Footnotes and Finds

Wednesday, 2 January 2019

Travel in Style Essentials: Luggage

If you have been following us along for a while you know that we LOVE to travel! And after years of travelling experience, we have some travel nuggets to share with you that have worked for us.

Let's start off with travel bags. How you pack and what you pack in does impact your overall travel experience. For some it's important to be strategic, and for others it's important to be strategic and stylish. Don't worry we have got you covered.

you can travel in a strategic stylish travel bag!

here are some of our favourites:

packing cubes - these have been a big game changer for me - I love visually dividing, separating and organizing my stuff. these keep me organized and my suitcase or travel bag

here are some - they can be functional and fun at the same time:

Next up is traveling bags - if you want a personal bag to go with your carry on, or you would rather opt for a carry on bag over a suitcase - we have got you covered!

first thing is first - you need to pay attention to the every changing airlines and their carry on baggage requirements! I love using my smaller size herschel backpack as a personal bag - and it fits all the personal bag requirements of almost all the airlines i have been on! and boy does it fit A LOT!

what are some travel luggage essentials for you?

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my first time kayaking - harrison hot springs

when I was younger my parents put me in swimming classes and I really didn't enjoy them, I dreaded them!

nonetheless, I ended up completing all the levels and could finally swim laps!

but here is the thing, I didn't ever want to go back to the pool. I didn't like the cholrine and all the other memories that came with it - trying to tread water and remain afloat and just being sooo exchausted, and mostly the fear of drowning.

as a child I love going into the ocean but somewhere I developed a fear of drowning and then a fear of anything that lives in the ocean.

then add motion sickness to the equation , being on water was just not a priority

this meant that through the years, I forgot how to swim. I know it's supposed to be one of those things right? you aren't supposed forget how to swim right? but i did!

Anyways long story short, Prabh convinced me to try out Kayaking. And although I was super terrified, the idea slowly grew on me. And so this past summer, I decided to go for it! We headed out to Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia for a day trip. There we rented Kayaks and went on this adventure.

It was quite terrifying at first, and my anxiety levels were through the roof (this is the same lake that my cousins once tricked me into going on a banana boat ride, sat me at the back of it, and i was the first one flying off it, into the water).

But soon as I got a hold of it, I quite enjoyed it! It was nice wading in the middle of Harrison Lake, midst the beautiful mountains. There was something peaceful about it. The only thing is that somehow I ended up quite far, the current took me far, and then the currents became really strong, and I did have a good 10-15 mins of fighting the currents and kayaking against them to try get as close to the shore as possible.

So lesson learned - although it was an enjoyable activity, it would be more enjoyable if I knew how to swim. I got lucky, as the Kayak didn't flip over and I made it to shore, but it was quite a frightening moment for me, even with a life jacket on.

If I EVER go again, I would most likely choose calmer waters, and really try to stick close to shore. But I'm so glad that I did partake in this adventure! Right before Kayaking we hit up our favourite burger joint at Harrison, which is a tradition.

We have been coming to Harrison since we were kids. My mom's company used to take us out every year. After our Kayaking adventure we headed for some dinner and strolled down to the hot springs.

and I'm always so grateful for living in Beautiful British Columbia!

the perfect geox chelsea boots

5 years ago I had bought these Chelsea boots that I absolutely loved and then after only a few months of wearing them the heel on the right show broke off and I plunged into a Chelsea-boot-less life. Since then I have attempted and failed at finding the perfect pair of Chelsea boots. What makes it so hard to find the right one is the cut. Too high, too low your calves look stubby or just straight up weird. So I tried and tried until I finally tried on this geox pair.

*shoes c/o geox

My initial thought without trying them one was: hmmm these are beautiful and practical…but they’re point-y…I never wear point-y shoes. My friend Tia urged me to try them on as she is a big supporter of point-y shoes. So I did and to my surprise I fell in love with them right away. If you must know, I used to feel point-y shoes made me feel as though I had clown feet but these shoes were different. I couldn’t have bought them at the perfect time. As many of you know I moved to Toronto recently and as any West Coast Vancouverite knows we just don’t know winter as the East does since we don’t get nearly as cold or as much snow as they do here. So I needed a good pair of shoes for the fall which was both practical and fashionable. And this pair checks both boxes. Not only are they waterproof, they have this super grip-y sole.

I usually have a very difficult time breaking in any pair of shoes because I have sensitive feet and almost always end up getting blisters. But I wore these shoes on my first real Toronto autumn excursion to casa loma and the surrounding area. I walked for hours and the shoes were light, provided excellent support and kept me warm.

shoes c/o geox

DRESS: TOPSHOP - similar, similar
TOP: Brandi Melville - similar, similar , similar
CALVIN KLEIN BRA: Calvin Klien , similar, similar
floral socks: similar, similar

CHELSEA BOOTS: GEOX , similar,

*note: We teamed up with Geox for this blog post. We received these pair of shoes care of Geox. . We were not paid for this blog post and all opinions expressed are our own. This post does contain some affiliate links. We thank you for supporting footnotes and finds by supporting the brands we affiliate with or partner with.

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2017 Black Friday & Cyber Monday Sale Picks!

It's that time of the year again - black friday is here my friends! We have curated some amazing deals for you from popular retailers and brands. please note the dates the sale is valid through and also make sure you use all the applicable codes we have mentioned to get deals! Enjoy!