Oscars Best Dressed

Did you watch the Oscars last night? What did you think? Honestly, I thought it was one of the most boring Academy Awards in recent memory.  I wasn't as captivated as I usually am and can't quite put my finger on it.  I thought it was good (and not surprising) that host Chris Rock addressed the issue of only white actors and actresses being nominated.  I was disappointed however that he didn't include people of other races and only concentrated on African Americans. The broadcast felt slow and less magical than in previous years. I turned it off before the end, knowing I would be able to find out who won online. 

But, that being said, let's look at my picks for Best Dressed!  The fashion never disappoints!

 Gaga, Charlize and Tiny all hit it out of the park! I love the hidden pantsuit on Gaga.  Charlize easily took my vote for best dressed of the night.  Tina looked like the Queen she is!

  I love the simplicity of Olivia Munn's look and applaud the daring shade of orange which she easily pulls off.  Only Cate Blanchett could rock this one. And Saoirse Ronan definitely rocked this year's trend of the plunging neckline. The metallic green is stunning on her!

I loved the trend on the men of the navy tux as well as some of the stark white looks on the carpet.

Who were your picks for best dressed? 

Worth Your Money?

Take It On

 We all have those annoyances that wear on us.  It can be as simple as a pebble in your shoe, or as significant as a toxic relationship.  For many reasons, sometimes we choose to ignore the issue and put up with it for much longer than we ever should.  The annoyance builds and can spill into other aspects of our lives.  One of my pet peeves is people who complain about something but never do anything to fix it.  That being said, I can fall into that category sometimes, as we all can.

My aunt recently started a blog and a post she wrote really struck a chord with me.  It's titled "Is the Way It Is Now The Way You Want it To Be?" In it she tells a simple story of something that was bothering her that she took on and fixed.  It inspired me to do the same. 

We have been in our townhouse for seven years and the WiFi has always been terrible on the top floor.  I know this is the definition of a first world problem, but nonetheless, it was very annoying!  Did we do anything about it? Nope. I did upgrade our internet a few times but it never really helped the spotty coverage. 

After reading my aunt's post, I took charge.  I bought a WiFi extender and managed to set it up myself, without the help of Google or anyone else, which made me feel like a pro! This devices works like a hot damn and I can't believe how easy and inexpensive the fix was. It was a real lesson in taking things on.

Another thing that has been bothering me is our tv situation.  Our couch in the basement is the least comfortable love seat ever made and so when Jeremy and I watch tv together, we never sit together.  We have a second tv in our room, but it didn't have Netflix.  So, I bought a new one! I was so happy to buy a new set, put it in the basement and move the old one to our room.  We now can watch Netflix together in either space and can actually sit together in our room.  The next move will be a new couch, but I am pacing myself.  This is another example of seeing an issue and taking it on.  Relatively inexpensive and the outcome has been amazing!

I am sharing these examples of "taking it on" with the hopes it will encourage you to do the same.  Analyze what is bothering you and slowly chip those issues away.  I have made a list of things that are annoying me and am working on each individually.  Some are easy fixes like the ones I mentioned and others take a bit more time and patience.  Regardless, work to take it on.  You will not be disappointed. Instead, you will free up energy to enjoy the things that bring you joy!

oxox Mare

Fully Your Enabler

Wise Word Wednesday

Nail Polish or Adult Movie

Every week on 97.1 SunFM we play Nail Polish or Adult Movie. The names get pretty ridiculous and it's funny also to hear how many of them could go either way! Listen to this morning's contest:

Works Like a Charm

I posted this photo on my social media Friday night because I felt like such a ROCKSTAR!  No, I wasn't eating peanut butter in the bath. I was getting gum out of Thomas' hair. He's obsessed with gum right now and managed to get an entire piece stuck just above his ear. So, into the bath he went! The process requires a little more than just rubbing peanut butter on the gum, so I thought today I would share what I did in case you are ever faced with this sticky mess!

I put T in the bath and got his hair wet. Then I took about a tablespoon of peanut butter and rubbed it into the gum.  The oil is supposed to help loosen it.  Pretty instantly I saw it working.  I took a small brush and then started to carefully brush the gum away from his scalp.  He didn't fuss too much so I can only assume the peanut butter helps.  As the gum started to move away from his head and into his hair, I used a dry facecloth to start to pull it out of his hair.  It took a few times of repeating this process until the gum came out, but it did! Then I washed his hair and it was done!

Again, I felt like a rockstar!

Watching the Grammys!

My Love

 I am feeling such a burst of love for my little one.  To say Thomas has come so far in the past year would be a massive understatement.  He is so full of love and awareness.  He used to never look anyone in the eye and now he seeks out interaction from all kinds of people.  He gives hugs, kisses and so many smiles my heart may actually explode.  His progress is astounding.  Just yesterday he mastered yet another goal in therapy, something I never take for granted. T's personality is blossoming and I am honoured to have a front row seat. Nothing brings me joy like my T Bone. I will always have his back, his best interests at the forefront and work my whole life to give him the best possible experience. 

oxox Mare 

Wise Word Wednesday

 Taylor Swift, accepting her award for Album of the Year at the Grammys Monday night.

 

Grammys Best Dressed

The morning after an awards show I like to post my picks for Best Dressed. Last night at the Grammys there were lots of fabulous looks, but not enough for me to compile a real list. Honestly I thought Taylor and Adele stole the fashion show. 

Taylor's first look on the left is unlike anything she's ever worn to an awards show from the short hair to the bright ensemble.  I am absolutely in love with the sparkly catsuit she wore as she opened the show with a killer performance of Out of the Woods. Slay.

Adele rarely wears colour and so to see her in this stunning gown as she performed last night, it took my breath away. She looked stunning. The light hit the sequins to perfection.  She overcame terrible technical difficulties and later tweeted: "The piano mics fell on to the piano strings, that's what the guitar sound was. It made it sound out of tune".  Adele continued like a true professional and once the issue was fixed, her song was flawless, tears and all. 

Food Friday: Vegan Meatballs

Happy Food Friday! Last Friday I tried a new recipe and it turned out really well! Both Jeremy and my friend who was over for dinner really liked it, despite the fact there was no meat to be seen. I also enjoyed it for lunch this week as leftovers. I had some requests to share the recipe, so, here it is! It is from the book Plant Powered Families by Dreena Burton:

Purging My House Part 1

Wise Word Wednesday

Mare's Music Monday

Yes it is another Mare's Music Monday! There is so much new music out right now and I am loving it! This album from Marianas Trench came out at the end of last year but I just bought it recently.  I have been a fan of this amazing Canadian band for years but have never seen them in concert. Bad Canadian. But, I will be seeing them in concert this Spring and knew I had to be up to date on their library.  

The band says Astoria was inspired by the movie, The Goonies. There is a ton of 80s influence in the sound and even some songs that totally remind me of Queen, one of my all time faves. 

I think Marianas Trench, especially their frontman Josh Ramsay, is one of the most under-rated groups in music.  Did you know Ramsay was responsible for Carly Rae Jepsen's smash Call Me Maybe? His lyrics, music arrangement and vocals are unlike anything else on the scene. 

The album plays like a soundtrack. I like to listen to it in the song's order and just blast it! One of my faves is Wildfire:  

This Means War, Burning Up and One Love are also stand-outs for me. What tracks do you love? Any other albums you want me to review? 

oxox Mare

Super Bowl Sunday

A few years ago I lost a Super Bowl bet with my cohost and so I had to write and perform a parody song.  A listener chose the song, Christina Aguilera's Dirrrty. Great. :) 

As today is Super Bowl 50, I decided to post this gem to reminisce and get us all excited for the big game. And by big game I mean snacks, drinks, commercials and the half time show.

oxox Mare

My Perfume Collection

Talking Bras on the Radio

Things I Loved in January

Wise Word Wednesday

Mare's Music Monday

This week's Mare's Music Monday is a new album I have been listening to much more than I expected. I have always liked Selena Gomez but with her new record, Revival, she's taking it to a new level. There are no songs on this album that I skip over. I like them all!  She's clearly been working hard on her craft and also on the quality of her voice. Her sound has evolved so much and the notes she hits are unique to any of her previous music. 

There have been three songs released as singles off of Revival: Good For You, Same Old Love and Hands to Myself. I love them all. Hands to Myself was definitely the song that stood out the most to me when I first listened to it. She performed a couple last year at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and I think it was one of her best live performances to date: 

 Other album cuts I love are Me and My Girls, Camouflage and Kill 'Em With Kindness. I sometimes feel like I am too old to be enjoying albums from artists who are so much younger than me, but I can deny how fabulous this one is. 

oxox Mare