Category Archives: City Photography

My Japan Trip Recap

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Although I’ve undertaken a personal syllabus in Japanese wisdom over the years (such as shinrin-yoku, kaizen, etc) I never really thought about traveling to Japan.
Thankfully, my husband loves to explore and enjoys picking places to for us to adventure.

So in July, we spent 14 days in Japan, exploring Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka with a day trip to Mt Fuji and Hakone. The natural beauty and cultural experiences were definitely worth seeing/experiencing. But more than that, it was the little moments in between for me where I was able to take note of the people, the country’s history and how the society operates.

Of course travel opens you up to new perspectives, which in the cas of Japan can also make you see how their rules create resolutions for many daily challenge – a few included below:

  • There are no trash cans in Japan. They were all removed after a chemical gas attack that was hidden in a subway garbage bag. This means everyone carries their trash around until they get home (or back to the hotel for tourists). Which in part, keeps the country extremely clean.
  • Group harmony is ingrained in everyone’s personal responsibility. People form single file lines, are extremely organized, everyone sits to eat (as opposed to walk and eat), being quiet in public transit is expected and everyone makes the effort not to cause inconvenience to other people
  • Everyone has a job and no job is beneath anyone
  • People do not point with one finger or hand money to people/cashier directly in their hand (but rather placed in a tray)
  • Shoes are removed and face coverings are worn in clothing retailer fitting rooms so products remain clean
  • Senior citizens are very independent and self reliant. The amount of times I saw hunched over elderly slowly making there way up and down stairs in the subway system was amazing
  • Laziness is considered a disease (to the point where I rarely saw public seating in malls or underground shopping areas)
  • The society operates to create efficiency and convenience for it’s people. Hotels have ammenities bars so minimal packing is required by guests, 7/11 uses data insights to restock it’s shelves and fridges with fresh food items including sushi, trains always on time to the second & take away food is packed so well that even food delivery arrives without any spills
  • And even though this is last on the list, indoor square footage is a hot commodity. Having a hotel room more than 31 square meters is not the norm – mainly because Japan is a very densely populated country

Ok hoping that provides some future Japan tourists with a little taste but now on to the sight seeing. Japan felt a little like a video game (think: Animal Crossing lol). You spend the day walking, seeing/buying/gachapon’ing beautiful things. You take in beautiful sights and get food points through out! With that said, if you are travelling with multiple family members (think: grandparents and their grand kiddos) – I would say these are the must sights to see:

  • Sky views: Shiodome Caretta, Umeda 360, Shibuya Scramble, Shibuya sky or any of the city towers
  • Snack runs a all the Konbinis (7/11, Family Mart, Lawson)
  • Cultural experience like chopstick carving, sushi making, Sumo fight, Japanese artist galleries or a Kimono/Samurai tea ceremony
  • Shrines (pick a few as there MANY!)
  • Interesting neighbourhoods in Tokyo: Shinjuku & Harajuku etc
  • Gashapon (but be careful it’s addictive)
  • Shopping (make a list but if anything you should definitely window shop)
  • Teamlabs
  • Station markets
  • Book a driver for the day and see if you can catch a glimpse of Fujisan
  • Food Markets
  • Day trip to Nara
  • Ride the bullet train
  • Castles & Palaces

Planning Japan was my hobby from 6-11pm in the evenings leading up to the trip. And because Japan is such a popular destination right now (thanks to TikTok) booking certain attractions require advance reservations (such as TeamLabs, Shibuya Sky etc).

Hoping this recap provides some inspiration and pro tips for your Japan Trip!

8 course menu in a Cave!

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I’m not a foodie, but I know trying new restaurants with friends is a love language.

The three core pillars of a restaurant experience are: ambiance, service, food (aesthetics high up on priority).

I’m also someone who will go to a new restaurant, not for the food – as a priority, but for the vibes. I love seeing and surrounding myself with beautiful things. So of course, gorgeous restaurants and how the chef’s make art on a plate are no exception.

My friend and I recently checked out And / Ore and it was spectacular. We specifically went to the Below Ground dining room.

And / Ore did not disappoint. From the moment we entered we were treated with a friendly smile, courteous service and beautiful things to look at everywhere.

The Below Ground dinning room offered an 8 course tasting menu. I had seen pictures of the plates online and thought I’d have to grab a pizza afterwards (lol). But little did I know that 8 little plates would really add up!

The presentation of the food (and the taste of most dishes) were amazing. And just check out the view of the inside, it’s like you are in an actual cave!

If you haven’t been then I highly recommend it. The menu is seasonal and uses local ingredients so I plan on going again with the Hubz.

Would love to hear of any new restaurant experiences in Toronto – do share in the comments!

Love & Light
B

Prep for 2025 with me!

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I love a new year because I love a fresh start. But a fresh start can happen any time. It can happen on a clear weekend, or a Monday morning. It can happen happen on a Friday afternoon, when school starts, or the new financial fiscal and the start of a new month. But a fresh start and some inspiration go a long way. Sharing some ways to prepare for the new year, following the 4Ms method: Mind, Money, Mouth & Mood

:: Mind ::

  • Continuous Learning
  • Regular Journalling
  • Make time for Creativity
  • Practice Mindfulness
  • Digital Detox

:: Money ::

  • Create a monthly Budget
  • Have a No-Spend day
  • Track your spending
  • Build your Savings
  • Create an investment account

:: Mouth ::

  • Reach for veggies & fruits first
  • Drink 3L of water
  • Eat enough protein
  • Limit Sugar
  • Track your food (calories or macros)

:: Mood ::

  • Be Grateful
  • Take Nature Walks
  • Practice Breathing Exercises
  • Have a good sleep routine
  • Find reasons to smile
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Review of “The Art of Banksy” Toronto Exhibit

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A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to check out the Banksy Exhibit. The exhibit was well organized and laid out. There was a bar (although no drinks were allowed inside the exhibit) and both a general and VIP admission ticket.

Some interesting things I learned about Banksy and his art:

  1. His art represents geo and socio economic issues with a side of dark humour and satire
  2. He is known for using street and concrete as his canvases
  3. His stencils are potential evidence for vandalism crime
  4. One of his art pieces was a theme park called DismaLand
  5. No body knows who Banksy really is

Spend a self-care day with me!

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Leaning into your self care routine is essential to being more productive BUT can help in elevating your divine feminine energy. #SayLess

We all have those days where we feel like we should push through the exhaustion and be productive.

But then there are days when you sleep in (not by choice), feel decision fatigue with every little thought and feel overwhelmed by the thought of your to do list.

The way to circumvent getting to any level of burn out (like listed above, because they are both a form of burn out) is to have a regularly scheduled self care routine. 
Or in my case self care day!  These happen very rarely and are usually caused by not making self care a natural part of my day.  So I took the day to lean into myself, be self obsessed and get things done that would feed my soul.

So …Join me on as I take a self care day!

Although I completely missed my morning routine (journal, meditate)…My day started with a healthy breakfast

My go to oatmeal right now is half cup of cooked steel cut oats, 4 strawberries, 1 banana, quarter cup of blue berries an a tablespoon of maple syrup.

c/o pinterest

I have an awesome life partner who noticed me working too hard several weeks prior and booked me a 9am full body massage!

It was the perfect release after many weeks of half marathon training and general life pressures.

c/o pinterest

Since I was out, I figured I might as well get some errands done.  I did a Fedex return and dropped off some overdue books to the library!

I ended up spending time at the library, perusing books for future readying, searching Pinterest for my vision board and checking out books for the girls #MomLife

c/o pinterest

I went home and made myself a healthy nutritious lunch: scrambled eggs, edamame, roasted potatoes and broccoli and a home made alioli.

With lunch I watched some Modern Family.  I ALWAYS re-watch shows (SATC, Friends, Seinfeld and now Modern Family) because I do not have the bandwidth to start something new.

I let my food digest while I worked on my vision board and then got a workout in: 30 min run followed by a 20 min full body/no repeats tabata.

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Full transparency I watched a few of my fav YouTubers while I worked out (ie: Tam Kaur, Melanie P Cruz, Holly B Fitness) – I love motivational inspo and could watch these creators on repeat.

Immediately followed that up with an epsom salt bubble bath …and yes the bubbles are MANDATORY ;)

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I made good use of my soak by reading.  I try and read 10 pages a day and I’m currently reading “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”.  I love self dev books, but try to balance them out with some fun fiction tool.

By the time I got out of the shower, I had about 30 minutes before I had to pick up my kids so I did a quick clean or my desk.  Switched up my set up and deep cleaned all the surfaces. 

It was a much needed spring clean.

The rest of the evening was spent being a parent but I managed to finish the evening with a brain dump in my journal (released a lot of thoughts/emotions), had a herbal tea and slept early!

c/o pinterest

Hope this inspired you to add some self care to your day, or take a day all together for yourself!

5 top ways to be more confident in your career

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One thing about me, is if I can share my wisdom I will.  I do a lot of mentoring in my corporate girlie life.  And I also look for opportunities to be mentored.  I’ve had a few great mentors over the years who have guided, protected and propelled me – so I really feel passionate about giving back.

Sometimes, those mentors are in my company, in my personal life or even virtual.

So consider me your virtual mentor!  I hope these tips can help you exude more confidence in your job, career, big dreams and beyond.

  1. Don’t take personalities or communication styles personally
    I find that as adults making friends is a hit or miss. There is such a mix of characters and preferred ways of interacting that we can be friendly with some and frenemies with others. The same applies in the workplace. There is also a mix of personalities and communication styles (cultures and genders can add to the bag). Remind yourself that when people are being direct, it is not personal.
  2. Stop putting others on a pedestals
    If you think other people around are better or smarter than you, because of a certain job title, project they are on or experience – they probably arent. And you can prevent the feeling of under confidence by not assuming people are better than you purely based on what you see. Remember everyone is going through something, even if you can’t see it.
  3. Assume you are doing well (unless you are told otherwise)
    Managers have a responsibility to have transparent conversations with their employees about work activities and performance. So unless you are being told otherwise, assume everything is going well!
  4. Remind yourself its not that serious
    Perspective is important. Remember if it won’t matter in 5 years, don’t spend 5 seconds thinking about it. Zoom out and get a higher point of view. Put in an honest effort, but don’t lose sleep or miss your breaks/PTO because of it.
  5. Reframe your negative thoughts into positive ones
    We often think the worse in every situation. It actually takes more effort and energy to negative than positively. If you feel like you are asking too many questions, remind yourself that you want to have clarity. But also if you get feedback that at first stings, take it as an opportunity to improve.