Category Archives: Nicole’s Favourite Things

Nicole’s Favourite Things: The “I Love My Garden” Edition

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Well, as I write this it is 7 degrees Celsius and we had a huge hailstorm this weekend that mushed flat all my garden beds and flowers. Prior to this, with the heat and the no mosquitoes, I was thinking what was wrong with me all these years, Calgary is not so bad, look at this beautiful summer, and well. Well, complaining gets us nowhere AND I have enjoyed my summer and my garden immensely, and seasons change and so do I. Calgary has many great things about it; the weather is not generally one of them.

Sometimes during the summer I wonder what I do with my time when I don’t have the garden to tend to, which is how I feel now with the weather changed and no need to water or work in the garden. What DO I do with my time? Oh yeah, I usually have a job.

Anyway, I love my garden immoderately. I have been working on the flower beds for twenty years – twenty! – and over the last two years I have delved into herb gardening. This year, as you know, I started my first vegetable garden and it has been so satisfying. I mean, it’s not like we are saving lots of money growing our own vegetables, because it was kind of expensive to build the garden beds and fill them, but it’s been so much fun.

Let’s tour around my garden, shall we?

Nicole’s Favourite Things: The “I Love My Garden” Edition

The Perennials

My entire goal with perennials is to have something blooming at all times of the year, so I mix up early and late bloomers, as well as long bloomers, and so there is always something pretty and colourful to look at.

Early spring:

June:

July:

August:

The roses bloom from July until September, as does the yarrow and ornamental sage.

My hostas and creeping Jenny are quite stunted this year, partly because of the hot, dry weather, and partly because Barkley, in his dotage, has decided to walk through them several times a day. If admonished, he stands in them, staring at me in a what are you going to do kind of way, and since there is nothing I am going to do to discipline a 13-year-old dog with cancer, I guess I’ll live with my stunted shade garden.

Speaking of Barkley, every single day when we are walking – every day! – someone will stop me to ask “what’s wrong with your dog?” and it gets very tiresome. While I appreciate the sentiment of concern, I very much dislike the conversation that follows, and I am much too polite not to answer. I prefer the days when people would stop me to tell me how cute he is or to ask about his breed. He’s still cute and I still think Labradoodles are a wonderful breed! Please don’t ask about his giant growth on his side.

The Annuals

Over the years I have used annuals to fill in the blanks in my perennial garden beds, but now there…are no blanks. I use annuals mostly in containers in our very dry and shady front yard, as well as this pretty little one in our very sunny back yard:

The Herbs

I cook every single day but apparently, I don’t use many fresh herbs. The past few years I’ve been buying an assorted ten-pack of herbs from a fundraiser, and while I’ve enjoyed the element of surprise as to which herbs I’ve received, I’m not going to do that again. I only ever use fresh cilantro, basil, and oregano, and the rest I just water and…do nothing with. Well, not nothing. I am in the process of drying all the herbs for winter use – I do use a lot of dried herbs, but I don’t tend to use recipes with dried herbs in the summer.

If you’re interested in drying herbs, I really recommend a dehydrator. Also? Basil is a bitch to dry, with the thick leaves. As an example, parsley takes about two hours to dry in a dehydrator, and basil takes…a lot longer. I have no idea how much longer because I kept checking it over the course of two days, discovering the leaves still weren’t dry, and then restarting the dehydrator, only to forget about it for hours at a time.

Last year I attempted mint extract and it was a complete failure. I am not sure if it was user error or if I had the wrong kind of mint; I have so much mint this year and nothing to do with it. I might try the extract again, but I’m not sure if I want to waste the vodka on it.

The Veggies

This is my first year of veggie gardening; the guys built and filled five garden boxes for me, and I really recommend this kind of gardening. I’m a bendy kind of girl, but having the raised beds is just wonderful. Also, Barkley pees on the side of the garden boxes, and if the beds were in the ground he would be peeing on our vegetables, which seems suboptimal.

This year we grew radishes, carrots, beets, lettuce, kale, peas, potatoes, tomatoes, and zucchini with a lot of success, although I will say that next year I will use seed tape for the smaller seeds as I am terrible at thinning things out. I also tried peppers and cucumbers, which were unsuccessful – unsurprising, perhaps, but if there was any summer they could grow it would have been this one, with the heat.

I think next year I will increase the amount of kale, decrease the carrots, and omit the radishes altogether. I thought I would enjoy growing carrots more than I do; although if I use seed tape it’s sure to be more satisfying than my tiny, unthinned carrots.

Our growing season is so short here; at best, I have another month, but realistically we could get frost any day now, and snow in September is not unusual. I’ve made the best of the growing season, and I will enjoy it for as long as it lasts! Do you garden? Tell me everything. xo

Nicole’s Favourite Things: The Life-Changing Edition

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Okay. We all know that my half-Scottish ancestry, coupled with my somewhat austere Norwegian ancestry, has made a strange consumer of me. Whereas I have more yoga clothes, black footwear, and black sweaters than you could literally shake a stick at, there are a few items that I am so reluctant to purchase that the years pass and I realize how old an item is, and then I find I am horrified with my own cheap self.

Longtime readers will remember my New Year’s Resolution of 2020, which was to buy a new bra. The last bra I bought, other than a sports or running bra, was back in – I believe – 2014. THE YEAR OF OUR LORD, TWENTY FOURTEEN. I also had, in my underwear drawer, a bra dating from 2010, from a trip to Victoria’s Secret in Palm Desert, and panties from the same trip. Suffice it to say that not only were these bras ill-fitting and uncomfortable, they were also pretty worn out. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME. I suddenly hit a breaking point.

Reader, I have purchased new bras.

The new bras are so life-changing that I thought I would write about ALL the recent life-changing purchases I have made, so without further adieu I give you…

Nicole’s Favourite Things: The Life-Changing Edition

Knix Wear

I was gifted a couple of Knix Wear items last year, and so I was aware of their quality and general fit. Two things about this company that are truly great: a) their sizes are more general than what I would normally find in a lingerie store – a size 2 fits 36A, 34B, AND 32C, for example – and so it’s easier to figure out what size to order, and b) if that size doesn’t work, they have a 30 day wash and wear guarantee, so you can wear and wash it as much as you like for 30 days, and then return it.

I will NOT be returning the two bras I bought, because they are a revolution in bra-wearing. They are as comfortable as wearing my yoga tanks, and they add “contour,” which is something I appreciate, as a less-gifted woman.

Not that you can tell, but I’m wearing the Wing Woman Contour bra, and it is literally the most comfortable bra I have ever worn in my life, INCLUDING SPORTS BRAS.

Other Unmentionables

Buoyed by my Knix purchase, I decided to buy a new strapless bra, my current one that constantly falls down dating from…I don’t know? I think the boys were babies. IT IS TIME. I purchased one online from La Vie En Rose, thinking that if it didn’t fit I could return it to the store that is literally a five-minute drive away.

Look, Mom, no visible bra strap!

Happily, I didn’t have to return it, and because they only offer free shipping on orders over $75, I threw all caution to the wind and bought a bunch of panties. Is there anything more transformative to one’s life than new panties? Maybe a new lipstick. I spent a few moments cleaning out my underwear drawer and realized that I have kept the little inserts that go into yoga tanks, for reasons unknown, for years. I wonder if anyone in my Buy Nothing group will want them. What do you do with all these inserts?

Important note, for those of you wanting your own strapless bra: the key to one that won’t fall down is to size DOWN in the band and size UP in the cup.

Sweet Dreams

Earlier in the year, I bought a couple of soft sleep bras, as I am a strangely rigid person who doesn’t like to, um, flop while I sleep. My last sleep bra was bought – wait for it – when I was PREGNANT WITH MY OLDER SON, BACK IN 2003. At the time, due to pregnancy, I was in a triple-D bra size, so between the sizing and the age of the item, you can imagine the fit was sub-standard. I mean, I am pretty far from a triple-D these days.

Anyway, my new sleep bras were a revelation unto themselves, so soft and comfortable. And they fit my much-deflated bosom! What a concept. While I was at it, I also bought this cute tank top, which summarizes my life up quite well:

Whoaaaaa, Listen to the Music

My husband gave me Air Pods (I am constantly mispronouncing them as Ear Pods) for my birthday and they have CHANGED MY LIFE. He gave them to me because, as he said, I knew you would never buy them yourself and I thought you’d really like them. Ah, marriage.

But he’s right, I DO love them. It took me a little while to figure out the “double-tap left to pause, double-tap right to skip” feature, but I wear them while running, walking the dog, and even doing something that I never thought I’d do: LISTENING TO PODCASTS.

He even got me my own personalized case so that I don’t accidentally take my son’s, or vice versa.

You Can Leave Your Hat On

I have resisted wearing a hat while running for…ever, I guess. However, since I run in the early mornings, the sun is always at an angle and I am either being blinded from it, or completely in the dark when running in shaded parts on the path. I hate regular hats wherein I have to wrangle my ponytail JUST SO to fit, and so I bought this running visor from lululemon, and it’s a game changer.

I admit I had to get over the hurdle of feeling like a Lady Who Golfs/ My Own Mother, but it’s practical, it works, it’s Life Changing, it belongs in this post.

Spinning With Myself

It has been a whole year since our Peloton arrived and my life changed forever. Before the pandemic, I would have never, ever considered a virtual spin class, but here we are. I can never go back to regular spin classes; I can’t, I won’t. For one thing, it is a way more efficient way to get cardio. A one-hour spin class at the fitness club really takes two hours, what with the commute and parking and the locker room and getting there early to get a good bike. Plus, you know, the plague.

Contrast this with the ease of just walking to my basement, choosing a ride based on the excellent roster of instructors and their playlists, and, to be honest, getting a better workout in 30 minutes than in the hours I spent at the club.

I finished 300 rides last weekend! In addition to the cycle program, Peloton offers programs for strength training, stretching, running, barre, Pilates, meditation, and more. The monthly fee covers our entire family and is much, much less than the monthly fee for the fitness club.

For anyone interested, my username is NicoleBoyhouse, and my favourite instructors are Leanne, Alex, Ally, and Kendall, with Becs as my favourite strength trainer.

A Different Kind of Spinning

With my lettuce and kale going crazy in the garden, a salad spinner is a must; that is, if I don’t want soggy salads. We had a salad spinner that I think was purchased back in 1999 and it did not work well. Or really, at all. It hasn’t worked for years, honestly, but it didn’t really matter since most of my lettuce purchases are either Romaine hearts or those clamshells of mixed greens, both of which I find can be easily rinsed off and patted dry.

But fresh-from-the-garden lettuce requires a lot more washing, even if my garden dirt is organic, I don’t really want to eat it. One frustrating use of my cheap, broken salad spinner and I was off to Bed, Bath, and Beyond for a new one. Who knew that for $20 my whole salad life would change?

I have yet to be disappointed by anything from Cuisinart. They make great products, and this salad spinner is no exception.

Who’s Your (Scrub) Daddy?

What is it about Bed, Bath, and Beyond that makes me feel like my life is incomplete and that I need to buy useless things as a ticket to happiness? I don’t know. It’s a good thing I don’t go there often because it makes me want to Consume.

However, Suzanne (HI SUZANNE) had mentioned Scrub Daddies, and I had admired their cute smiley faces before, and so while buying a salad spinner I decided to pick one up. I loved it so much that I went back to get a second one and a pack of “Scour Daddies” for the bathroom tiles.

While I was at it, I bought a pack of microfibre cleaning cloths, and who knew that such items would work better than the seventeen-year-old flannelette receiving blankets with puppies on them, or ripped up old towels dating from before I got married that I have been using? My housecleaning rituals have been taken up a notch, I can tell you.

These are the things that have CHANGED MY LIFE, I have literally a whole new life now. What things have changed yours? What are you loving these days? xo

Nicole’s Favourite Things: The Summer Solstice Edition

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Something that I genuinely enjoy even though it’s universally considered to be a terrible invasion of privacy is targeted advertising on social media. I find it absolutely fascinating, what social media thinks that I am interested in. I mean, usually they are correct; my advertising tends towards yoga gear and Peloton and plant-based foods, and sometimes they will have clothing that is “tailored for the mature woman.” After a private chat with my dear friends Hannah and Allison (HI HANNAH HI ALLISON) about old-fashioned candy, I had a lot of candy advertising.

Recently I wrote about clothing and trends and high waisted shorts, and so I was given this gift of an advertisement:

Let us just imagine, for one moment, dear readers, that it is summer and we are wearing these shorts whilst sitting on a vinyl or leather seat, or perhaps getting into the car on a hot summer’s day. Let us just imagine unsticking ourselves from such seats. Let us just imagine wearing these to the grocery store, or to a casual barbeque, or maybe just for a walk around the neighbourhood. What a gift to the world these shorts are.

Also, what a gift that those shorts are beside a perfectly normal floral dress. This might be my favourite advertisement of all time.

On that note: it’s that time again!

Nicole’s Favourite Things: The Summer Solstice Edition

Yes, we are a few days away from Solstice, but today is the Full Moon, so I’m FULL of energy! Because although I am a woman who has two degrees in economics, a strong belief in science, and is a grounded Taurus, I also have that hippie I can feel the moon’s energy vibe. What can I say, I’m a fun dichotomy.

If Anyone Needs Me, I’ll Be In My Garden

It would be hard to overstate how happy my garden makes me. If I lived in a place where the growing season was longer than three or four months, I’d probably be constantly spinning around like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music.

Right now my Siberian irises are in full bloom, my columbines have started to bloom, and I have harvested some teeny-tiny radishes, kale, and lettuce.

Lesson for next year: plant MORE kale and lettuce, because they grow really well in our climate. The green pepper, well. Not so well. See that little stick? That’s my green pepper plant. I don’t know WHAT happened; the red pepper right beside it is doing fine.

Don’t you love those little labels?

I harvested kale to make this salad for a hiking day with my dear friend Janet (HI JANET). Later my husband asked if I enjoyed my $400 salad. I sure did! This garden is really paying off!

Fruit Salad, Yummy Yummy

This is SUCH a great time for berries and cherries; although they don’t reliably grow here, they’re growing somewhere, and I love it. Strawberries in particular are really good right now, and cherries are starting to make their appearance in the grocery store.

Oh My God Becky, Look At Her Butt.

Feet Don’t Fail Me Now

It’s no-sock season! I swear one of the greatest things about summer is not having to put on a ton of layers to go outside, and to just slip on a pair of shoes or sandals without socks involved. However, summer can be a bit hard on the feet in terms of dryness and callouses. I’ve definitely mentioned this before but O’Keefe’s Healthy Feet is really great for cracked heels and dry skin, and it has a nice minty scent as well.

Since mid-January, I have been getting pedicures from a woman who opened her little shop just up the street from me in – get this – November 2020. Essentially as soon as she opened, she was shut down, and she was reopened only to be shut down again. So, in the interest in supporting local business and also having pretty feet, I have been getting pedicures done, but in between times, to maintain softness, I’ve been using Rocky Mountain Body Butter on my feet.

I like the lemongrass scent for summer, and the vanilla coconut for other seasons, because I am a princess who likes choices. If you, like me, kind of hate applying thick foot cream with your hands, this is the product for you! It’s like using a deodorant stick on your feet! Just be sure to put on socks afterwards, so as to not a) slip and fall on your floor, and b) leave greasy footprints on the floor. Ask me how I know this!

Sunshine On My Shoulders Makes Me Happy.

In the summer I generally wear a lot of sleeveless tank tops, and I spend as much time as possible outside, and so sunscreen on my shoulders is a must. I love Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen, mostly because the coconut scent brings me back to winter vacations in non-pandemic times. Also, it’s not a heavy, sticky sunscreen, and it is moisturizing.

Great For Showers, Weird For Dishes

This has nothing to do with Summer Solstice, but it is a recent discovery. A while back Suzanne (HI SUZANNE) mentioned Dawn Powerwash, and Gigi (HI GIGI) chimed in by saying the product is really good for cleaning shower doors. You had me at shower doors, Gigi.

We have such hard water here, and so the shower doors always have hard water deposits, along with, of course, soap scum. I bought a bottle and people, it is pretty amazing. I couldn’t believe how well it works! It is supposed to be used to wash dishes, but I find it kind of bizarre: spray the product on dirty dishes, wipe off the dishes, rinse the dishes. It seems like way more work to wash dishes that way than, you know, in a sink, but I am not here to judge your dishwashing methodology. I am here to tell you that Gigi was right, it is amazing in the shower. Plus, since it’s a dish soap, it doesn’t have that crazy toxic feel that a lot of bathroom cleaners have.

Those are all my favourite things this month; what are yours? xo

Nicole’s Favourite Things: The Mayday, M’aidez Edition

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If you have ever read The Handmaid’s Tale, you will remember that the code word for the underground movement was Mayday; Mayday originating from the French m’aidez, meaning “help me.”

I, along with everyone else in the world, have Massive Pandemic Fatigue. My husband is at the apex of his very important work project that he has been working on for the past three and a half years. My kids are – apparently – going back to in-person school on Tuesday, and even when they are home they are, as they should be, absorbed in and busy with their own lives. With everyone else busy I am the Household Support Person, which is the way that it always has been, really. It’s just that, unlike in other chapters in my life, that is pretty much all that I am these days.

Do you know what I mean? Everyone else is busy doing important things and I am buying groceries, which is important in its own way, yes, but also, am I spending my one wild and precious life in the grocery store? Kind of. The kids are learning new things and preparing to spread their wings and I am timing my purchase of dog food to coincide with 15% off treat day at Pet Planet.

So I am the Household Support Person; I’m the sounding board for issues, I am the person who knows when the winter blankets need to be swapped out or when the Roomba needs to run. I know when the towels need changing and while I don’t financially put the food on the table, I physically do. I meal plan and make corresponding grocery lists, I know when toiletries need replenishing and when to order more medication for the dog. I know when appointments need to be made and I make them, I do all of those things and it’s fine. It’s totally fine! It’s just strange to be in a stage where this is my main role.

I am down to teaching two classes a week, and honestly, that is all I feel I can handle right now. I am so lucky to be able to teach zoom yoga, and still keep my beloved students, but my favourite thing about teaching was physically observing my students and then coming up with different ways for different bodies to experience the postures, in a way that would be best for individual students. I am so grateful to still be teaching, I bring all my same energy and enthusiasm to every class, but fourteen months of teaching to a screen and missing the physical presence of students is wearing on my spirit.

M’aidez! We are all fatigued, I know it. And when I feel the most fatigued and sapped of energy, I remember my Little Helpers. I have little treats and things that I look forward to on a daily and weekly basis that help with the tiresome, repetitive aspects of day-to-day life; Mother’s Little Helpers, if you will, in a non-Valium way.

Nicole’s Favourite Things: The Mayday, M’aidez Edition

Coffee Coffee Coffee #coffee

It’s no secret that I love coffee, but not fancy coffee or complicated coffee: I like my Kirkland Signature black coffee, the more the better. The great thing about being a coffee drinker is that every single day I have something small to look forward to; when I wake up I think ooh, coffee. Starting the coffeemaker is the very first thing I do every morning, before drinking two glasses of water and washing my face. But the best part about a daily coffee habit, other than the actual sweet sweet hit of caffeine? Choosing a mug.

Sure, I could use one of the plain mugs that match our dishware, but why. Why wouldn’t I choose something fun? Every one of these mugs has a little backstory, and I think of them every time I choose one.

This little guy is my favourite, don’t tell the others. I painted it myself one day when I took the kids to one of those paint-your-own-ceramics places. I love it so much that my sweet friend Andrea (HI ANDREA) painted this for me:

Tea For One

Most afternoons, while I’m making dinner or reading, I will make myself a cup of tea. Do you know what I love about drinking tea? You can choose teas that make you feel good about yourself and your life choices.

You are having a cup of tea, but you are also detoxing! Or soothing your stress! I mean, do they work? Who knows. But look! I’m cleansing, detoxing, calming, embracing my womanhood, boosting my metabolism, reviving myself, all by drinking a cup of tea. It’s enough to make you feel downright smug. I love coffee so much but coffee doesn’t have that same I am changing my whole LIFE with this tea feeling. I also love my little turtle mug; it has a lid on it to keep warm while it steeps, and the turtle changes colour with hot water.

Wine

While we are on the topic of drinks, hi.

It’s no secret that I love wine; if I could drink it every single day with no consequences, I would. However, there are lots of reasons not to do that: my liver, for one, but also skin elasticity, hot flashes, inflamed joints, and recycling all those bottles. So, I limit myself to once a week, generally Fridays, and let me tell you, I look forward to wine time like nobody’s business.

This is my favourite wine of all time, Vineyard Estates Cabernet Franc. Fun fact: the winemaker there is a lifelong friend of my husband’s, their dads were also lifelong friends, and their GRANDPAS were pioneers in the Canadian grape and wine industries. It’s just really nice to have that family connection, but also, this wine is the best. Because of weird Canadian rules, it is not available in liquor stores here, so we get it specially shipped. Well, my husband does this. I may be the Household Support Person but he’s my Wine Support Person!

Fancy Water

A few summers ago someone introduced me to La Croix, and I cannot go back to regular soda water. I can’t! I won’t! This makes me feel fancy, when I want to have a drink but it’s not Wine Time. It’s the perfect non-alcoholic backyard summer beverage, and the coconut, grapefruit, and razz-cranberry flavours are LIFE.

It’s Popping

Okay, yes, I have an air popper and yes, I have popcorn kernels and butter and coconut oil and seasoning salts and what have you, but sometimes I just do not want to be bothered. It doesn’t SEEM like a big deal to make popcorn but when it’s Friday night and I’m on my third glass of wine and I’m getting really invested in an episode of Diners Drive-Ins and Dives (Will it be a one-way ticket to Flavourtown?), it becomes a big deal. Popping popcorn and then cleaning up the detritus is just one toke over the line, sweet Jesus.

You know how some people are Sweet People, and some people are Salty People? I am definitely Salty, although perhaps not personality-wise. I love Angie’s Boom Chicka Pop because it’s delicious, it’s relatively healthy – even the kettle corn version which, goddamn, it’s amazingly sweet AND salty – and I almost always get PC Points when I buy it at Superstore. IT JUST DOESN’T GET BETTER THAN THAT.

I Scream You Scream

So I am not generally a sweets person, but I do look forward to weekly desserts that I make on Sundays. Listen, I make homemade ice cream all the time, there are five different flavours sitting in my freezer right this second, but dairy and I are not friends, and so while I make all this ice cream, I never eat it. Yes, I know how to make and I have made non-dairy ice cream and it’s fine, it’s better than fine, but sometimes I just want to grab a couple of scoops and that’s all. You know what I mean? Sure, it’s easy to make homemade non-dairy ice cream, but do you know what is easier? Buying this at Superstore.

Non-dairy ice creams have come a long way since I first gave up dairy. Back then, non-dairy ice creams tasted exactly like sadness. Not anymore! This product, made from coconut milk, is so absolutely creamy and delicious, I think I hear angels sing when I eat it.

So many treats! And today is Friday so I will be indulging myself later; in the meantime I will enjoy the scent of my Mayday tree in full bloom. It’s something I look forward to every spring; it’s a breath of life. What treats get you through the day? Tell me everything. xo

Nicole’s Favourite Things: The Pro-Aging Skin-Care Edition

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It was my birthday this week! I love birthdays so much; mine, obviously, but also everyone else’s. I mean, it’s the day you came into the world, let us celebrate! And as I said in my last post, every day we are alive is a gift, every birthday we celebrate is a blessing, let’s have some cake.

My driver’s license was set to expire, and so off I went to renew it; there’s nothing quite like official government photos to make you aware of your chronic Bitchy Resting Face. This is my BRF in 2016:

And here’s me now:

After I turned 40, I really ramped up the skin-care regime; before then I was still breaking out occasionally – acne AND wrinkles, wow, thanks – but in my 40s those pimples finally (FINALLY) stopped (please god, I hope I didn’t just give myself bad skin juju, I HAVE DONE MY TIME), and so I focused all my skin-care on products aimed at reducing the physical signs of aging (I will NOT say anti-aging, I will NOT). Here’s 2016 me, the non-blurry-official government BRF photo:

And here’s me now:

I feel like the regime and products I have been using have definitely slowed the wrinkle roll; I’m not aging BACKWARDS, but I’m also not rapidly spiraling into life as one of those dried-apple dolls. Not yet, anyway. NOT THAT IT MATTERS, WE EARN OUR FACES, AGING IS A GIFT, but you know. I like my moisturizers.

On that note…

Nicole’s Favourite Things: The Pro-Aging Skin-Care Edition

You all know me, but in case you’re new here, a note: nothing is sponsored, I get nothing for free, Nicole’s Favourite Things features items and products that I love and use and paid for. Even though it SEEMS like Neutrogena sponsored this post, they didn’t. (Although, that would be nice).

Cleanse

I wash my face three times daily: once when I first wake up, post-workout-in-the-shower, and at night. I am always shocked when I hear people say things like “I didn’t remember to remove my makeup before bed” because what. How. Anyway, Dove bar soap with cold water when I wake up, Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser in the shower (which, heads’ up, is more scented than you’d think an “Ultra Gentle” cleanser would be), and Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair at night. The latter is gently exfoliating and keeps my skin glowy, and it’s great for makeup removal.

Good Morning Part One

Since it’s generally 4:30 am when I wake up, after washing with Dove and cold water the most I can manage, pre-coffee, is a simple moisturizer: Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair with SPF 30. This product is really incredible, especially for a woman like me who, as I mentioned before, had acne and wrinkles at the same time. Any leftover red spots or uneven skin tone from said acne is repaired with continuous use. I use SPF 30 at all times of the year because I generally get my daily walk in pre-shower, and you can get sun damage even in the winter, people.

As an aside, it is REALLY hard for me to write the word “acne” in that, I had it. It’s funny how that shame just stays with us, isn’t it? I could write a whole book on what acne does to a woman’s feelings of self-worth and esteem, but for now, I’ll just recommend this as an excellent product.

Good Morning Part Two

I alluded to these products in my last post: The Ordinary. Fantastic price point – less than $10 per bottle, and each bottle lasts MONTHS – and I think they’re effective. The argireline solution is for my forehead furrows (we earn our lines, we earn our lines) and the caffeine solution is for under the eyes to reduce puffiness and dark circles. Post-shower-and-gentle-foaming-cleanser, these two are the first things I apply.

Sun Protection, Yes, Even In Calgary

After using The Ordinary, I apply a BB Cream with SPF; I have been a fan of Smashbox for years, but they are DISCONTINUED, WHAT EVEN, and so as soon as I squeeze the last drop out of this tube, I am going to try this new product, from It called Your Skin But Better:

It was recommended to me by a friend, but also, I love the name.

When the sun is more intense – non-rainy-or-snowy days from May to August – I use an intense SPF sunscreen, plus Garnier BB Cream without SPF. I like Neutrogena (hi, sponsor me) because it’s light and non-greasy.

Good Night, Sleep Tight

Post-nighttime cleansing with Rapid Wrinkle Repair, I apply the Ordinary argireline solution to my forehead, smooth Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Nighttime Lotion all over my face, and then use Rapid Wrinkle Repair Eye Cream underneath my eyes. After I’m sufficiently lubed up, I toddle off to bed to get my beauty sleep. I know, I know, for us perimenopausal women sometimes sleep is a literal dream, but someone told me once that just lying in bed is almost as restful as actual sleep, so I’m going with that.

Those are my current favourite skin products, do tell, what are yours? xo

Nicole’s Favourite Things: The Cleaning Items That Are The Real Heroes Of The Pandemic Edition

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I think we can all agree that household chores have taken on new importance during this pandemic. I like to have a clean and tidy home and that has been amplified by being at home all the time.

It’s interesting to me, how different we all are in terms of cleaning preferences: not just products, but also methods. My mom, for example, was a Spring Cleaning kind of person, who would literally clean the house from top to bottom over a 24-hour period, not just in spring but several times a year. She kept a very clean house, and there was always one day a week that was Cleaning Day. I am more of a Short Bursts of Energy kind of person, wherein I like to do one or two things each day, rather than set aside a whole day or weekend.

When I was first married, my mother-in-law told me that HER mother-in-law used to wash the walls monthly. Every single month, she would take everything off the walls, move the furniture, and wash them. My mother-in-law said, in a very well meaning way, “That’s just not necessary! Every month. Once every three to four months is plenty!” I remember smiling and nodding and thinking every three to four months? To this day, I think I’ve washed the walls a) when we’ve repainted, and not always then, and b) when we were first in lockdown and I was bored. I spot-wash the walls when they look grubby but other than that? No.

In general I spend between 10 and 30 minutes a day doing household chores, depending on the day and not including the kitchen. The kitchen, really, is its own entity. I spend so much time cooking and preparing food, and I am a clean-as-you-go kind of person, and so much more time is spent doing dishes and wiping down countertops. If I add that time up, I will become depressed, so I am not going to do that.

One thing I will NOT do as an adult is dry dishes. That was one of my chores as a child and to this day I cannot stand it. If no one is home to dry them, I pile everything into the drying rack and allow them to air dry; the only exception is if I have wine glasses or the coffee pot in the drying rack and I am trying to fit something heavy in there, like pots and pans. I will not risk the life of my coffee pot, and hence the life of my family, and so I will dry it with a feeling of being under extreme duress.

Anyway, 10-30 minutes a day of small things adds up, especially because my house is not very big and I am very fortunate to live with three pretty neat and tidy guys. They do the post-dinner cleanup on weekends, the boys keep their rooms neat and clean, and they are all good at putting dishes away and emptying the dishwasher and not doing gross boy things like peeing on the toilet seat. Don’t get me wrong; I am not sure at what point anyone would actually wash the dishes in the sink without being asked specifically, and no one has EVER cleaned the bathroom without specific instructions, or emptied the bathroom wastepaper basket, and there is constantly an empty juice container squished and left on the kitchen island when the recycling bin is literally fifteen steps away and everyone passes it every time they go downstairs, not that I’m bitter. In general, my cleaning time is mostly spent in the bathroom and also dealing with the floor; at this time of year it is generally covered in paw prints.

This month’s Favourite Things was inspired by Suzanne (HI SUZANNE) and her Chores Chat, where I discovered I am LITERALLY fascinated by other people’s housework methodologies and cleaning products.

Nicole’s Favourite Things: The Cleaning Items That Are The Real Heroes Of The Pandemic Edition

Roomba

I cannot say enough about my Roomba. I actually have two Roombas; one on the main floor and one downstairs. I am not in the least exaggerating when I say that getting a Roomba was Life Changing. I mean, I can go about my day while a robot cleans my floors, what could possibly be better than that, cleaning-wise? A ROBOT IS CLEANING MY FLOORS.

Go, Roomba, go! I believe in you!

White Vinegar

I am going to confess something here: I am a little bit of a hippie when it comes to cleaning products. While we do have some chemical products – for example, toilet bowl cleaners, I am not a monster – I like to be as natural as possible. I know, it’s weird to say that during a pandemic, but here we are.

I love white vinegar and use it diluted for washing mirrors, windows, glass shower doors, and the hardwood floors. As a result, my house often smells like a pickle factory, but hey, it works. It’s a potpourri, really: vinegar, delicious baking, and elderly dog. Maybe I should market it: Nicole’s Home Fragrance.

I buy the STORE BRAND because, Scottish.

Swedish Dish Cloths

Another confession: I was almost thirty when I realized that people use paper towels for cleaning. I honest to god thought that those commercials showing people using paper towels to clean up spills were just commercials; I didn’t know anyone who used them that way. I know! I know. I was brought up in a house in which spills – and everything else – were cleaned up using rags that were kept under the kitchen sink, and so my house has rags kept under the kitchen sink; rags, by the way, that I have made out of old receiving blankets, pajamas, and towels. Between that and the vinegar I’m practically Ma Ingalls.

However, someone had mentioned Swedish dish cloths to me, which are like a reusable paper towel. I ordered some and yes, I keep them under the sink. They are pretty and cute, and they work great for cleaning the sink and stovetop, and buffing fingerprints off the stainless steel appliances. I still mostly use rags for everything else though.

My Mother-in-Law’s Dish Cloths

My mother-in-law knits these dish cloths and is extremely generous with them. She can whip off one in an hour or less, and she has literal drawers full of them, so I help myself whenever I visit. As a result, this is in my hall cupboard:

These are my EXTRAS, for when my current kitchen stash wear out and become, in the Circle of Life, under-the-sink rags. I have enough to last me until I’m in the Home. Or dead. My great-grandchildren will be divvying them up amongst themselves and wondering why Great Grandma had so many dish cloths. Anyway, these are great for washing dishes – which I spend an alarming amount of time doing – and also wiping down the kitchen countertops – ditto.

Method Cleaning Products

These hippie products smell good and work well. I use the blue one for the bathroom sink and toilet, the granite cleaner mostly for the bathroom granite but sometimes for the kitchen when I’m feeling fancy, and the antibacterial one for the kitchen sink.

Scrubbing Bubbles

I quick-clean the bathroom every other day with vinegar and Method, but once a week I give it a thorough cleaning: scrubbing the shower tiles and floor. We have two bathrooms in the house and the main floor one is heavily utilized. Twenty-eight showers a week – at minimum – means that the main floor shower gets quite a soap scum and hard water buildup that really, no amount of diluted vinegar and hippie cleaning products are going to touch. I love Scrubbing Bubbles for that purpose; this is the only bathroom cleaner whose smell I can stand. It’s fresh and clean smelling, and it really works.

Plus, I like to imagine a the bubbles actually looking like that, in a world we cannot see, scrubbing away happily.

Weiman Stainless Steel Cleaner

Anyone that has stainless steel appliances knows the bane of their existence, fingerprints and smudges. My mom told me about this and WOW, does it ever work. I have tried every hippie method known to man – coconut oil, vinegar, praying to the cleaning gods – and nothing has worked like this.

Caveat: be careful when spraying it on the appliances, because if you get it on the floor it is VERY slippery. Be warned! Also, admire my shiny fridge!

Feel free to share your favourite cleaning hacks, products, and methods. Or, don’t! If cleaning is not your jam, don’t worry, next week we will delve into another favourite topic: Costco. Until then, my friends! xo

Nicole’s Favourite Things: The Hearts and Chocolate Edition

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Valentine’s Day is NOT a huge thing in our house. Actually, it’s not really a thing at all. I don’t think my husband and I have ever really marked the day in a romantic way, with the exception of me telling him I choo-choo-choose him and will he BEE my Valentine, complete with buzzing noises.

Don’t you wish you were married to me? I’m a delight.

Actually our most memorable Valentine’s Day – probably our ONLY memorable Valentine’s Day – was in 2001, when we travelled through Egypt and, on February 14, found ourselves in the incredible Luxor, riding on donkeys and visiting the Valley of the Queens.

While Valentine’s itself is no big deal, I LOVE hearts. I heart hearts. If you were to look at my “most used” emoticons on my phone, the red heart is always number one. The single greatest thing, to me, about Valentine’s Day is all the hearts everywhere. Ooooh!

Nicole’s Favourite Things: The Hearts and Chocolate Edition

Heart Sweater

My husband gave this to me…when? I don’t know. A couple of years ago? It’s my very favourite sweater and I try to “save” it for special occasions. What could be more special than wearing a heart sweater on Valentine’s Day?

Bonus: it’s snuggly and warm, and therefore perfect for a brutal winter day.

Heart Cake

I make this cake annually; it’s so easy. I have written out the steps before, which I learned from my sweet friend Maija (HI MAIJA). This year’s cake was vanilla with strawberry frosting; the strawberry frosting is essentially a buttercream but with mashed strawberry, and no liquid added; I learned that from my friend Steph (HI STEPH).

Heart Cookies

If there is a special occasion of any sort in the Boyhouse, it is marked with cookies. I have written out my mom’s recipe for sugar cookies many times – you can see it here – and it is completely foolproof. In fact, these cookies were made with leftover dough from Christmas (frozen, obviously).

Please excuse my cracked Reynaud’s hands; this is the result of much hand-washing and minus 30 temperatures with no humidity. No amount of lotion is going to help, believe me.

Heart Necklace

Some of you may recognize this necklace from a previous post. My husband gave it to me many years ago, and for a while it sat in my jewelry box, unworn and tarnished, until I discovered the magic silver-polishing effect of boiling water, aluminum foil, and baking soda. The magic silver cleaning method IS magic!

Heart Mask

Listen, I COULD get away with a couple of utilitarian masks, but why would I when there are so many cute ones to be had? I’ve always been a fan of accessorizing. My mom gave me this for Christmas, and not only is it adorned with hearts, they are BLINGY hearts! Does anyone say “bling” anymore? No? Sparkly, then. Get your sparkle on!

Heart Bookmarks

I feel the way about bookmarks that I do about masks: sure, I could use an old receipt or grocery list, but why? There is a young local artist who I like very much, have known since she was a toddler, and am watching grow into a talented and lovely young woman, and she makes the most adorable, whimsical bookmarks. She just finished a heart collection and of course I needed some.

I read a lot and each time I start a book I take a little time to choose a bookmark. It feels not unlike choosing an outfit and accessories, and it makes me happy every time.

Special Edition Lindt Truffles

OMG. You guys. After reading Swistle’s posts last year (HI SWISTLE), I really wanted to mark Galentine’s Day, which, for those of you not in the know, is February 13. I decided to deliver some little goody bags to my girlfriends in the ‘hood, and when I was at Superstore I noticed these:

Remember when you were a kid at Christmastime, and someone was always gifting someone with Pot of Gold chocolates? The best thing about those chocolates was the guide to what was inside each chocolate. I didn’t – and still don’t – like the ones with caramel, nougat, or nuts, but I LOVED the fruit-flavoured ones: orange, strawberry, and even maraschino cherry.

So I have always liked the Lindt truffles that are “strawberries and cream” but when I saw DARK chocolate with strawberry? Well, sold. I packaged some up for the girls, and, of course, left a couple for myself. I am happy to report that they are even better than you might imagine.

I have them hidden in the back of that cupboard, because they are mine, mine, mine! I thought I’d stock up when I was at Superstore this week, and while they had ridiculously cut-price heart chocolates, the strawberry Lindts were ALL SOLD OUT. If I had known how glorious they were, I would have filled my cart.

Truffle Kisses

Speaking of truffles, these Hershey Kiss Truffles are pretty divine! Hershey’s Kisses are so fun because they feel like an EVENT, so much fiddling with the foil wrapping for one little chocolate.

Now the Valentine’s aisle is completely filled with Easter treats – is it too soon to buy Easter treats? We are in Lent. – but I feel that we should celebrate hearts and chocolates all year round. Sending beams of love from my heart to yours, Care Bear-style. xo