If my life lately was a cartoon, it would be illustrated with one of those daily calendars, and the pages would be flipping through in fast-motion, flying off into the wind. Time seems to move quickly the older we get, but this past month has been absolutely insane. Not only are we moving next month, but one month from today we WILL BE MOVED. I will be IN my new house, probably unpacking boxes. Right now that feels impossible but it’s true.
Anyway, June is flying by and there are a lot of things that I loved, and that made my life significantly better this month.
Nicole’s Favourite Things: The Summer Solstice Edition
What’s A Yeti?
I cannot see the word “Yeti” without instantly thinking about the clueless woman at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, who spent forty-five minutes surrounded by Yeti-related material only to be astounded at the existence of the word Yeti, lo these many years ago now. What’s a Yeti? Anyway, for Mother’s Day this year the guys gave me two insulated Yeti cups, which are perfect for keeping any cold drink cold. They are intended to be for white wine, but they work great for any beverage, particularly, in my case, a nice gin and tonic or a flavoured sparkling water.
Since our new city is very hot in the summer, I anticipate using these a lot while I read on our beautiful deck.
Dog and Bowl-erfly
Rex is not a dog who is made for the heat. Or, even the slight warmth. Basically, if the sun is shining and the temperature is above about fourteen degrees, he gets hot. He’s a Winter Dog for sure; on warm days he enthusiastically runs and rolls at the dog park, and then droops for the three kilometres it takes to get home. May and the first part of June saw a stretch of unusually hot weather, and that coupled with my concern about how Rex will handle our new city had me searching for solutions. Solution number one: walk him as early as possible in the day. Solution number two: always carry water.
I bought this silicon dog bowl that is foldable and hooks onto my belt bag. I feel a bit like a much-less-cool Sherpa, what with the waist leash and a water bottle jammed into my bag and then a bowl hanging off that same bag, but it works.
All Hail The Kale
Since we are leaving in peak garden growing season, the only vegetable I planted this year was kale, as it is an early harvester and one that just keeps growing after cutting. We have had three really big cuttings of kale already, and a fourth one is going to happen this weekend. I love kale. I love it. I love it in all forms but one form that is extremely popular in my house is the kale Caesar. I use this dressing (thanks to Birchy, HI BIRCHY, for the recommendation) and I massage it into the kale about half an hour prior to eating. Garden kale is so much more tender than grocery store kale, but I still think it is a good idea to let the dressing sit for that time.
Rainy Days and Mondays
As I mentioned, it was much hotter and drier than normal for about six weeks in May and June, and I was experiencing a weird cognitive dissonance. Personally, I love hot and dry weather. It’s my favourite. I was, on a selfish individual level, very happy to be outside in the soft air and sunshine, wearing only skirts and tanks. However, the part of me that has concern for other people and the world in general kept whispering this is really bad. The northern part of the province was suffering from wildfires, grass was crunchy underfoot, and it felt honestly a bit apocalyptic. It’s Calgary, and we did not have one day in May in which the temperature dropped below freezing, nor did it snow. This is weird.
Things took a turn last week, and I could see it in the photos taken of me and my ladies at our final yoga classes. Monday afternoon, we were all in tees and capri-length pants, some ladies in shorts. Thursday morning, we were all in sweaters and jackets and long pants. It’s been very rainy and chilly – two days ago I had to pull out my light winter coat and gloves to walk Rex, the temperature did not get above eight degrees – and while I don’t LIKE this, it does feel more normal and less like We Are All Going To Die In A Fiery Inferno That Is Our World.
Which brings me to rain gear; on days that I don’t need to wear a winter coat in June, I am loving this cute little raincoat from Lululemon. It’s pushing it for Calgary – I have a lined raincoat that I wear more often, and this is not lined – but in my new city, it will be perfect for rainy days that are not also freezing cold. Did I mention that it was eight degrees for a high? On June 20th?
What do we think of Hunter boots? I don’t find them super-comfortable for walking, but no other footwear is so effective at keeping my feet dry. Plus, I feel at one with the spirit of my birthday twin, QEII, who used to wear Hunters to muck around in the stables. All I need is a plaid hair scarf.
I Was Influenced Dot Com
A few months ago, I saw a sponsored post on Instagram that showed a woman wearing “the most comfortable jeans ever, the only ones I travel with!” This woman was doing cartwheels and yoga and even the splits, and I was kind of fascinated. Because I looked at the post for all of thirty seconds, rather than half a second scrolling by, my algorithm immediately changed and I was inundated with advertisements and sponsored posts for Mott and Bow jeans. Every time I logged onto social media, there it was; a post with a woman talking about the most comfortable jeans in the world. They were really cute, too, and I was especially intrigued because my current jeans were not the most comfortable jeans in the world. In fact, they were becoming less and less comfortable as time went on.
I have mentioned before that I have been strength training to, as my kids say, stave off The Osteo, and a side effect of gaining bone density is that I have also gained a very juicy booty and thighs. My current jeans could not contain all this lusciousness, and I was just feeling very uncomfortable and unhappy in them. It’s one of my rules that I need to feel happy and beautiful in all my clothes, and so I was again thinking about the woman cartwheeling around in her Mott and Bow jeans.
And I will say that buying jeans online is a pretty risky business, especially for a Canadian dealing with exchange rates on already fairly-pricey items. I went to the website, selected a cute pair of skinny jeans, and filled in their size calculator, at which point my suggested size was exactly the same as that in my current jeans. I was skeptical, however, I was also desperate for jeans and held my nose and jumped off the high diving board. The jeans arrived and IT WAS A REVELATION.
Never have I experienced jeans like these. The fit, despite my deep skepticism, was perfect. They are cute and flattering and so very comfortable. Rex and I decided to showcase this comfort with some downward dogs.
Now put your leg up, Rexie! Good boy.
I immediately ordered two more pairs: another skinny and one that is called a “boyfriend” jean.
So I guess there are two lessons here: one, Instagram ads really do work if they hit you at the right time in your life, and two, if the jeans don’t fit the body, change the jeans.
Outfit of the Month
Speaking of comfortable clothes, my favourite outfit this month is so comfy and cute: a tee shirt dress!
My son and I went out for dinner while my older son and husband were at the new house, and I wore this super-comfortable, super-cute tee shirt dress from lululemon. It was a bit chilly so I paired it with tights and boots – these boots are actually Sorels, and are unlined and perfect for rainy or wet weather. If I had a denim jacket I think it would be perfect for this outfit, but I don’t, so I’ll accessorize with my favourite fuzzy black-and-white item.
There are so many things that are getting me through this month of transition – I am a person who likes to be organized and neat, and my house feels like it is exploding around me – but a month from now, everything will be…well, it will still be kind of a disaster. But eventually things will be neat and organized again, and in the meantime, why don’t you tell me what your favourite things were this month? xo
Oh, Nicole! The yoga series with you and Rex is GOLD! His face in that first one 😂! What a handsome baby with his blaze and socks… and your smile is always a winner.
This part of moving is my least favorite–when things seem to be at sixes and sevens (as my dad might say). But it’s also the time when I sleep the deepest, because I’m exhausted and because planning how things will fit in the new place as I wait for sleep uses up both sides of the brain (spatial and visual) and sends me to sleep quick-quick.
In a month, you will have accomplished your move and will be in the new and exciting place… I’m going to hold that in my mind for you.
Sixes and sevens is a perfect description, Maya. It all feels chaotic around here and will get worse before it gets better BUT it will get better!
I love the photos of Rex doing yoga with you. Maybe he will adjust to warmer weather once he’s exposed to more of it? I hope so.
It’s been unusually chilly here. I’m in a long denim skirt and layers today– long-sleeve tee over short-sleeve tee. This is not normal for June.
I hope he adjusts and in any case, it’s only really hot for a couple of months. That DOES sound chilly for you!
Ha ha… so many things in this post but all I can think of is REX! Drinking out of his water bowl and doing yoga!!! All is well in the world when Rex is around.
As always, I had to google “eight degrees celcius” to find that it’s 46 fahrenheit- BRRR! For your sake (not Rex’s) I’m glad you’re moving to a warmer city.
Those jeans sound amazing! And they look awesome. I’ve stopped wearing jeans completely- but now I’m intrigued. I’m going to look at their website (although I suspect i’ll continue on with my usual wardrobe of yoga pants, sweat pants, and shorts.)
GOOD LUCK this month! I know- moving is so stressful. But it will all be worth it in the end.
All IS well when Rex is around, that is for sure! Thanks Jenny! He’s such a joy, and especially in the cooler weather. At least someone is happy!
You mention two brands I see often, but haven’t tried: Yeti cups & Mott and Bow jeans. Thanks for your reviews, I’ve been curious about both. I love to drink cool beverages and wear jeans, so you’ve got me covered.
My IG has been FULL of Mott and Bow, and also Ilya cosmetics, which I bought BEFORE all the ads, so I feel like it’s preaching to the choir.
Consider me influenced! I checked out Mott and Bow, liked what I saw, and then went to ThredUp for a cheaper “like new” pair. 100% agree that clothes need to fit you instead of you fitting your clothes.
I’m so excited to find out where you are moving – when you’re ready to share of course!
Oooh Birchy, I hope you love them!
I realize I have been mysterious with the new city and I didn’t really mean to be – it’s Kelowna, BC. A very beautiful place in WINE COUNTRY BIRCHY!
Wow those jeans sound amazing! I will have to check them out. Comfortable jeans are tough to find!
I can’t believe how cold it’s been in Calgary! It’s been HOT HOT HOT here with very little moisture. We really need rain but I’d like it to arrive on work days between the hours of 8 and 4:30. 😉 We’ve had lots of poor air quality alerts, too. I do hope the hot weather sticks around for my 2 trips to my parents lake home in July!
You have a crazy month ahead of you with your big move! I am excited for you but also recognize that even change you are excited about it hard and stressful and scary. I know where you are moving to and have been in that region and it’s so unbelievably gorgeous!
It was so hot here for weeks! And now, wow, cold. That is very Calgary though! Happily the cold and rain have tamped down the smoke and hopefully have helped with the fires.
Rex is going to be an internet star! He is just so adorable and photogenic. And clearly a yogi.
I LOVE my Yeti and use it exclusively to keep my water cold. I used it 365 days a year (unless we’re traveling). And I love the collapsible dog bowl; we used something similar on a road trip last year with our kids for carrying picnic lunches. We have some containers that collapse and it was so convenient that after the food was gone, we could just collapse the storage container down into a little square for the rest of the day!
Also this: if the jeans don’t fit the body, change the jeans. Amen!
We had all sorts of wildfires here in Nova Scotia and then it rained for two weeks straight. Now we’re back to very hot, sunny weather, but thankfully all that rain got the fire situation under control (at least temporarily).
Collapsible food containers! That is brilliant! I wonder if I should get some for hiking. Wait, no. No no. I cannot buy/ pack one more thing *makes note for after move*
The yoga session with you & Rex has to be one of the best things I’ve seen this month! I’ll have to check out the jeans. I’m hating all of my clothes lately!! Nothing seems to fit right anymore!
I also love the written imagery of calendar pages flying off into the wind!
And of course, the gnomes!
Michelle, that is how I felt about my jeans and although I think I bought them in 2021, it felt like “I just bought these, what a waste.” Well, it was a waste for me to put them on and be uncomfortable, so into the donation bin they all went!
Okay, I am in LOVE with how photogenic Rex is and how did you get him to do all the yoga poses? He’s such a darling!!
I have decided that I have bought my last pair of jeans. I am a thick girl in the thigh area and I wear them a dozen times and holes develop from rubbing and it’s such a waste of money. I will buy occasional pants, but I’m definitely moving into my only skirts and dresses phase of life because my body destroys pants.
Also, Hannah has a similar bowl (hers is orange) and I am definitely the kind of person who remembers to pack water for her dog, but forget to bring my own water bottle. Hannah really likes to drink out of her water bottle when I’m pouring the water into her bowl (I think Hannah would like a water fountain to drink out of it, but we had a water fountain for the cat once and it TERRIFIED her, so I think Hannah’s out of luck), so I don’t like to drink out of Hannah’s water bottle. That’s a lot of words to say that I also bring a bowl, two water bottles, and so much gear for a walk with Hannah right now because it’s Too Hot for Dogs.
Ha, I asked my son to take a photo of me in down dog and Rex immediately joined in! Then I said “leg up” AND HE DID IT WHY IS HE SO SMART.
Skirts and dresses are awesome and I am embracing that stage for you!!
I have one of those portable dog bowls! I love them.
I’ve been ordering jeans, leggings, and shorts online for years and I love them. I always buy a second pair when I find a pair that fits me. Cute AND flattering? SOLD.
I can’t believe summer is here. If it’s going fast for me, I can only imagine how fast it is going for you. 😘❤️
I had a visit a few years ago with a friend my exact age, and she said “I’m at the age where if I find something I like I buy multiples in different colours” and I felt so seen. When I find something that fits well I, like you, immediately order backup. Buying jeans online feels dangerous – especially when it’s a huge pain to return things from Canada to the US – but when it works it is glorious.
One month from today YOU WILL BE MOVED! Omg!!! So exciting/terrifying!!
Love your collapsible water bowl for Rex, and your jeans/yoga photos (with Rex yoga-ing along with you) are adorable. I am a HUGE fan of your raincoat, but since I already have two black raincoats (well, one is not technically waterproof but I like it anyway) I am not even going to look at the product listing online. No. I am not.
I have a pair of Hunter boots and I like them because they keep my feet dry but also because they fit over my extremely generous calves. It is very hard to find tall boots to fit my calves. But aside from those two things, I kind of hate them? They are SO uncomfortable to walk in. But! They keep my feet dry, so I am keeping them until I find a better solution.
They are SO not suited for walking. I only use them for long walks when it’s really pouring. But they are nice for short distances and for keeping my feet dry.
I only wear jeans if I absolutely have to, but I also recommend the Democracy brand. They have them at TJ Maxx in the US. They are very stretchy and even have elastic in the waistband!
Your gardening potential is going to explode at your new house if it’s going to be so much warmer!
Ooooh good tip, Sarah! We don’t have TJ Maxx here but next time I travel maybe I’ll see if I can find one!
I love my Yeti rambler. At first I had it for hot drinks and then I had this light bulb moment where I realized I could use it for cold drinks too!!! wow! Don’t know what took me so long on that one. You look really good in those jeans! I especially appreciate how they have good coverage when bending over.
Fresh grown kale is so tender and tasty. I should encourage my husband the gardener to plant some too!
The coverage for bending over is HUGE, Diane. They are medium-to-high waist jeans, and they don’t slide down at all when I’m doing things. I used to have such trouble with that with my old jeans, and really, who needs to see my butt crack? No one.
I have a couple of Yeti tumblers and love to use them on the go. I, however, don’t like drinking from them with the lids. So, I never use the lids.
I’ve not seen any ads for Mott and Bow jeans but I’ve heard good things about them. Do they get saggy? I really dislike jeans that just get looser as the day wears on.
In one month you will be MOVED! How exciting.
Rex doing yoga with you is, quite possibly, the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.
Gigi, you will not believe this because we have talked about this before, but the answer is NO. They do NOT get saggy. I have worn them and washed them many times, and they still fit my butt snugly. I had so much trouble with that, throughout the day, jeans becoming saggy but these have not. It’s a miracle!
Re the jeans, I suppose I could look up the answer to this question but already I am relying on you as the expert: THE POCKETS? Because I bought some amazing jeans awhile back, after TRYING THEM ON in an ACTUAL STORE, and I was so exhilarated and I brought them home and laundered them and then discovered the pockets were all fake. This experience has scarred me. SCARRED ME, NICOLE
Moving is so terrible. Moving is so terrible, even when it is going well. So terrible.
FAKE POCKETS NO. WHY.
These Mott and Bow have decent pockets! They are still “women’s jean pockets” and not “cargo pant pockets” so, you know, this is relatively speaking. But for women’s jeans, the pockets are quite deep and useful, particularly for the “boyfriend” style jeans.
I spy three varieties of kale? I’ve got curly and dino growing in my garden, and will be picking some soon. So glad for that! I finally had my first ever kale salad a couple months ago, which motivated me to make one and, now, it’s become a dinner staple because it’s amazing and 4 out of 5 of us will eat it!
Love the photos of you and rex in your yoga poses!
I hope you both continue to find calm and peace over the next few weeks as you move! One little step at a time.
Yes, Chrisoula, there are three – dino, curly, and something called Russian red, which is the behind Salvadore the gnome. It grows super fast and it’s tasty – different consistency but really good.
Nicole, I was thinking about you this morning and your comment about organization really resonates with me. I hate feeling disorganized and change often brings upon a little disorganization, or at least the feeling of being disorganized. I am sure that your last few months of not knowing what exactly was going to happen have been so stressful; I hate that in between period where you have made a decision but are still waiting to initiate an action.
So hopefully now that you have secured a house and can take action, it is better, but your physical life will get less organized before it gets more organized and I feel for you. I just helped my friend move from a house she has been in for about 12 years and she is a very organized person but even so, there is so much stuff and it has to be packed and then unpacked and then put together. We spent a lot of time last night hanging stuff on the walls, but before we could do that, we needed to know where the couch was going to be so we could center the artwork etc. It takes time! I will tell you what I told her (although she is a bit OCD so she doesn’t listen to me!): it does not have to all be done right away! Drink some wine out of your Yeti on the new patio and let the boxes wait once in a while!
I love a Favorite Things post, but boy do I hate that June is flying by. It’s my favorite month. I do not have Yeti cup, but I do have an insulated wine cup and it is very useful for all cold drinks. We had to quit planting any type of lettuce because we’ve been having a bad slug problem in our garden. They’ve destroyed our eggplant now.
Ok, I can’t imagine buying jeans online. Honestly, I’m the person who goes into the dressing room with 20 pairs of jeans and leaves the store empty handed. I’m glad you had such good luck! Wishing you all the best on your move. Oh, and my favorite thing lately has been walnut butter (similar to peanut butter only it’s ONLY walnuts, no sodium or oils added).
I KNOW, THESE ARE UNICORN JEANS!!! I was really happy with the experience, which is good, because returning things from Canada to the US is a huge pain.
I love reading about the things that you love. I dislike my Hunter boots. My feet hurt if I wear them for long. I intend to look up the jeans you discovered. I am at the pool rn and it is tough to see my screen- so I will plan to look later.
Fav things this month: hanging at the pool. Great summer weather. Starting a new book that I think I will really enjoy. My last 2 books were OK but not my favs. This book is called Lessons in Chemistry. I wonder if you have read it. I am excited for the weather at your new hoise. Will the boys move with you? Or are they staying in Calgary?
It’s so funny how Hunter boots are just not great for doing things in, but they sure are cute and waterproof. Enjoy the pool! I did read that book and I ALMOST quit in the first part because I found it so upsetting. But then the dog character was introduced, and I ended up really enjoying it.
I love the pictures of you and your dog! So great. My Mulder also did not do well in the heat, and it gets HOT here in the summer, so we always took him for walks early in the day, and if it was after 8 or 9am, we always took water, we had a very similar bowl that you have.
I am very glad to hear that your jean story ended well. My experience with online ads has not been good, generally the item that I get ends up being cheap and crummy. And now I think I want one of those Yeti cups. 🙂
Barkley did okay in the heat, but he did not need the kind of exercise Rex does (like, 2km a day and he was good) (he was essentially a carpet with ears). I think you’re right that the key is to do it early!
Moving is horrible. Full stop. But you are handling it with such grace and polish– very admirable. Love the yoga pics 🙂
Thanks Sarah!
How have a not heard of Mott and Bow jeans?! Now I must. I do love Ilia and also Yeti coffee travel mugs are the best – especially when subbing. They keep your coffee warm for so long!
How HAVE you not heard about them? They are all over IG! Honestly, I cannot believe how comfy they are. They aren’t even like jeans, if you know what I mean.
Wow, enjoyed this post very much, Nicole!! Especially the jeans that you can do yoga in – amazing! And your rainy day outfit is so cute. I have a rain day jacket but often feel very cold in it-if I wear it alone. I always feel like I have to wear a sweater underneath.
Thanks Daria, I can’t believe how comfy the jeans are!
The jeans are SO great on you and the fact that you CAN do yoga in them is amazing. Are you going to let your boyfriend borrow the other pair? 😜
Moving. *Sigh* I just can’t imagine doing it, but it’s Oh.So.Exciting to have this new chapter in your lives! Did you guys already sell your home?
I have a denim jacket that I love wearing with dresses too, short or long. Then I upped my game with a White Denim jacket from Tommy Bahama and it’ SO stinking cute with everything.
I’m a big fan of yeti, probably since before the Disney lady.
We did sell our home, and it is a hot market (as you know!)
Okay, I might need to get myself a denim jacket!
Currently writing this comment from the grave because the photos of you and Rex doing yoga together have KILLED ME. WHY IS HE SO CUTE??? HE’S DOING YOGA!!!! I cannot.
I have the “what’s a Yeti” feeling when people talk about their Stanley cups. Why are so many people drinking from a hockey trophy??? Oh right.
Those jeans look amazingly comfortable! I’m glad being influenced worked out so well for you!!
LOLOLOLOL I had never heard of Stanley cups and I was so confused. I just looked it up! So, not the actual Stanley Cup! Travel mugs!
Love the jeans. Love the post. Love Rex, so much. I might look up the jeans but suspect they are way beyond my price point, as is typical for clothing that actually fits well. Sigh. And Yeti – my mom has those cups! She loves them for wine, too. Drinks from them on our family Zoom calls, which frequently occur during their happy hour. 😉
I needed this post and your positivity today. Thank you for always being a light, no matter how stressful your life is. <3
Thanks so much Anne!