How to Dress..When You Have Absolutely No Idea What the Dress Code Is

Dressing for business functions can be difficult...especially when you aren't quite sure what the dress code will be.

This week I've been attending Social Media Week and since it's a conference, and I've never been to one before, I was pretty stumped on what to wear. But there was no need to stress.

Here are my rules for dressing for things when you're unsure of the dress code:

1. Do a little research
    The first this I did was go to the Social Media Week website and look to see if they had any pictures from past events. They did! It was easy to see from the pictures that the attire was definitely professional.

2. If that fails...try to find a bit of a middle ground
    You'll never be embarrassed for dressing too professionally but you will be embarrassed for dressing too casually. If you're worried about overdressing you can always wear a cardigan instead of a blazer or dress pants and a simple, nice top. You don't need to be wearing a business suit but you definitely shouldn't be wearing jeans or a cotton t-shirt either.

3. Keep it classy
    I shouldn't have to say this...but I will anyways: no matter what you wear, make sure it's appropriate. Not just business appropriate, but appropriate in general. Don't wear low cut tops, spaghetti straps, short shorts, have your bra showing, wear a t-shirt with anything silly on it, or just generally call any inappropriate attention to yourself. Notice how high my neckline was? I kept it that way all week. Fashion is fun and can help you define yourself but it should never take away from your work and the perception of professionalism that you send out.

4. Think about all aspects of your appearance
    See my little bunny iphone case? Do you think that's business appropriate? I didn't, so I decided to take it off at the conference each day. I also took other steps to make sure everything about me was appropriate as well. I changed my phone and laptop backgrounds so that they were more "neutral." It's really not professional to have a picture of you with your friends at a party every time you open your laptop or check your phone. Instead of possibly finding yourself in an awkward situation where someone ends up judging you and your professionalism, it's easiest to just keep everything on your technology neutral.

It may sound exhausting to put so much worry into your appearance but presentation is very important. Would you rather risk being seen as immature or irresponsible or take 5 extra minutes to make sure that it's your work that's being judged and not you? Take those extra minutes, plan ahead and you can save yourself embarrassment in the future.

From the desk of:

Taylor Brown
Outfit Planner, Appropriate Dresser, Secret Owner of a Bunny Iphone Case

Networking

This week I am attending Social Media Week Toronto. It's a great conference that's free to attend. I'm attending for my job as Associate Editor and today I saw three presentations. Besides all of the amazing knowledge that I'm getting to learn, this is a great opportunity for networking.

This conference has so many different kinds of speakers from entrepreneurs, to people in sales and analytics, to my personal favourite, journalists!

There are tons of different ways to network.

1. You can approach the person and give them a business card and make yourself memorable to them.
    This is ideal because you get to see the person face to face. You can engage with them, make them laugh, tell them a short and memorable story and definitely make sure that you are being heard by them.

Unfortunately...I can be a bit shy so I went with a different approach:

2. Reach out to them through social media.
   When you don't get a chance to speak to them because they are busy or because you can be a bit of a scardy cat (*sheepishly raises hand*) then you can talk to them over social media. I chose the social media route because hey...this is social media week so it was a bit more appropriate (this might not be the case in every setting).

Here's my tweet and responses:

Yup! I got a response back and a retweet from a fellow journalist and a favourite from another. Both were men who I loved listening to. Their advice and passions really inspired me.

The issue with social media is a) it may not always be appropriate and b) the reader may not always read your tweet.

The great thing about my social media networking experience was that it gave me a chance to get into some people's radars and I also was favourited and followed by other people in social media because of my use of hashtags and the fact that I was retweeted.

Networking is no longer what it used to be, it can come in many different forms so try them all. You may not know when these tiny little connections can help you in the future!

From the desk of:

Taylor Brown
Social Media Savvy due to Shyness

Independence

There are lots of different ways to define independence. You can define it as paying your own bills, by being able to do things without anyone's help, or by the simple luxury of spending time alone.

This week I explored the latter. I decided to do what I deem as one of the ultimate acts of secure singleness: I saw a movie by myself.

via

It was wonderful! I found myself downtown with an entire afternoon to myself and the only theatre in the whole city that was playing a movie I was dying to see just a few blocks away. It was fate.

This was a somewhat big moment for me because this signified what I really came to Toronto to do. No, I didn't come to see movies in the afternoon alone but I did come to find independence. Not just financial independence, but all kinds of independence. I'm still working on  being financially responsible and have come to truly enjoy doing things entirely by myself and being able to say I didn't have to ask a thing for anyone. Seeing this movie was the next natural progression. 

If we want to truly call ourselves independent then we should really get comfortable being with ourselves. If you do this, then every other relationship in your life with be seen as a bonus, not something that you would die without. 

I still find myself feeling lonely sometimes when I have an entire evening ahead of me with absolutely nothing to do and no one in sight to do it with but I am starting to take these moments as opportunities to enjoy myself. Instead of wishing that my roommates would just get home already so I can have someone to break up the night, I'm making it about me-time. 

Here are some things I've started enjoying doing when I've got a whole night to myself:

- Going for nice, long jogs

- Cooking for myself 

- Cleaning (I'm a very weird person who likes to clean to de-stress and/or procrastinate)

- Watching television shows under my covers with a candle burning

- Painting my nails

- Playing records and singing along

- Reading books

- Journaling

- Knitting

So from now on try to enjoy your time with yourself. Find hobbies that you'll want to find alone time to finish. Let yourself de-stress and really make yourself cherish your time with the only person you'll ever be stuck with.

From the desk of:

Taylor Brown

 Independent Lady, Proud Single Movie Ticket Buyer, Enthusiast of Hobbies Suited for 70 Year Olds

Getting Close to Your Dreams

*My mom, sister, the ladies from City Line's Fashion Friday (Tracy Moore & Lisa Rogers)

Your dreams aren't going to come to you, you're going to have to go to them. At the same point, they aren't going to come easy. This is something that I struggled with when I first started looking for jobs. I was looking to get into the newsroom but every single posted position asked for 3-5 years experience. I tried applying anyways hoping that just putting my name out there would do some good but didn't receive much response. When this is the case it can become very disheartening and very easy to give up on your dreams.

When you finally do find some kind of job, it may not be your dream job, heck it might not even be in your field. When you do get money rolling in it's easy to stick in that comfort zone of getting by. My biggest suggestion to spark that fire under your butt is to get yourself close to your dreams. Nothing has inspired me more than just being near other journalists or in a television studio. Just watching HBO's The Newsroom always leaves me with a feeling that I need to get up and go NOW NOW NOW!

Last month my mom got us tickets to see a taping of City Line's Fashion Friday. They are known for giving out amazing gifts and you may even get to see yourself on tv! What I really loved about going to Fashion Friday was being in a television studio again. I wasn't looking at the outfits and cosmetics, I was looking at the people working in the studio. I kept thinking to myself "I would do anything to be working in here!"

That's the kind of fire that you need to spark inside you. What would make you feel like you would do anything to get close to your dreams? Do you feel that fire when you do see someone doing what you wish you could be doing? If not, maybe it's not your true passion.

Evaluate what you're doing now and what you wish you could be doing. Feel that fire, keep it alive and don't let it go. I sure as hell am keeping mine alive.

From the desk of:

Taylor Brown
Dream Chaser

Dealing with Roommates

Living with your parents can be difficult but living with roommates is a whole different ballgame. Your parents may piss you off but at least you can yell at them when they do, yell at a roommate and you could end up losing a friend in the process.

I am currently living with two other girls. It's great because we're really getting the roommate experience by living together but there are some things to remember when you are living with people who aren't your family.

When living with roommates:

1. Always be the kind of roommate that you would want to have
    If you wouldn't want someone going into your room without asking, then you probably should give your roommate the same courtesy. You should go out of your way to be a great roommate. Never take things without asking, don't use their things, eat their food, be too loud or generally do anything that could be seen as inconsiderate.

2. Be open
    Make the effort to be a great friend to your roommate. Don't hide away in your room every single night or eat every meal alone. Hang out in common areas, strike up conversations and invite them places with you. The more open you are to a relationship with them, the more rewarding the roommate situation will be.

3. Learn to share
    Sharing can be hard but sometimes it's necessary. Just make sure that you show whatever you're sharing the same about of respect that you'd hope your roommate does.

4. Set boundaries right away
     There are boundaries that I wouldn't cross but someone else might not see it as a no-go so make sure you talk about what is okay and what isn't right away.r

5. When something bothers you, address it immediately
    If your roommate is doing something that bugs you then you should tell them right away. Don't let it stew up inside you until you explode. Also, the quicker you address the problem, the quicker your roommate will stop doing whatever it is that bothers you.

6. Pick your battles
    While you may find the things your roommate does pretty annoying, you do need to decide what really matters. If you give your roommate grief every time they annoy you then you'll just end up constantly harping on them and they will start feeling like you're acting like their mother and nobody needs another nagging mother.

If you try your best to be the best roommate you can and help your roommate be the best roommate they can be by telling them what bothers you then, you shouldn't have any problems. Enjoy having a roommate! It's like a live-in best friend. You'll never be bored or lonely when you have a roommate so take advantage of a 24/7 pal!

From the desk of:

Taylor Brown
Roommate, Conscientious Cleaner, Mediator of the Apartment

When you're going further than across town

I've told you guys how to get around a city but now I'm going to help you get across cities. There are so many different ways to travel great distances and while it can all seem very complicated, it will get clearer! I promise you!

Yesterday I decided to head to my hometown a day early because I had to take a bus home and wanted to get that over with as soon as possible. Lucky for you guys, I made lots of mistakes that you won't need to make in the future because I made them for you. You're lucky I'm here to do all that dirty work you guys!

There is a GO Station near my apartment but I decided to head downtown to Union Station instead because I was hoping I could get a more direct bus home from there. Boy was I wrong. Heading downtown was my first mistake. To get to Union Station I took one bus and two subways just to get there. Why did I choose to do this? Because I was unsure about the GO Station near me (how to use it) and was too lazy to do too much research. Yeah...learn from my mistakes...I can't stress it enough.

Once I got downtown I bought the next bus ticket home. Because I wanted to get as close to home as possible I bought a ticket that had me changing buses in Mississauga. And so my journey began:

It took me about an hour to get from the downtown core to my first bus stop in Mississauga:

In Mississauga I had to wait about 30 minutes so I ran to a nearby Whole Foods to grab a snack:

This was only good part of my journey. It rained as I was walking to my bus stop and then I had to huddle in a shelter with a bunch of strangers while hugging my macarons. 

Our bus eventually came and then I could finally be on my way to my final destination while enjoying my sweet treats. In all it took me 4 hours, one bus, two subways, two Greyhound buses and one car ride from my kind grandmother to get home. It was quite the debacle for a trip that usually takes an hour at most by car. 

Now that I have lived that crazy ride, I can give you some good advice for traveling far distances:

1. Do Your Research

    A little more research would have done a world of difference for me. I did look into things a bit but if I would have looked a little harder I would have seen that there was definitely an easier way. If I had gone to the GO Station near me I could have taken a train and then a bus and probably gotten home in half the time.

2. Look at your price options

    Traveling this way was super cheap. All it took me was one bus token (about $2.00) and one bus ticket ($14.40) This was definitely ideal for someone like myself who doesn't have a lot of cash coming in at the moment but make sure to do your research. Maybe for a few dollars extra I would have been able to get home in half the time. Weigh those options and pick what's best for you.

3. Pack Lightly

    I wouldn't say I overpacked, but I did have a slightly inconvenient bag for my trip. Yes, I needed all of the things I brought, but it wasn't fun lugging all my stuff over so many different forms of public transportation. If you need to bring a lot home make sure that you take a more convenient bag or just plain pack less.

I will definitely be figuring something different out in the future for my trips home but this was a good learning experience. If yesterday brought me nothing else, it at least brought me some independence. It was nice to know that I could figure everything out on my own. 

Now kids, go forth and get places (hopefully in the most convenient and easiest way possible!)

From the desk of:

Taylor Brown

Road Warrior

Grocery Shopping on your Own

Grocery shopping on your own for the first time can either seem extremely fun or extremely daunting. I for one, am part of the latter group. Yes, you can buy whatever you want and eat whatever you want. If you want to eat chocolate for breakfast then you can! I wasn't too excited for this because a) although I would love to eat chocolate for breakfast, I'd prefer to be healthier (the inner kid in me has died in that sense) and b) because I know that groceries are a huge money drain. Yes, you use groceries but they can be really expensive.

Here's how to get the most out of your grocery shopping:

1. Make a list beforehand
    If you make a list of the things that you will need then you won't go in there and forget anything. Trust me, it's very easy to forget things when you are wandering aimlessly through the isles.

2. Check if your grocery store price matches
    I have a No Frills super close to me and they price match. The day of my shopping trip I looked through all of the flyers and found the best prices for each thing I needed. I wrote them down and compared them to the No Frills prices. It turned out that No Frills had the best prices basically across the board but it's good to save yourself money by doing a little extra leg work.

3. Test your food
    No, I don't mean take a bite of an apple before you buy it, I mean squeeze your fruit, knock on your watermelons, examine your veggies...do whatever you need to do to ensure that you're getting the best bang for your buck.

4. Try your best to eat everything before you go shopping again
    I've been pretty guilty thus far of making the mid-week grocery shopping trips because I'm craving something. It can be a waste of money to go grocery shopping when you've got perfectly good food at home. Don't let yourself buy new fruit if you've got something in the fridge. Make sure you're eating anything that expires before buying something else that expires. Letting food go bad is the best way to lose your money.

5. Be creative with your meals
    Now that you're on your own you don't have to follow any rules. For dinner last night I had Nutella on toast and broccoli and cheese. How random is that meal, huh? Eat whatever you want for whatever meal you want and just enjoy it. If you need to use up those grapes then feel free to make them a side dish to your spaghetti. Your meals are for you so eat anything you want and just enjoy it!

Happy shopping!

From the desk of:

Taylor Brown
Mid-Week Grocery Shopper, Nutella on Toast Enthusiast

Pros and Cons and Tips and Tricks for Public Transportation

One of the biggest changes that have come with independence for me has been experiencing public transportation. There are many pros and cons to public transportation.

Pros:
- You can get anywhere you want to go on $3.00
- You don't have to rely on anyone (asking for rides, borrowing cars etc).
- No need to pay for gas
- It creates a sense of accomplishment and independence
- It gets easier the longer your do it

Cons
- You have to carry everything with you (no car to serve as your own personal locker)
- You have to dress for being outside/ traveling (If I was going to an interview I'd want to wear dress pants and a blazer but that doesn't work well with this blazing hot weather!)
- It takes a lot longer than driving
- You have to always remember to have change
- It can be confusing and scary (What if I miss my bus? Miss my stop? The bus is late?)

Now, there definitely can be more cons than pros to public transportation but if you get organized, you shouldn't have a problem.

Here are some tips to make your commute go well:
- Plan ahead: I went online to the TTC (Toronto Transportation Commission) website to plan my route. It was easy to plug in the addresses and have a route planned for me
- Leave early (It's better to wait a couple minutes for your bus than to miss it!)
- Wear layers
- Find a stylish but big bag for changes of shoes and clothes
- Bring a book to keep you busy
- Plan a time once a week when you will go get change or tokens for the week so that you never find yourself with ten minutes before you have to leave and zero change

Public transportation can be frustrating but it can also be a great way to get around without having to worry about things like car accidents, gas prices, parking prices and the like. Learn the routes and you'll be zooming around your city in no time!

From the desk of:

Taylor Brown
Subway Sister, Streetcar Survivor, Bus Riding Beauty