope you'll look at what others are sharing and that you get the opportunity to go! 29Rooms is a perfect time to "do it for the 'Gram", because every room is just calling out for pictures! If you follow me on Instagram, I did share pictures on my Stories (now some are in my highlights).

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InstaMonth for August 2019

Boy, August sure went by pretty quickly! I'm happy it's September, but my word this year can slow down a bit now. Now that September is here, I get to do something new. I get to cheer my brother on from afar as he takes the football field tomorrow for his first game. I am so proud of him for sacrificing part of his summer for team practices and conditioning.

I was on the field in the marching band (and I am quite familiar with the sacrificing of the summer and many many hours) and now he'll be on the field in a football uniform! His team is a step below junior varsity, as he'll only be 14 this year. Just saying that makes me feel incredibly ancient! I only wish I could get down for a game, but I am looking forward to going down to South Carolina at Christmas. For now, he has one of his biggest and proudest cheerleaders in Canada!

Besides that, we're a step closer to the official start of autumn and I am impatiently waiting for it to be more acceptable for me to throw on sweaters and boots and wanting pumpkin everything. I mean, I'm already pretty much there...it's just not as acceptable to the general public. Haha! Look, fall is my favorite season so I just want to elongate it. Can't help it! I'm sure all of you summer lovers are doing the same by trying to hold onto your sandals and shorts as long as possible!

So here we are with my monthly round-up from Instagram. These are a few pictures from my account during August. As always, I love following you all back and getting to know you on there. At a time when the algorithm isn't at its best, I'm sure we all feel like we could use a little more support on there.

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InstaMonth for July 2019

I'm a little later than usual with this post, but here we are with a few photos from my Instagram during last month. Why share them on my blog, as well? Well, the algorithm is not my friend and those of you that do follow me probably miss several of my posts because of it. I know I miss yours and it drives me crazy. I own this little space on the internet and a little cross promotion never hurts anyone.

I think the algorithm and the follow/unfollow (annoying!) is what is killing Instagram, at least it is for me. I also find that I lose more followers the more active I am, which honestly boggles my mind. Should I just not open my account for a month and see if my account actually grows (LOL, but don't think I haven't thought about it more than once!)?! In reality, I throw out likes and comments like confetti so if you're interested in supporting each other, I'm totally game. I don't want to be just a number and I don't want you to be either. Just find me, @wendybanner!

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My Visit to Terre Bleu Lavender Farm

Terre Bleu has been on my "to visit" list for a few years now and I finally got to take it all in! Well, not all. It's a huge place and I just couldn't see it all on such a hot day, because I started suffering from heat exhaustion (I take that very seriously) and cut our visit a little short. Honestly, I had fears that my knee injury would act up and it ended up being my sensitivity to heat. My knee hurt, sure, but it did pretty well walking through the fields. An improvement even from last summer that I will happily pat myself on the back for!

We were there for about two hours, I'd say. We took in two lavender fields, ice cream, visited the horses, posed with the yellow door photo prop, and just had a great time learning about the farm. Terre Bleu Lavender Farm is located in Milton, Ontario and I'd say it is high on many travel lists when you're coming to the Toronto area in the summer. Here are some pictures and information from our colorful day spent in the lavender!

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Healthy Planet Grand Opening and Haul

This past weekend, I was invited to a grand opening for Healthy Planet at four different locations in Ontario. I had my choice of Cambridge, Ancaster, Milton, and Ajax. Ajax was the closest one, so we stopped by to check out the new store Saturday afternoon! It's crazy because I've shopped from my local Healthy Planet before, I'd just never actually gone in. It's always been my husband running in to grab what we need (usually a smoothie, protein powder, etc.).

What I didn't realize was that there was a beauty area. How in the heck did I not know this?! I'm kicking myself for not knowing this and for not taking a picture to share. Just know that I will definitely be utilizing that section in the future!

I did do a little shopping and received a generous gift bag full of product samples that I can't wait to work my way through.

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InstaMonth for March 2019

I always come into April feeling refreshed and ready to go. I'm 99% sure that has to do with our vacation we always take at the end of March to coincide with our wedding anniversary. The other percent is probably from the spring cleaning and organizing. It just makes me so happy!

Because of those things and taking a bit of a blogging break for almost two weeks, I've felt more productive this month already. One big thing I crossed off my list was getting my US passport renewal application done and mailed off (today!). I haven't been home (or to the States at all, actually) since around the end of 2012. It has been a loooong time and that will change this year! I can't even remotely put my level of excitement into words here. I have honestly cried and had the shakes so many times just thinking about visiting home.

Here are some highlights from my Instagram during March!

1. In my purse! // 2. Working an event at the golf club. // 3. February faves.

4. Aveeno skincare from the MAXGLOW line. // 5. Weekend vibes. // 6. Biotherm Red Algae Uplift Cream.

7. Trying to get my feet sandal ready with Smooth Feet. // 8. H&M haul. // 9. Nude by Nature Starter kit.

10. VDL makeup. Reviews and swatches coming! // 11. OOTD on vacation! // 12. A&W's Beyond Meat burger. Excuse the pun, but holy cow! Haha! This is everything I have ever wanted any veggie burger I've had to taste like.

I hope you all have a great weekend and that your April is off to a wonderful start!

What's Up Nails Canada Day Nail Vinyls (and 10 Free Sets for You!)

I was sent these adorable vinyl nail stencils by What's Up Nails from Nail Polish Canada. And guess what? I have a code that will get 10 of you a free set all of your own! You must have a Canadian address to take advantage and that's it. Once ten people have taken advantage of my code, you can search through the other lovely bloggers doing this promotion and hopefully find a code you can use.

Just showcasing some Canadian love with the stencils and a few of my favorite Canadian brands. :)

I hadn't tried stencils before these but what I really love is not only how easy they are to use, but also you're left with the little leaf center that you can also use in future manicures. It basically doubles the pack! The below swatches are not my own, because I can be honest with myself and know that my nail shots are not at that level right now. Maybe one day, haha! I tried mine for the first time this week and they are easy and fun. It looks like there are two sizes, big and small. I used two small ones for an accent nail on each hand.

These are perfect for Canada Day! As an American in Canada, I can't wait to sport these and now I need to start my search for American flag ones. Then, I can represent both of my countries. That would be awesome! These would also be fun in a blue and white manicure for Toronto Maple Leafs hockey games.

So how can you get your hands...errr...nails on one of these packs? Just go to this link and put in my code: UB3C1QAAHM4. That's it! The link walks you through it. If my ten have been taken, you can scroll down that same page and see other blogs that were also given codes. There's no catch! So to all my Canadian readers who want to sport some extra spirit come July 1st, here's a perfect way to do that.

**I received these for testing purposes and to get 10 of you your very own set to try from Nail Polish Canada. There are no affiliate links in this post.

InstaMonth for April 2018

April was strange on Instagram. I don't know if they changed the algorithm again or not (probably), but my pictures were all over the place with the analytics. Some people are saying that it is because more people are using Stories now instead of the picture features, but I don't know that I believe that. I still think it's the order of the feeds that mess with us the most as viewers and as creators. Getting the chronological option back would be like getting an early Christmas present!

Below are a few highlights from my Instagram (or just look for wendybanner in the app) over the month of April. If we're not following each other, let's change that! I'd love to support you and get to know you. :)

1. Easter OOTD. (sweater is still available, see my haul here!) // 2. Much needed caffeine boost. // 3. The cutest white chocolate bunny.

4. What's in my purse? // 5. Top 5 nail polishes. // 6. Spring is here!

7. Almay quad swatches coming soon! // 8. Nude by Nature primer. // 9. Toronto Strong.

10. Anniversary trip highlights. // 11. Latest Old Navy haul. // 12. Le Fair serum. Currently testing!

Our Anniversary Trip to Belleville, Ontario

This year was our 12th anniversary and we decided to escape to Belleville, Ontario! A month ago, as a matter of fact. So yeah, I'm super on time with getting this post up. Ha! Anyway, if you're new here, we go somewhere every year on our anniversary that we've never visited together. Since we have Indy, I try to find places that are super dog-friendly. Not only did I manage that this time, but I found a hotel that actually has an in-house dog. The best!

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Spend Less at Giant Tiger (AD)

I love Giant Tiger. As an American girl in Canada, I'd say it is the store that reminds me the most of Big Lots here. A few weeks ago I was invited to a special preview of the Brampton store before it opened to the public. Letting me loose in a store that has full stock was the cherry on top of a cupcake. Giant Tiger also graciously provided me with a gift card, which I definitely went over because I saw cushions and pickles I wanted. Yep, you read that right. Pickle addict until I die, except the sweet ones (sour all the way!). You can find all kinds of things at Giant Tiger.

With the holiday season upon us, saving money where I can is a must. And I bet it is for most of you! If you're in Canada and near a Giant Tiger, I urge you to check it out. If you haven't been in a long time, it might not be what you remember. The clothes are keeping up with the trends. The house items are great. There is a really nice grocery section for the foodies out there. And speaking of the clothes, they also carry plus sizes. Not just that, but affordable! Below I'm going to share with you a few things I picked up and some things that I recommend.

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My Ready for the Holiday Party Essentials

Before you scroll down and realize it, the giveaway for the advent calendar is open to Canada only. I do giveaways that are open internationally from time-to-time, so keep your eyes open for more of those on here and my social media! I do still share my ready for holiday party essentials below and I hope you'll stick around to see those and maybe share with me one or two of your own glam essentials for holiday parties in the comments!

More on the giveaway at the end of the post. But first, let's talk about a few of the things that I rely on to get myself ready for the influx of holiday parties and gatherings!

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Two Oceans Wines, The Bachelor Canada, and Guilty Pleasures

Who doesn't have a guilty pleasure?! Let's talk about them! I've actually always been divided on the term, because why should we feel guilty about anything that brings us pleasure. If it doesn't bring joy to someone else, to each their own. Maybe you like a huge percentage of the 80s one hit wonders. Maybe you like to watch countless hours of reality TV. Maybe you still have your favorite shirt from the 90s and bust it out every now and then. And if you're me, maybe you are guilty of all three of those specific examples!

For the second year in a row, Two Oceans is a sponsor of The Bachelor Canada. Honestly, if you've ever watched any episode of The Bachelor or The Bachelor Canada, then you know that's a good pairing!

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My Night with Grand Marnier in the Cordon Rouge Room

When the invite came to RSVP for a night with Grand Marnier, I was excited. When I read that it would be a speakeasy in true 1920s style, I was fully in and ready to go. Who can go wrong with those two things?! I wasn't told the location of the party and the password to get in until two days prior. Getting glammed up for a night out and speaking a password to gain entrance to a secret party was pretty cool. But it is the experience inside that was breathtaking. Grand Marnier immersed its party-goers into what felt like an honest-to-goodness speakeasy. You'd think Al Capone might have shown up any moment or that I was in a scene from Bugsy Malone!

Let me take you through my evening! Honestly, I hope someone reading this gets some ideas because it would make an awesome Halloween party. And ummm, invite me, please?

 Keep reading to hear more about this fun event and Grand Marnier!

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