A Night in the City

A couple of nights ago Erika and I made the trek to the city for our best friend Shauna's birthday. We walked the length of the city…probably about 3 times, we ate Mexican food, we came, we saw, we conquered.

We started off by parking our car and then immediately walking in the opposite direction of where we needed to go so Erika could pick up a gift bag from an event she had worked at. We walked back to the car and changed our shoes as a mid day break (I highly recommend having shoe variety during a day in the city). After more walking, a stop at Starbucks, and even more walking, it had been 3 hours and dinner had arrived.

We met Shauna and a bunch of her friends for work at La Carnita. It was a delicious Mexican restaurant that did not disappoint. We ordered for the table so we all got to try a little bit of everything. I'd definitely go back!

After dinner we made our way to the car once again, fought the post Blue Jays game traffic on the highway, and made our way home.

I love a good excuse to go to the city and it was the perfect, most beautiful day to spend walking around and talking with my best friend before we honoured another best friend.

Hope your birthday was amazing Ms. Shauna :)

From the desk of:

Taylor Brown
Proud Owner of Some New Blisters

Laze, Laze, Laze

If you're looking for me lately and I'm not at work then you can probably find me in my bed, or lying down somewhere.

Does anyone else get that laze haze where if they aren't obligated to do something then they will just lie around all day?

I'm soaking it up though because I think that's what summer is all about. You should spend all your free time lying around, reading books, watching Netflix, eating fruit, and working on your tan.

I have tried to be a little more productive lately though, I've been trying to work on my tan by going for lots of jogs outside. This may have backfired now that I have a racerback tank top tan but hey, the arms look great.

I do take a lot of naps but seriously, I just love them so much, especially when I can take them on my porch in the warmth.

I guess this is a prime example of work hard, laze hard.

Today I have to renew my license (Bye $80. Bleh), and workout because we're at Thursday here and I've only worked out once so far (say hello to three more workouts, body). The upside: I don't work until next Friday. So. much. free. time. Naps, reading, sleeping in, it's all going to happen. I like to dream big, yah know?

From the desk of:

Taylor Brown
Horizontal Enthusiast

6 Months of Resolutions…is Over!

<< Celebration! >>

The Six Months of Resolutions challenge is over. And I won! Woo. Sorry, I'm a bit competitive sometimes. 

The challenge this month was: no chocolate, candy, chips, lattes, fried food, or baked goods, you must workout 3-4 times a week, and consume 8 glasses of water a day.

My real struggle was not eating chocolate (I love it so) and making myself workout 3 times a week. I love to workout, but when I was forcing myself to it was just no fun. 

As happy as I was to see the challenge end, Tessa and I know that these challenges have kept us from eating a ton of horrible stuff for us and kept us working out consistently. So we decided to start another six months of challenges. Six Months of Resolution Pt II! 

We haven't worked out what every month will be yet, just this one. We are doing more tailored challenged. 

This month we both have to workout 4 times a week (ouch) and can only have fried foods once a week. I am only allowed chocolate once a week and only one serving of bread a day. Tessa is only allowed a latte once a week and one gluten-free sweet a week. 

We made this month a little more lenient so we could still enjoy something we've been missing, without diving back into it face first. The real tough part will be working out 4 times a week, but hey, I'm up for a challenge.

Join us if you'd like. Tailor it to you!

From the desk of:

Taylor Brown

Winner (Sorry Tess, I'm basking in my glory)

P.S Funny story: I have no idea who the guy in my photo is. Erika took this picture while we were in Toronto this week and had gotten some free noise makers for the World Cup final game. I put this picture on instagram captioned "Just pretending to care about soccer in the streets of Toronto and sketching out the stranger behind me." And someone I knew actually recognized that guy and alerted him to the fact that he was the "sketched out stranger." How amazing is that? I wish I could be alerted of every photobomb I've ever done haha!

I Am Comfortable with my Uncomfortableness

<< A little wisdom from GIRLS for you >>

In February I went to a weekend long Life Coaching retreat for Women Who Run It. I spent three full days in a room with twenty other people learning to be a life coach. While I had zero intentions of becoming a life coach, I was writing a story and chose to soak up the experience as much as I could.

I learned a lot more than I ever thought I would that weekend. I completely pushed myself to spend a weekend with a room full of strangers. I was totally outside of my comfort zone but one woman's words really struck me. Her goal for the weekend was to be "comfortable in my uncomfortableness."

What she meant was that she was completely uncomfortable being there, much as I was. This was definitely a taxing experience for someone who feels introverted around people they don't know. She knew that no matter what, she was going to feel discomfort, but she was choosing to accept it, be comfortable with it, and push past it.

I think of these words a lot when I'm trying to push myself past my comfort zone.

One thing I try to do a lot is to stop hiding behind my cell phone. It's kind of an anxiety blanket. If you're sitting somewhere and you don't know what to do, you pull out your phone. Unfortunately it shuts you off from the world.

I try now to sit by myself and take in my surroundings, or even read a book, which actually gives off less of a "leave me alone" signal.

To prove my point: I went to an event a couple months ago and instead of sitting on my phone I sat quietly and watched the people around me. A girl approached me, asked me if the seat next to me was taken, and we struck up conversation.

Also, I was at a bus stop reading a book and a guy asked me what I was reading. Books are actually a good segue way into conversation.

My next adventure in becoming comfortable in my uncomfortableness will be going to a coffee shop to enjoy a book a la Shoshanna:

<< This scene in Inglorious Basterds has always seemed so cool to me. It looks like a good way to spend an afternoon >>

Even further out: enjoying a meal without any "alone armour" like Carrie did:

<< Just truly enjoying your own company>>

From the desk of:

Taylor Brown

Comfort-Junkie in Detox

Summer Reading

So far this summer I've spent every Saturday reading all day (or at least until I have to go to work at night…which I always do). It's been amazing. I always lay out on the deck and read, read, read until something like taking a shower or making something to eat pulls me away.

Sometimes I feel a bit guilty about lazing around all day but I guess it's better than staring into a tv, amiright?

I guess it's even more okay because I'm working towards a goal. I want to read 10 new books this year.

So far this summer I've read:

1. Orange is the New Black
2.  How I Live Now (Not new, just an old favourite)
3. An Abundance of Katherine's

And I just started Go Ask Alice. 

I've read all of these in the last four weeks…I don't want to brag…because who would brag about reading…so I won't.

Oh Summer, it's just so good. I think I'll let myself laze around for the rest.

From the desk of:

Taylor Brown
Lazy Person Posing as Someone Productive

#swipestrike

Have you heard about some of the injustice that has happened over at the Tinder headquarters?

Watch this video to learn more and join a movement again sexism and sexual harassment in the workplace:

Also, don't forget to use the hashtag #swipestrike on twitter and to share this video with your friends on Facebook. 

From the desk of:

Taylor Brown

Supporter