NYFW would have been the predictable choice. It’s closer to home. I know the city well. I understand the rhythm of the week and have connections there. Logistically, it probably would have been easier. A short one-hour flight, no time difference or jet lag to deal with. But I wanted her first experience of fashion week to feel like more than just running from show to show in a big, hectic city. I really wanted it to feel like an adventure we were having together and Copenhagen felt right.

And what better way to turn fashion week into an iconic mother-daughter trip than going to a city we both never been before. Most importantly, I had heard CPHFW was super chill, the people are kind, and there would be tons to explore; should time permit. The fact that Copenhagen has been ranked the top city in the world to live for two years straight, was also a huge catalyst for me wanting to finally make the trip there.

Planning our looks for Copenhagen was probably the part of this trip I was most excited about and, somehow, the part that required far more thought than I anticipated. Copenhagen has such a distinct fashion identity. There’s an ease to Danish style that I’ve always appreciated: great tailoring mixed with unexpected proportions, playful colour, texture, practical footwear and pieces that feel cool without looking overly considered. There’s a confidence to it, but also a certain effortlessness.

So, when I started thinking about what I wanted to wear, it felt important to acknowledge where we were. I wanted our wardrobes to have a conversation with Copenhagen. To incorporate Danish designers where it made sense and play with some of the silhouettes and styling the city is known for, without losing ourselves in the process. Because as much as fashion week is a time to show up and show out, I never want to look like I’m playing dress up.

We’ve all seen fashion-week dressing that feels designed specifically for the street-style photographers. And listen, there is nothing wrong with wanting that moment. Getting photographed and picked up by the fashion press can be part of the game. But I’ve never wanted the possibility of being photographed to dictate what I put on my body.

My goal is always to look like myself, perhaps a slightly more elevated, intentional version of myself but myself, nonetheless. I’m not interested in abandoning that because a certain silhouette is trending or because I think an outfit might photograph well outside a show. Instead, I think about the environment. The result wasn’t about trying to dress Danish. It was about allowing Copenhagen to influence the way I dressed while still making every outfit unmistakably mine. And then I had to do the same thing for Maxwell. Which, as it turns out, made planning our fashion-week wardrobes approximately ten times more complicated than I had imagined…

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None of the designers whose shows we were attending made children’s clothing, except for one, kall Studio, so pulling looks from the brands for Max was immediately axed from my plan. The majority of what I sourced for her was purchased online from Europe about two weeks prior, and I kept my fingers crossed that everything would arrive at our home in time before we departed.

As for me, I went through the laborious task of combing through endless look books sent over by designers about two weeks out. I sent various look options to each, in case what I wanted wasn’t available, which is a very normal part of the process. Normally, though, I would get confirmation of what was being sent to my hotel room, leaving me to only worry about whether the garments fit properly.

The day before we were scheduled to fly out, I had confirmation of only one look, which caused a bit of chaos when it came to packing. I had to bring accessories and footwear for all the potential outfits that could be coming my way, plus some backups from my own closet in the event some of the looks didn’t show up—which is exactly what happened.

We attended the STEM show on the first day to see their exclusive collaboration with GANNI, and this was one of those moments when I had to pull something from my own closet. I honestly loved this look so much. I’ve never worn this shade of emerald before, and I think it’s striking on dark skin.

Both my T-shirt and skirt came from The Frankie Shop. The latter comes in two different versions: a knit and a more expensive leather macramé option, plus multiple colours if green isn’t your thing. The macramé is definitely the nicer option, but to be honest, save your coins and go with the knit. I should also mention that I added some shoulder pads to the tee to give it a slightly structured look. I paired the look with the Bottega Veneta Mini Cassette bag, slingbacks from The Attico and the Milan frames from 12PM Studios.

Max looked adorable in a knit set from Zimmermann, Teva inspired sandals (similar here) and sunnies from Zara. The shorts set in this colour way is no longer available, but I found a similar top and shorts from Zimmermann’s latest collection. We love this brand for her—the quality is impeccable, and because I often go up a size or two, the pieces really last her a long time. This kid has also fallen in love with Tiffany & Co. HardWear jewelry and wore the medium-sized earrings all week. She carried her essentials that day in her Carolina Herrera bag.

Stella Nova is a Copenhagen-based brand that was new on my radar, and they dressed me to attend their event. I paired their oversized blazer in “Rose Dust” with the matching maxi skirt, which had pockets, so I opted not to carry a handbag for a more effortless, laid-back look. In true Copenhagen style, I skipped heels and wore a pointy-toe flat for comfort, as it was going to be a long evening. I felt so comfortable in this look that I ended up wearing it to the GANNI event and to dinner later that evening.

I spent some time with the brand’s founder and got a chance to go through the upcoming collection before doing some interviews and realized quickly that the brand leans heavily into a juxtaposition of feminine and masculine, polished versus casual, and romantic details against more relaxed or unexpected silhouettes. The result is distinctly Scandi, but more playful and expressive than traditional minimalism: lots of statement dresses, oversized tailoring, interesting prints, embroidery, textured knitwear and unexpected proportions.

MUNTHE, pronounced “MOON-tuh,” has quickly become one of my favourite Danish brands. They’re known for their effortlessly cool Copenhagen style with an artistic, slightly bohemian edge and are particularly good at balancing contrasts. Think feminine silhouettes with sharper tailoring, masculine influences paired with whimsy prints, and beautifully considered details.

They were generous enough to send six looks to my hotel to choose from, but this suit spoke to me the most. I’m gutted that it’s not currently online. One of the look books I chose from had pieces from a previous season that isn’t available, but if the sound of MUNTHE’s brand DNA speaks to you, I highly suggest checking out their new collection.

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Having not seen the collection before it hit the runway, I repeated my white socks and kitten heels (similar can be found here), a styling detail that turned out to be seen on most of the models on the runway. Maxie knew right away when she saw my look that she’d be wearing a denim shirt and shorts by Angel & Rocket. The floral appliqués added some femininity to the two-piece, and it was entirely her idea to pair it with black boots and her denim purse we got at Kitson LA during a trip to California last year. She quickly discovered that she was most comfortable being photographed when she wore sunglasses and ended up reaching for these Ray-Ban Meta Skylar transitional frames quite a bit throughout the week. They also made her feel more comfortable filming and taking photos during the shows, so she felt like she was contributing in a way. It was endearing to see how proud she was of the footage she captured.

There is just something about a denim set that will always have me in a chokehold. It’s classic, easy and such a simple way to look put-together without trying too hard. I wore the Dea organic cotten denim shirt and the Dallas organic cotton jeans from By Malene Birger to the brand’s runway show.

BMB embodies a refined, grown-up interpretation of Scandinavian minimalism, combining clean silhouettes, luxurious fabrics, feminine details and understated sophistication. Another brand name I’ve apparently been butchering for the last several years, even though my good friend Neelam Ajooja attempted to break it down for me before I left Toronto. If you would like to avoid embarrassment in the future, By Malene Birger is pronounced “boo mah-LEH-nuh BEER-uh.” WILD, I KNOW!

The house is the epitome of quiet luxury with a distinctly Copenhagen sensibility: polished, timeless, feminine and effortlessly cool. Since we all had to make the 35-minute drive out of the city via coach bus, I went with this large Fendi Peekaboo bag to accommodate snacks and a few extra essentials. I finished the look with a simple black heel, Tiffany & Co HardWear collection - extra large link earrings, medium link necklace, layered large link bracelets, and the Aspen frames in Mocha from 12PM Studios.

These two looks weren’t a matching mommy-and-me moment, but the vibes certainly complement each other. I was lucky enough to get my hands on these pieces from the H&M x Wardrobe.NYC collection early, which dropped while we were in Denmark. Not a Copenhagen brand, obviously, but H&M does have Scandinavian roots, hailing from Sweden.

Typical with most of their designer collaborations, the collection sold out almost immediately, but there are still a few pieces left. Maxie wore this rugby-inspired dress from a great London-based kids’ brand called Wynken with sunnies, Converse high-tops and a Lacoste purse. My glasses are the Aspen frames in denim from 12PM Studios.

Our looks for the Skall Studio show never arrived, and I was stressed about what to wear to an outdoor show on a rainy day. This is exactly why it’s always a good idea to plan extra looks, just in case.

I wore this oversized button-up shirt with a padded drop shoulder paired with bubble hem shorts. The socks were a last-minute decision with the shoes, and I added a pair of aviators. I also brought the green “Frame” clutch back out of retirement from my Sasha Exeter x Ela Handbags collection five years ago.

The dress Maxie wore was a gift from my photographer, David, from The New Society. Ok, I am sorry but the dress has disappeared from their site, so linking another version of it here with short sleeves. Their kids collections are really dreamy, and they also do woman, teen and baby, with tons of pieces marked down as part of their end of season Summer sale right now. The combat boots are from last season, but this pair here would work well with shorts, skirts and dresses. I think the styling she did on her own here was a brilliant choice and really fell in line with all the juxtaposition you see in Copenhagen fashion. The Tiffany & Co. earrings remained in play, and for her bag, she went with this Mini Lady Dior.

While I did do the packing for both of us, matching on this particular morning when we headed to breakfast was definitely not planned—but we figured we’d just roll with it. Funny enough, our cargos are both from Zara. I sized up to a large in this pair, Max’s cargos are from the boy’s section and one size larger than she normally wears. My Acne Studios denim jacket is several years old, but I think I have found the newer version by the brand on Farfetch. Max’s jacket and both of our ribbed tank tops are from the Gap.

I think we must all take a moment to take in the fact that I am wearing a full leopard look. I’m pretty sure this is the first time I’ve worn anything animal print, which may shock those of you who consider it a neutral. I have never gravitated toward it, but here we are! I wore this set by Baum und Pferdgarten to their evening runway show in King’s Garden. I wanted something distinctly different from the other looks I was going to be wearing throughout the week, and I really loved the barrel-style denim pants and the fit of the cropped jacket, which I sadly can’t find online.

Since we were in a park with grass, heels were not going to be an option. I wore a pair of lace up ballet flats, the Mini Dome Tote from Alexander Wang and returned to these shades from 12PM Studios.

I discovered BIRINIT, a contemporary children’s brand, while sourcing Maxwell’s looks for the trip and fell in love with the aesthetic, colours, textures and prints of their timeless pieces. Everything is to die for, and I will 100% be shopping their collections for her in the future. The blouse and bloomer shorts are adorable and felt very relevant for Copenhagen and the location of the show. I purchased them from a Parisian store called Smallable, another destination you MUST check out online for unique children’s clothes. A simple pair of sandals that matched her Carolina Herrera bag worked perfectly because we ended up walking to the show from our hotel.

Never in a million years would I have thought a button-up shirt would get so many compliments, but I think it was the colour of this one by AGOLDE that grabbed people’s attention when I shared this look on Instagram.

I wore it with these white denim Bermuda shorts, vintage Fendi Mama bag, and a kitten-heel sandal for a morning of exploring the city.

Maxwell had one request when we were planning her looks for the trip: she wanted a full-length dress that she envisioned wearing with Chuck Taylors. Not an easy task when shopping for an eight-year-old. While perusing online, I found this striped one by Mini Rodini and added it to my cart immediately. Besides her floral denim outfit, this was one of her favourite looks of the week.

We had three shows on this day, plus an event, so comfort was key. I wore a denim dress from local designer Rabens Saloner. Trust me when I say I scoured the web trying to find it, but it was a sample and is no longer available online. The boots are old from COS—I’ve been worn them loads of times before, and they’ve made appearances during a few other fashion weeks. I really hope they bring them, or a similar version, back. To play off the blue in the denim, I wore these blue-tinted glasses.

Now that the haze and jet lag has eased, I can confirm Copenhagen was the right place for Maxwell’s first fashion week. Not only did it gave us fashion, but it also gave us a trip together. We got to see beautiful thing, we explored a new city, we laughed our asses off and we created memories around something that has been such a big part of my own career and life. Would I bring a kid to every fashion week? Probably not LOL! Would I bring Maxwell back to Copenhagen Fashion Week?Absolutely. But next time, I’ll know to start planning the outfits much, much earlier.

I slowly reintroduced coffee back into my life. Trust me, not something I am proud of. I found ways to push through the afternoon slump. I blamed brain fog on being busy and overwhelmed. I accepted exhaustion as part of the package in this stage of life. And that’s the part I’ve been thinking about lately. Not really the disrupted sleep itself, but how easily I learned to live with it.

As women, especially during seasons of motherhood and midlife, we become incredibly skilled at functioning while depleted. I am embarrassed to say it is our toxic superpower. We show up for our families, our work, our relationships and our responsibilities even when our proverbial gas tank is running on empty. But somewhere along the way, “functioning” became my measure of wellness instead of “feeling well.”

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Recently, I learned about a concept called sleep debt, and it completely changed the way I think about sleep.

Before I continue, I want to share that today’s post is sponsored by Eisai Canada. When the team reached out, the topic clearly resonated with me because sleep has become a much bigger part of my wellness journey during perimenopause.

I know you’re probably wondering what the term sleep debt means. It is best described as the difference between how much sleep your body needs and how much sleep you’re actually getting. At first, it sounds simple enough. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how many of us may be carrying around a sleep deficit without fully recognizing it. Not as a result of intentionally staying up late, but most likely because we’re struggling to fall asleep. Waking up throughout the night. Then lying awake with racing thoughts causing our hearts to race. We’re somehow getting through the day while quietly accepting sleep that isn’t restorative. The scary thing is, night after night, week by week, that gap can grow.

What has really struck me most is that poor sleep has become incredibly normalized. We can speak so openly about being busy. A lot of the time we wear being overwhelmed as a badge of honour. And if we aren’t exhausted, that just simply means we are not working hard enough. But I don’t think we really stop to ask ourselves whether the quality of our sleep deserves more attention. A scary thought when you think about it, because it influences so much of how we feel every day. Our energy, mood, focus, patience and our ability to cope with stress.

When I look back at periods where I’ve felt less resilient, less focused, or simply not like myself, I can’t help but wonder how much sleep was playing a role. One of the biggest takeaways I learned while exploring this topic is that ongoing sleep issues are not something people should simply tolerate.

Many people think of sleep challenges as just part of life, but chronic sleep issues can affect overall health and well-being in very meaningful ways. Sleep debt linked to ongoing sleep issues has been associated with long-term health effects including anxiety, depression, migraines, obesity, type 2 diabetes and more. Listen, this is not at all meant to be alarming. In fact, what I appreciate most about this topic is that it isn’t about fear. It’s about awareness. It’s about recognizing that constantly feeling exhausted may not be something we need to accept as our baseline. Becoming curious instead of dismissive about something so important that affects our health.

For me, that curiosity led me to SleepDebt.ca, a Canadian educational resource focused on helping people better understand sleep debt and ongoing sleep issues.

What I found helpful is that the information feels both approachable and practical. The website delves deep into what sleep debt is, how it can affect daily life, why sleep matters for overall health, and what signs may be worth paying attention to. It also has an incredible and free sleep self-assessment.

Please don’t think of it as a medical test or diagnosis, but rather a tool that helps you reflect on your sleep patterns and better understand whether what you’re experiencing might be worth exploring further. Sometimes we don’t need all the answers right away. Sometimes what we need is just a place to start. And for many of us, that first step may simply be acknowledging that the exhaustion we’ve normalized deserves a second look.

After completing my own self-assessment, which took less than 2 minutes to complete, I was given a comprehensive, nine-page downloadable document with a breakdown of my sleep assessment results, available treatment options, a list of questions to help guide any discussions with my healthcare provider and even a diary to track my sleep patterns.

As someone who spends a lot of time thinking and writing about wellness, I’ve come to believe that health isn’t always about adding more habits to our routines. Sometimes it’s about paying attention to the habits, patterns, and symptoms we’ve learned to ignore.

For me, that’s been my relationship with sleep. I’m still navigating the middle-of-the-night wake-ups. I’m still figuring out what this season of life is asking of me. But I’m no longer assuming that feeling exhausted is simply the price of admission.

Perhaps that’s the question I’m leaving you with today:

What have you accepted as normal that your body may be asking you to pay attention to?

If sleep has been a struggle lately; whether it’s difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up exhausted no matter how long you’re in bed — it may be worth paying closer attention. You can learn more about sleep debt and take the self-assessment at SleepDebt.ca.

There’s something quietly disorienting about being in your forties and realizing that a space you once loved… just no longer fits. I’ve been thinking a lot about social media, specifically Instagram, lately—not in a “How do I grow?” kind of way, but in a much deeper, more personal way of: Why does this feel so off now? Because it does.

I can’t pinpoint exactly when, but somewhere along the way, social platforms stopped feeling like a place for self-expression or individuality and started feeling like a place solely for performance. And not even your performance, but rather everyone else’s version of what performance should look like.

I think many of you may be feeling the same way, but if it hasn’t hit you yet, just scroll for FIVE minutes on Instagram and you’ll see it. The same outfits. Same poses. Same glam. Same aesthetic enhancements…The same transitions. Oh, and how can one forget the most obvious, the same trending audio recycled repeatedly. Basically, different faces, same formula. COPY…PASTE.

Listen, don’t get me wrong; I understand people have been following trends since the beginning of time, but now they seem to reign over everything. What happened to trends just being inspiration? A starting point, if you will? They seem to be no longer optional, because NOW they’re the currency. And if you’re not participating, you’re basically invisible.

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And the result of all of this? A sea of sameness. I spoke about this candidly several months ago on my stories and truthfully, it was the main catalyst for starting my Substack. I was craving a space that felt…different. Turns out, over the last six months, this platform has also been slowly morphing into its next phase, prioritizing engaging short-form content / “notes”, photo dumps, and the users who post every day. Sometimes multiple times a day.

Individuality, which was the very thing that made an app like Instagram magnetic in the first place, has been completely flattened into templates. And the algorithm, don’t even get me started on that. Always shifting. Always changing. Always asking for more. Just when you think you understand it, it moves the goalpost. Perhaps this is why some of us are facing social media posting anxiety. In a constant state of paralysis every time we want to post something.

Post more in-feed. Post less in stories. Post too many stories on the app and it will penalize you and show your content to less people. Use this feature. No, not that one—this one. Actually, 45 sec videos are the sweet spot. Just kidding, carousel posts are being prioritized again. However, they must have trending audio. Nope, never mind, now it’s all about carousel posts with text overlay. And since I started writing this post, there has been another change. We can now create a different caption for each photo that appears in a carousel post. Pardon me? This update took me out because usually crafting just one caption that’s witty, clever and enough to stop a scroll, is challenging enough. Hey Meta, how about you just show our posts to our followers? Is that too much to ask?

I’m sorry, it’s exhausting. It’s BEEN exhausting. I think what bothers me most isn’t just the changes, but rather the feeling of being herded, if that makes sense. Creators, especially women, being subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) guided into making content that performs, not content that fulfills. Content that checks boxes, fits trends and of course, content that pleases the algorithm. Not content that feels true. I understand that some of us have chosen this life…as a profession. And lately, I will admit there are times where I ask myself, “how much longer can you put up with this garbage?” And then I think of those, who didn’t choose this. The small business owners, who had used Instagram as a promotional tool for new product launches, limited edition SKU’s, etc., who have now been forced to become full-on content creators themselves. You know, “Tamara from Toronto” for example who owns a cute floral shop, now has a second full time job as a creator, sharing posts 5 days a week with hopes that at least a few people will see her upcoming seasonal promotion.

The longer we play this game, the further we drift from our own voice and what it is that we came here to do in the first place.

And then there’s the brand layer. Brands are chasing performance too, understandably. But this top-down action of so called “best practices” handed down by Meta and TikTok have been cascaded onto creators in their creative briefs and it’s too much quite frankly.

“You must use this very prescriptive format.”

“We want the content to go viral, so follow this trend – but with royalty free music.”

“We love your content; however, can you make it more like this?”

“We want the content to be authentic to you, but we’ve included a dozen elements that must be included in your content and with 15 product key messaging points”

Suddenly, even collaborations—the spaces that should feel most creative, start to look identical with the same campaign structure, visuals and tone. It’s no longer just creators anymore. It’s the entire ecosystem.

So, I beg the question, where does this leave us? Especially those of us in our forties. Those of us who have lived, evolved, refined our taste, our voice, and our identity. We are not in the phase of becoming—we are in the phase of being. And yet, we’re being asked to compress ourselves into a box that often feels… younger, faster, louder, and trend-driven.

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How do we keep up with something that doesn’t even feel aligned? Better yet—Do we even want to?

I don’t have a perfect answer, but what I do know is this: I don’t want to create from pressure. I don’t feel like I must chase relevance at the cost of authenticity. And at my big age, I do not desire to feel like I’m constantly behind. And maybe that means my relationship with Instagram, and social media in general, must change. Maybe it stops being the main stage and starts being just one of many places I show up.

If feels a bit rebellious choosing not to follow every trend. In just posting something that won’t “perform” but feels like you. Sharing a thought in a way that resonates with you, instead of a template forced upon you. In opting out—just a little—from the noise. I honestly hope that the pendulum swings back to how things once were, where visibility isn’t the real luxury and individuality is.

I know I can’t be the only one feeling it. Have you felt this shift too?

One night I went to bed seeing my phone perfectly. The next morning? My text messages looked like they were written in a light fog. Same font size. Same phone. Same arms holding my iPhone from the usual distance. Completely different eyeballs.

What. The. Actual. F*ck.

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No warning. No gradual fade. No polite memo from my hormones. Just: surprise, babe — you now need to hold your phone 14 inches farther from your face.

So I did what every normal person would do. I blinked aggressively. Cleaned my screen. Blamed the lighting. Convinced myself it was because I had just woken up and that my eyes still needed time to adjust. But deep down, I knew. It was my age.

I had been hearing friends go on about their vision diminishing literally overnight, which I had always thought was slightly dramatic. I mean, how could it be humanly possible for it to happen that quickly? At this stage in the game, everything net new that happens to me, I can’t help but think it’s somehow related to perimenopause. While I have not spoken to an Optometrist about this yet, I have read that as estrogen fluctuates, it affects way more than our moods and cycles. It can also impact tear production (hello dry eyes), the flexibility of the lens in the eye and how well we focus on things up close.

Turns out, that overnight “why is this blurry?” moment is often the beginning of presbyopia — the very unsexy medical term for “your eyes don’t focus on small print like they used to.” It typically shows up in your 40s. And it can feel sudden. Like you literally crossed an invisible line while you were asleep.

One day you’re fine. The next day you’re squinting at a menu like your dad does and using the table lamp to select your appetizer.

Rude.

But Also… Could This Just Be Aging?

100% yes! Not everything is a hormone conspiracy. Sometimes it’s just biology doing its thing. I just don’t think any of us have been prepared for how emotionally offensive this transition would feel. Because in this scenario, it’s not just about the vision. It’s about what it represents.

Readers feel symbolic. They feel like an announcement. They feel like surrender. And in an industry run by 23-year-olds with collagen-rich skin and 20/20 eyesight, putting on readers feels like you’re handing someone your birth certificate.

I rejected the thought of readers immediately. I remember last Summer my girlfriend pulling a pair out of her purse to read an email on her phone during lunch and I literally laughed out loud. “Readers?! Absolutely not!!!” She told me my day is coming soon and I said if it does, I will just simply make the font bigger or adjust brightness.
Shit, I will even hold my phone at a distance that dislocates my shoulder. Because wearing readers felt like crossing into a category I wasn’t ready to publicly claim.

But that’s the thing about getting older and entering perimenopause: It doesn’t ask for your permission. It just shows up and rearranges the furniture.

The plot twist…I caved and ordered a couple pairs a few weeks ago in the lowest prescription. Just to “see.” My order included the “Claude” clear reading frames I am wearing above from French Kiwis. I recently just discovered the female founded, Montreal based brand that has fashion-forward reading glasses and sunglasses (sun readers) at affordable prices - $150. And let me tell you something. I. Love. Them. LOVE them. They are chic. They are intentional. They are giving “European creative director reviewing proofs,” not “aging in defeat.” What I thought would feel like a concession… started to feel like accessorizing. Thinking of it as jewelry for the face, and suddenly the narrative shifted.

So my question is this - What if readers are a power move? What if readers aren’t an age tell…but a flex?

What if they say:

• I read contracts.

• I build businesses.

• I’m not 22 and I don’t need to be.

• I see clearly — in more ways than one.

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I’ve talked about this before, but there’s something very powerful about owning the phase you’re in instead of pretending you’re not in it. Perimenopause is already teaching me that resistance is exhausting. Acceptance on the other hand? Weirdly liberating.

Now that readers are on my radar, I am starting to see them EVERYWHERE. Teyana Taylor shocked us all when she wore a pair of Ray-Ban Meta Mystic frames to the 2026 Grammy’s and she wore another pair at last night’s SAG-Actra awards. Not only did they look really cool, but they complemented her evening gowns perfectly.

I went down the optical eyewear rabbit hole over the weekend and discovered some more frames that may make you consider jumping on the readers bandwagon:

1. SAINT LAURENT EYEWEAR Dune aviator-style acetate optical glasses

2. MIU MIU Rectangular-frame tortoiseshell acetate optical glasses

3. FRENCH KIWIS Zoé dark tortoise reading glasses

4. GUCCI EYEWEAR Aviator-style tortoiseshell acetate optical glasses

5. Warby Parker Abe brushed ink reading glasses

So, I think the plan here is to make readers chic. Let’s fucking normalize them.
Curate them. Colour-coordinate them. Why not keep a pair in every bag like lip gloss?And we stop pretending we don’t need support when we do. Because if perimenopause is going to rearrange the furniture anyway…we might as well decorate.

Something tells me this is the beginning of a true eyewear obsession.

Like many of you, I’ve been consumed by the news and constant updates, doing what I can to donate and praying for an end to the madness. I’m also currently in the throes of a debilitating virus, and the only silver lining is that it’s forced me to rest—and finally given me the time to share a little bit about my recent trip to France.

I’ve been on my fair share of press trips over the last decade, but nothing—and I mean nothing—is quite like a press trip with Caudalie. I traveled to Paris a little over a week ago for their 30th anniversary, joining them for a multi-day experience celebrating three decades of innovation, efficacy, and longevity.

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Having worked with this team for nearly five years, their commitment to fostering long-term relationships with the people they collaborate with has never been lost on me. In an industry where many brands rotate creators quarterly—or even monthly—this level of consistency is rare and speaks volumes about the value they place on genuine partnerships.

If you’re unfamiliar with the brand’s origins, Caudalie’s story has always been one of intention. Born in the vineyards of Bordeaux, built on the antioxidant power of the grape, and anchored in stability long before it became a marketing buzzword, the brand truly understands understated luxury.

As a young couple deeply in love, Mathilde and Bertrand Thomas founded the company during harvest season at her parents’ vineyard, with the help of Professor Joseph Vercauteren from the University of Pharmacy in Bordeaux. He shared with them that grapes contain the most powerful antioxidants in the plant kingdom, and from that discovery, Caudalie launched with its first three products. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve heard this story several times—and you’ve seen the extraordinary level of thoughtfulness infused into everything they do.

A week before departure, the Caudalie team arranged for me to visit VSP Consignment’s private showroom to select looks for the dinners I’d be attending. An informal little collaboration between the two, which honestly checks out seeing as both are recognized for valuing upcycling and sustainability. VSP has been around since 2013 and have gained a cult following through their community involvement, quality/rare pieces from their consignors; while developing relationships both in television and film. Not to be confused with their Dundas West storefront, the VSP showroom is an immaculately designed space tucked away in a private building in Toronto’s Annex neighbourhood. It houses crème de la crème pieces from their top consignors and a curated art program that showcases the work of different artists. Pieces from Cooper Cole are currently on display and available for sale.

If you love pre-loved and vintage fashion, I highly recommend experiencing it—even just once. Shopping the entire showroom privately, by appointment, is truly next level.

The official brand trip dinners with the “grape team” came with dress codes, as they usually do: the welcome dinner was an all-black affair, while the closing dinner was all white. While my primary focus was finding looks for those events, I admittedly got sidetracked and pulled a few extra daytime pieces as well.

And the surprises didn’t stop there—this was just the beginning. A few days before my flight, two Monos carry-on suitcases arrived at my condo, filled with essentials I might need while abroad. I shared all the details in a (very long) TikTok video if you’re curious to see what they sent.

@sashaexeterGetting ready to head to Paris for a very special brand trip. Thank you @Caudalie for making sure your girl is prepared for any and everything! #unboxing #caudalie

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With so much of my trip prep handled, the only things left on my list were getting my nails and hair done, and having my brows laminated and stained. I’m a neutral nail girl through and through, and I have two go-to shades with my nail tech, Leeanne Colley of Tips Nail Bar. This time I chose “Delicate” by Luxio—it has the perfect hint of pink. My final stop before departure was WellBynd for a Fohow Bioenergy Lymphatic Massage to help with circulation and inflammation ahead of a long-haul flight. If you’re interested, I am happy to do a separate post on this treatment because it is life changing.

Our home base was the stunning Hôtel Madame Rêve, a favourite of mine in Paris. I’ve stayed there before and love it for its well-appointed guest suites, exceptional staff, cozy bar, chic restaurants, and insane rooftop terrace (open for dining during warmer seasons). It can be a bit sceney during peak times like Fashion Week, with plenty of celebrities passing through.

We took a red-eye departing Toronto at 6:30 p.m. and arrived around 9 a.m. local time. Contrary to most, I love flying there at this time. I eat dinner on the plane (Air France business class food is 10/10), watch a show and then sleep as much as possible before we land. It was our only day with a bit of free time, so I showered, answered emails, unpacked all my suitcases, and dashed off for some vintage shopping with Sarah Landry and our Canadian PR rep, Grayson. We later regrouped with the North American team for a casual dinner at the hotel restaurant, La Plume.

Our official first day was mostly spent at Caudalie’s beautiful new headquarters on Rue Pavée in Le Marais, which opened late last fall. Designed by founders Mathilde and Bertrand as a living ecosystem, the space blends workspaces with wellness, culture, and community interaction.

The HQ also features a yoga studio open to both staff and the public, a reimagined urban concept spa with seven treatment rooms (if you’re heading to Paris, do yourself a favour and do a class, then book a treatment here), and an incubator for young brands. Everything is designed to create connection, encourage exchange, and spark new ideas.

“Unity is strength. If we can support new talent and share our experience with emerging brands, we do so with joy!”
— Mathilde Thomas

The final touches of the yoga club were completed overnight before our arrival, and we became the very first guests to ever take a class there. After our session and meditation, we were treated to 60 min Premier Cru facials to revive our skin post-travel ahead of the 30th anniversary dinner.

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That evening was hosted by actress Kelly Rutherford, a long-time friend of the brand and global ambassador for the Premier Cru collection. The ground floor reception area of the Rue Pavée headquarters had been swiftly transformed into a moody, purple-hued, candlelit dining room for over 60 invited guests.

Most beauty brands don’t make it past 10 years. This “Pearl Anniversary” not only celebrated Caudalie’s three decades of excellence, but also highlighted pivotal milestones—like introducing Resveratrol, the anti-aging molecule, Viniferine for dark spots, and playing a key role in the clean beauty movement long before it was considered cool.

I honestly couldn’t tell you the exact number of women who attended from Caudalie’s top markets around the world, but I’d estimate around 40 of us—all long-time collaborators. Many of us know Premier Cru’s benefits by heart and can personally attest to the line’s efficacy, yet we still thoroughly enjoyed the masterclass led by Seth Catalano, Head of Education.

This collection truly changed my skin after 40, thanks to its patented anti-aging technology, hyaluronic acid, and Viniferine. It’s Caudalie’s most effective line for mature skin, targeting all signs of aging to reveal firmer, smoother, more radiant skin.

I have a few pro tips that have served me well over the years (saving those for a future deep dive), but one I must share now involves the eye cream. Touching up under-eye makeup during the day is notoriously difficult—concealer cakes, creases, and can look diabolical, especially if you’ve used setting spray. Surprisingly, the Premier Cru eye cream works beautifully over makeup to refresh and revive the area. I was skeptical ngl, but after seeing the results firsthand, I will now be keeping a tube in my everyday bag.

I’ve been to Paris countless times and this trip was my first time going to Gigi. We had an iconic lunch and it should definitely be on your hit list for your next trip:

Remember those beautiful photo-call images from the welcome dinner? Unbeknownst to us, they were used for the ultimate surprise the following day. After lunch at Gigi, we headed toward our shuttles—only to be stopped in our tracks by a Caudalie newsstand takeover. Perfectly merchandised with products, customized postcards, and magazines featuring each of us on the cover.

Considering the previous night didn’t wrap until 11 p.m., I still can’t comprehend how everything was printed and installed by the next day. Riding that high, we made our way to our next stop: a baking class where we learned to make traditional canelés—a nod to Caudalie’s Bordeaux roots.

We closed out our time together with cocktails and dinner at Atica, located in Paris’s 5th arrondissement between the Panthéon and Notre Dame. Fun fact: the venue was formerly a historic cinema that hosted the world premiere of Alice in Wonderland in 1951.

The cocktail reception took place on the main floor while we waited for the lower-level dining space to be revealed. When we entered, we were left breathless by a 360-degree, 24-hour time-lapse video of Les Sources de Caudalie—the brand’s hotel in Bordeaux, nestled in Mathilde’s parents’ vineyard at Château Smith Haut Lafitte. Accompanied by the sounds of nature and birds singing - we watched the sunset fade into night as we finished our final course was pure magic.

Our few days in Paris flew by, leaving us all wishing for more time with the founders, the global team, and—most of all—the incredible women we connected with. The only thing that made leaving easier was knowing this wasn’t an au revoir, but a à bientôt. Merci Caudalie, for another memorable experience!

A loss of relevance.
A season of decline.
A moment when women are meant to panic, retreat, or reinvent themselves out of fear.

But it’s bullshit. It should be none of these things.

Now, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a moment where I briefly succumbed to that narrative, especially in the industry I work in, and being perimenopausal didn’t help either. Thankfully, that moment was ephemeral. What I’ve started to understand is this: midlife isn’t a crisis — it’s a calibration. It’s the point where the noise quiets just enough for the truth to get louder.

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You stop performing and start choosing

Earlier in life, so many of our decisions are made in response to expectation. Who you should be. What success should look like. How hard you should push. How much you should tolerate.

But midlife has a way of stripping that away. Not dramatically. Not all at once. But deliberately. So, I finally began choosing alignment over approval. Energy over optics. Longevity over urgency. And that shift changed a lot of shit for me in the best way.

Your body isn’t betraying you — it’s communicating

We’re told that the physical changes that come with midlife are something to fight. I mean, it definitely can feel like that at times. And without trying to sound like Carrie Bradshaw sitting at her desk typing out the infamous phrase for her Sex and the City column — “I couldn’t help but wonder…” — what if they’re wrong?

Our bodies ask for different fuel. Different movement. More recovery. Better boundaries around stress. The way I nourish my body looks nothing like the way I ate a decade ago, let alone a couple years ago. The HIIT workouts I did religiously in my twenties and thirties, they stopped yielding results ions ago. In my forties, I shifted to more weight training with slow, intentional movements, more active recovery with private reformer pilates sessions and most recently boxing; which I have found to have immense cardio and cognitive benefits.

I started to see this not as weakness, but as wisdom. If you’re reading this and moving through this stage too, perhaps the body we’re in now isn’t asking us to shrink. It’s asking us to listen.

You redefine strength

Strength used to mean endurance at all costs — and fundamentally, it still does for many. Doing more. Carrying everything. Powering through.

But now, strength looks more like discernment. Knowing when to push and when to pause. When to say yes and when to protect your capacity. When rest is productive and when ambition still gets to lead. Strength becomes less about force and more about sustainability.

And rest is exactly what I’ve been doing over the last few days. Still moving my body gently, allowing myself to linger in bed longer in the mornings and currently on a social media break. Historically, I would have felt guilty. Lazy even…especially for not documenting and sharing every single moment of the Christmas holidays online. But this is what my body told me I needed, and I’m wise enough to listen now.

You realize time is the real currency

HOLY MOLY… one of the biggest realizations for me has been around the concept of time. It all clicked out of nowhere in the Spring. A combination of things — a recent breakup, facing untimely losses/deaths, watching my daughter grow up at fucking lightning speed — all of it added up.

This phase of life sharpened my awareness of time. Not in a fearful way, but in a clarifying one.

I stopped giving it away carelessly.
I stopped over-explaining my choices.
I stopped waiting for permission.

I began investing my time where it felt mutual, nourishing, and honest.

I applied this lens to everything — my friendships, my brand partnerships, the events I agreed to attend, the press trips I said yes (or no) to. I stopped having FOMO over the things my gut told me weren’t for me.

Because they weren’t a loss.
They were refinement.

You stop chasing versions of yourself you’ve outgrown

Take this one in for a moment. There are identities that once served you — and don’t anymore. And that is OK.

Midlife should give you the courage to release them without shame.

You don’t need to prove how capable you are.
You don’t need to earn rest.
You don’t need to be everything to everyone.

You just need to evolve.

And you become deeply rooted in who you are

Calibration isn’t about changing everything. It’s about adjusting the dials so your life reflects your values now — not who you were ten or twenty years ago. This stage of life doesn’t diminish you.

It grounds you.
It sharpens you.
It returns you to yourself.

And that, to me, feels like power.

The Subtle Beauty Treatment That Changed My Face (and My Mornings)

Let me tell you, there’s something amazing about waking up and already feeling put together. About running errands makeup-free and still feeling polished. About knowing that one feature — the one that frames your entire face — is handled. And at this stage of life, ease feels like the ultimate luxury.

Getting brow staining is one of the best friggin’ things I’ve done for my beauty routine — and it’s also one of the most affordable.

I was in my very late thirties when I finally started paying attention to my brows. I’m honestly still shocked my friends let me walk around in these streets for as long as I did, with barely visible brows resembling two sperm on my forehead 🤣

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I first started seeing Nicole from Bianca & Co. Studio right after I had Maxie eight years ago and never looked back. Brows are one of those things you cannot just trust anyone with and this woman is a damn brow architect.

For almost a decade, I’ve gone to her for different brow treatments. We started with microblading - good grief, do you remember when that was a thing? Then powdered brows every few years. Expensive, but worth it. This year she introduced me to brow staining as a way to keep them fresh between the powdering sessions and WOW. If powdered brows are something you’re interested in trying, but not yet ready to fork out the $750 to get it done, brow staining is the perfect way to achieve a similar look, at a small fraction of the cost.

After posting this selfie from an event following a recent appointment, I had a slew of people in my DM’s asking what had changed with my brows. So I’ve accepted that this is just my life now — a life with stained brows — and it’s something that should officially be part of your regular beauty routine.

Brow Tint vs. Brow Stain

Yes, there is a difference.

A brow tint — which is what most people get alongside brow lamination — simply darkens your natural brow hairs. It gives you a softer, fuller look and typically lasts 2–4 weeks. A brow stain, on the other hand, darkens the hairs and stains the skin underneath, creating a much more defined shape.

I’ve done it twice now and I’m obsessed. The stain on the skin lasts about 10–12 days, while the colour on the hairs lasts 2–4 weeks. I usually get Nicole to add it on to my brow shaping or lamination treatment before travelling or big events.

And the best part? On it’s own (and not as an add-on), it only costs $30!!! You can find more of Nicole’s before and afters on her Instagram.

The Unsexy Habit That Makes Every Workout Feel Better (and More Effective)

Every January, there’s a quiet pressure to go harder. You know exactly what I mean… New programs. New goals. New versions of ourselves that promise to be stronger, fitter, and more disciplined than the year before.

I’ve felt that pull too in the past — the urge to jump straight into intensity to prove to myself that “I’m back!”

But if I’m being honest, the times I’ve gotten injured or frustrated with my body, they both had one thing in common: I skipped the foundation. Mobility. This part used to feel optional. Something I’d do if I had time, after the workout or not at all. But those days are gone. As my body changes and my training evolves, it’s become non-negotiable.

Mobility is how I check in with my body before asking more of it. It’s how I move with intention instead of ego. And it can be the difference between starting the year strong — and staying strong past January.

If there’s one area I’ve learned not to ignore, it’s my hips. Tight hips don’t just affect how deep you squat or how smooth your lunges feel — they show up everywhere. In your lower back. In your knees. In the way you walk, run, sit, and even recover.

When my hip mobility is off — especially after long periods of sitting or spending too much time in the car driving — everything feels harder. When it’s dialled in, my entire body feels better.

Before you commit to a new routine or new challenge in 2026, here are five hip mobility exercises you can incorporate daily — whether you’re training or not — to improve your range of motion and help your body move the way it’s meant to.

Quadrupled Hip Rotation Variation: This movement is great for hip internal & external rotation, capsular mobility, low back & pelvic awareness, pre-workout hip prep or recovery days. You’ll want to move through this exercise slow and controlled; this isn’t a stretch you rush. Slightly shift your pelvis left and right, almost letting each hip sink toward the floor. Think of exploring the edges of your hip range, not force it. Repeat for 6-10 slow reps per side or 30-60 seconds total

Frogger Rockback: Designed to improve mobility in the hips, groin and inner thighs. I love this movement to warm up for squats or as a recovery stretch to help alleviate tightness from prolonged sitting. While moving through the rocking motion, gently push your hips back toward your heels until you feel a deep stretch in your inner thighs (adductors). Hold for a second then rock forward to release the tension. Repeat for 10-15 controlled repetitions or for 60 seconds.

Child’s Pose with Lat Stretch: Known as a foundational yoga position that stretches hips, low back and spine adding in this lat stretch variation is excellent for supporting thoracic and shoulder mobility without over doing it. While going through this movement, try to focus on keeping your sit bones grounded and ribs soft while breathing into the side body. You should feel this from your armpit to your waist. Do this sequence for 30 seconds.

Loaded Half-Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch: Perfect for building strength at end range and restoring hip extension while improving movement efficiency for squats, deadlifts, lunges, running and boxing footwork. Adding a dumbbell allows for a deeper, more controlled stretch and prevents over arching by encouraging a stacked rib-to-pelvis position. PRO TIP: Focus on resetting before each rep with a posterior pelvic tilt first (tucking your bum slightly) and then gently shift forward. Repeat for 5-8 slow breath-led pulses or 40-45 seconds per side.

Laying Hip CARS (Controlled Articulated Rotations): This is one of the best ways to build strength, control and mobility through our full hip range. It will improve and maintain your hip joint health, builds active control through internal & external rotation, helps identify where your hips feel restricted; making it a huge awareness tool and helps support longevity for strength training, pilates, running and daily movement. For a more advanced movement, you can keep the rotating leg straight and for a modified version, keep it bent. You’ll want to focus on keeping the foot on the leg that is grounded flexed and pressed down firmly to the ground, doing smaller circles rather than sloppy big ones. Repeat for 2-4 slow reps per side. Each rep should take 10+ seconds.

The backstory: My former partner left me back in September 2019, so I’ve been on this emotional rollercoaster for half a decade. I can’t believe that so much time has passed. Long enough that the embarrassment of becoming a statistic (Black single mother) has disappeared. For the first couple years I chose to position it as “ we decided to separate” - mostly because of my ego, but it was definitely not a mutual decision. I can call it what it is without cringing now because I am finally ok with it. I’ve matured a lot and have realized that we are both truly better off no longer in that relationship. But co-parenting, that’s a whole other story.

While I was left battling all the things post breakup - the hurt, sadness, and fear, I had decided very early on that I was going to push all of my emotions aside and meet him halfway to have a healthy co-parenting relationship. Turns out, people can’t always meet you halfway. They can only meet you where they are at. Some may say I had delusions of grandeur…thinking we could eventually be friends, travel together, do holidays with our significant others and both be present for our child’s milestone moments. I truly wanted that for us all, and even more, wanted Maxwell to never feel anxious about the two of us being in the same space. Unfortunately, that was not our reality for years until now.

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With a five level integrated medical clinic on site with state of the art technology; you can get anything from stem cell treatments, peptides, dental procedures, hormone replacement therapy, acupuncture and osteopathy - just to name a few. There’s a slew of restorative treatments, some included in each of the packages they offer and some that can be added on during your stay. Want to get a “glow-up” while treating an existing condition? SHA has you covered with their in-house advanced dermatology clinic. The entire bottom level of the clinic houses a hydrotherapy circuit and there’s also Cyrotherapy. Each guest has a dedicated medical team, nutritionist, customized meal plan, access to the fitness facilities, personal trainers, and the Healthy Living Academy. The latter can be found on the SHA app and features group movement sessions, cooking classes, meditation and excursions that guests have access to during their free time. Every single aspect of the experience can be customized (more on that later). You intrigued yet? Because it’s literally wellness Disney for adults. What’s funny… now that I’ve taken a moment to reflect on my time there, I went into this trip thinking only of the physical benefits I would get from my stay. But the mind-body connection is very REAL and my time at SHA ended up being truly transformative, altering also my mind and soul.

Before the deep dive, let me first give you some much needed context that will help connect some dots as to why wellness has been such a focus for me for the last 15 years. As a former Canadian tennis player, I had earned full scholarships to both Indiana State and Howard University after playing on the ITF (International Tennis Federation) circuit as a junior. I had lived a very healthy life until then, excelling both on and off the court. I was even named an All-American Student Athlete. It was not until I transferred to Howard in 2000 when I first encountered issues with my health. After a year of tests, I was diagnosed with Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in 2001, a rare kidney disease that can lead to kidney failure, which ultimately lead me to hang up my rackets. However, I continued on with life and a thriving corporate career until I faced more severe issues as a result of the disease in 2010 and an additional diagnosis of fibromyalgia in 2012. I was in and out of hospitals for nearly two years and bedridden for almost one. These two chronic illnesses turned my life completely upside down. I had lost my career, my fiancé, many friends and if I can be honest, I had started to lose my will to live. I was unable to function normally without debilitating pain and doctors made it clear that my life would never be what it once was. I had become a shell of my former self and highly medicated on pharmaceutical drugs that subsequently caused depression, anxiety, insomnia and gut health problems. I don’t know where I found the strength and determination one day, but I decided before I fully give up, I would take one more stab at life and pursue a more Eastern medicine approach.

After doing everything traditional specialists recommended, nothing worked. It was a Hail Mary approach that wasn’t quite supported by my treating physicians and family, but I didn’t think I had anything else to lose. Long before holistic wellness clinics with multiple modalities under one roof existed, apps and medicinal marijuana legalization, I managed to assemble my own crew of alternative medicine providers and dedicated two years to rehabilitating myself. Under their guidance and a radical lifestyle change that involved a dramatic switch in my diet (very similar to what I was on at SHA), movement, functional medicine and medicinal marijuana, I was able to get my life back.

Ironically, my journey to healing closely resembles Alfredo Bataller Parietti’s, who founded SHA Wellness in 2008. Facing chronic health issues stemming from his colon cancer diagnosis, he managed to recover his health thanks to integrative medicine, the right food and natural therapies. This was the catalyst behind his idea to create the first ever SHA property in Alicante, Spain: a unique escape combining an array of cutting edge tech like brain mapping, advanced cellular regeneration therapy and research driven programs with the hope of helping others live a longer and more enjoyable life.

Their method is based on nine main areas: healthy nutrition, natural therapies, preventive and healthy aging medicine, advanced aesthetics, cognitive stimulation and emotional health, well-being and inner balance, and physical performance. A formula that works so well, guests have been making the pilgrimage to SHA Spain for almost two decades. With it’s success and accolades, they recently opened a second property in Costa Mujeres, Mexico last March - just a short 3 hour flight from Toronto.

Leading up to my visit, I filled out a super detailed questionnaire to give the team some preliminary insights into the status of my current health and I was able to choose one of the six programs offered to guests: Detox & Optimal Weight, Intensive Detox & Optimal Weight, Advanced Longevity, Rebalance & Energize, Leaders Performance, and Stay Your Way. The last one is recommended for returning guests and gives the freedom to fully dictate your programming after already having experienced SHA before. Each program requires a different minimum stay commitment, and based on my personal goals and not having a full week to spare, I signed up for the discovery Rebalance & Energize and honestly it was the perfect introduction to SHA. This program is designed for the guests who feel general exhaustion, suffer from mental and psychological stress or have recovered from some kind of aggressive illness and are looking to revitalize their body while learning new healthy living habits at the same time. So pretty bang on for what I needed.

My initial worry of this stay being too short was quickly dispelled a few days before my departure, when I received my daily agenda through the resort’s app. There was a rigorous itinerary of testing, therapies, and treatments that was scheduled to begin right after my welcome tour and lunch.

When you step foot into SHA Wellness Mexico, it’s easy to mistake it for one of the other luxury beachfront properties that line the Rivera Maya, but if you pay close attention to the architecture, you’ll notice the clever nods to the human genome - with curves that closely replicate the strands and spiral structure of the human DNA molecule.

Day one consisted mostly of diagnostic tests and meeting with a team assigned to me during my stay. Doctors, nutritionists, nurses, specialists, trainers and my agenda planner. The general health examination was exactly what you’d expect it to be - loads of questions, testing blood pressure, taking height and weight metrics etc, but if you watched my stories on Instagram, the real mind fuck came in during the Advanced Proactive Diagnosis that looked at:

• Vital signs

• Body Composition

• Cardiovascular Risk

• Glyco Oxidation

• Cognitive Function

• Nervous System

• Stress Evaluation

I flew through the first half of the exam with flying colours. Even my Glyco Oxidation test, that assesses biological vs chronological age; showed that I was was slightly younger (43) than my chronological age (45). But things got sticky when I went through the cognitive function tests to evaluate mental skills like memory, language and problem solving skills; through a series of questions and activities done on an iPad. Frequently misplacing items and not being able to remember anything had unfortunately become the norm for me in the last year. I knew my results were not going to be great, but failing two of them were not on my bingo card. The nervous system and stress evaluation results were equally as diabolical and it all confirmed what I had been feeling both physically and mentally. I was stressed, overwhelmed, nearing burn-out and my adrenal glands were exhausted. The screenshots below will really show you where I was at when I arrived. And yes, this is indeed a vulnerable share for sure and not a place I was proud to be in, but this is why I came. To get a handle on my life and make some much needed changes that would stick.

All my test results and consultations with specialists on the first day helped inform my itinerary and allowed for my program and nutrition plan to be tailored to my specific needs. Customization is where SHA truly thrives and it’s only possible at this level because every single person assigned to my wellness journey there communicated and worked closely together to make necessary tweaks. Adding and removing things to my meal and treatment plans along the way.

My original itinerary included a lot of consults, maybe a bit too many IMO, but I found out that these can be removed if they aren’t of interest. I ended up doing that to free up time in my schedule as the days are pretty full, with the help of my dedicated Agenda Planner. The most important ones I kept though, with the nutritionist, regenerative medicine and hormone specialists. I was keen to learn more about how I could improve my gut health and inflammation with food and I was DYING to learn more about restoring the body’s function through stem cell therapy and how I tackle these god-awful perimenopause symptoms with HRT, supplements and peptides.

The Meal Plan

I know your thirsty for the tea on hormones and peptides, but before I get there I must speak about the food. The SHA approach to nutrition is truly one of the things that sets them apart. I was actually shook. While others like Lanserhof Sylt in Germany, offers it’s guests only copious amounts of bone broths during their stay, the Executive and Pastry Chefs at the resort’s restaurant SHAmadi, create gourmet meals and flavourful dishes that are balanced, natural, and alkalizing. The menu design is a coordinated effort between the nutritional consultants and kitchen staff to meet guest’s nutritional needs in a very personalized way. The plans are broken down into three options - Kushi, Biolight and the SHA and further tailored to each person’s allergies and intolerances. With the guidance of my nutritionist, I chose a mix of the Biolight and SHA plans that would play well with the liver detox that I was put on at the beginning of my stay.

1. The Kushi Plan: The most restrictive of the three and for those aiming to control their weight or for detox. It is made up of smaller portions and does not incorporate ingredients such as gluten, salt, oil, flour, or nuts. It includes plenty of seaweed, soups and purees that contribute to the purification process.

2. The Biolight Plan: Designed for those who want to take care of themselves a little more than usual without setting themselves weight control or detox goals that are too strict for them to follow. Its main ingredients usually include fish, nuts, oil, and pasta is also allowed in small quantities for some.

3. The SHA Plan: The most comprehensive gastronomic menu, designed for those who want to learn to eat healthily without sacrificing either quantity or a gourmet spirit. Although it also follows the principles of SHA nutrition, it stands out for its exquisite preparation and attention to detail. A starter, main course, and healthy dessert are always included.

Like most of the other guests, I travelled solo and was sat at the exact same table for breakfast, lunch and dinner. As a first time traveling literally anywhere by myself, dining alone was the thing I was most nervous about, but eating in silence without having to converse with anyone was actually amazing. No forced convos or small talk. I was able to mindfully eat my food without any distractions. When I first discovered their mandate for seating, I though it was a bit strange, but my server explained that this was to ensure that both the kitchen and serving staff did not make any mistakes, as each diner has unique dietary needs. If there are 20 guests having breakfast, there are 20 different individualized meals served during that seating. None would be the same.

There are also no high allergen or inflammatory foods anywhere on the property. So no tomatoes, nightshade veggies, chicken, red meat, eggs, sugar or gluten in sight! Which only makes sense for the people who decide to come here. I eliminated tomatoes and nightshades from my diet years ago due to my inflammation issues, but the others I have in moderation when I am not in a flare-up. Coffee and organic wine were nowhere to be seen either during my stay, but they are available upon request if the nutritionist permits it. I think guests really commit to their experience at SHA and don’t push to indulge in any of the extras.

We were also encouraged to not consume beverages while we ate our meals. This meant I had to be super vigilant with hydration at other times during the day. If you have digestive issues, you’ll want to look into this deeper at some point. Drinking during meals can dilute stomach acid and digestive enzymes, making it harder for your body to break down food efficiently and a stronger acidic environment helps proteins, vitamins and minerals to absorb properly. Liquids can also cause food to move faster into the small intestine before it’s fully broken down, which can sometimes lead to bloating, gas or indigestion post meal. Consuming food without “washing down” it down forces slower chewing and in turn helps with appetite control. And if you suffer from acid reflux or other digestive issues, drinking a lot of fluid with food can increase pressure in the stomach, triggering symptoms.

Each morning we began the day with a therapeutic breakfast to help boost the immune system, neutralize free radicals while improving our mood and energy. Everyone starts with a bowl of miso soup and a lemon ginger shot to help with digestion and my breakfasts usually consisted of coconut oatmeal or chia seed pudding, crudités with either guac or hummus, good gut health fruits like kiwi or papaya, pureéd flaxseed and sometimes even a brown rice cracker was added with avocado and hemp seeds.

With my amount of daily movement, I was able to have extra protein throughout the day. Mid-morning around 11AM, the juice bar in the Harmony Lounge would prepare a protein shake suggested by the nutritionist and I would return there during the dedicated tea service hours in the late afternoon for two recommended healing teas and a fruit snack that kept me going until dinner. Sometimes I took them to-go and had them on my private suite balcony or on route to appointments at the clinic.

Lunch and dinners were incredible and three full courses. I still can’t believe how delicious they were. Always just the right amount of food leaving me satisfied but never full. Similar to the lemon ginger shot at breakfast, these two meals always started with a 50/50 of apple cider vinegar and water and ended with tea. To improve my gut health, I had two sides of fermented veggies at dinner, which I can’t lie; started to make a difference right away and something I continue to do even weeks after checking out.

There were loads of questions and interest around protein, knowing the cadence of my workouts on the trip were the same as at home. I was permitted extra protein of either shrimp or white fish in the afternoon and night.

After dinner each night, I was served lemon balm tea afterwards. Known for it’s benefits of reducing anxiety and stress, improving sleep quality, and aiding digestion. It can also help with symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), may improve memory, and contains compounds that can fight certain viruses and inflammation. It’s one of the first things I bought when I got back home to have as my evening nightcap.

The Therapies & Treatments

While I had familiarity with most of the therapies and treatments that were included in my program from having done them over the last 12+ years, there were a few things that were done differently here that I had never seen before. Plus some new ones that I only discovered during my stay.

One of the first treatments I had was the Hydroenergetic Healing Treatment Detox. Never had one before and it sounded heavenly when I read up on it before my appointment. As relaxing as it was, it really sped up the removal of toxins from the meal plan and liver detox afterwards which caused some die-off symptoms. I was offered magnesium immediately beforehand to help with potential side effects due to the heat in the tubs. But I informed the kind gentleman that if I could endure perimenopause night sweats, I would be just fine LOL. The entire treatment was about an hour or so. I sat in a hydroaromatherapy tub for the first 20 mins to kick things off, with hundreds of jets and some essential oils mixed in. This was to help open up all my pores before transitioning into what they call the phytofangotherapy part of the process. My entire body was then covered in a seaweed mask, wrapped in plastic and covered in a thermal blanket before being immersed into yet another tub of hot water with jets that pushed water out that simulated deep waves. Think of it like a water bed from the early 80’s. After cooking like a steamed dumpling, he hosed me down twice, once with warm water and then with cold, from 15 feet away with a hydrojet.

Acupuncture was of course integrated into my programming. I have been into the practice of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) for over a decade now and have done acu for ages, but these sessions hit different down here. Prior to having my first one, I did something known as an Integrated Bioenergy Assessment, with Electromagnetic Field Mapping. A mouthful I know, but SUPER fascinating. This assessment was to evaluate my body’s energy systems to inform and guide my forthcoming acupuncture treatments. This integrative approach combines traditional acupuncture principles with bioenergetic testing methods, and gave my practitioner a detailed map of energetic imbalances throughout my body; helping him to identify areas of stress in order to custom tailor my treatments for more optimal outcomes. With this equipment, he used a pen like instrument and pressed on my fingertips, toes and also ran a special comb through the hair on my head that generated the results which were sent straight to his computer for analysis.

The assessment was painless but when I got on his table for needling, that was a different story. I am not sure if it was the size of the needles, how deep he went with them or because he was able to narrow in on the exact points of my body that had stagnate energy causing inflammation, but it was quite painful. He had me really focus on deep breathing and I kept reminding myself that there was going to be so much good on the other side of clearing these pathways. The physical discomfort was one thing, but I was not at all prepared for was the intense emotions that rose to the surface during the process. This is what I meant earlier when I referenced the mind-body connection. Our body holds onto memories, stress and trauma. It keeps score. It was as if the removing the energy blockages, also removed the blockages of the many feelings I had been suppressing for weeks…months. Fuck, years perhaps! Needless to say, afterwards I found myself feeling the need to cry. A lot. Write in the notebook the staff left for me on my beside table, and just process in silence everything that I have been pushing deep inside me for far too long. I was really sore for the first few days, but once it subsided, I really felt a shift in both my body, mind and energy.

Another treatment I was a newbie to was Ozone Therapy. It has been used in a variety of ways for over 100 years, from an anti-fungal to healing agent. Many practitioners use it as a medical tool for its ability to decrease inflammation and modulate the immune system. It is a powerful biohacking agent and can be helpful to a variety of conditions like; chronic pain, fibromyalgia (eg. diffuse pain), migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome, candidiasis , congestive heart autoimmune disorders & allergies, arthritis and diabetes and more.

I of course did a little bit of research beforehand and like everything else online I found information saying it was highly effective and some to the contrary, saying it’s not effective at all <eye roll>. But with an open mind, I jumped in. It can be administered in a variety of different ways; injected directly into a joint, muscle or tendon, infused into the blood through intravenous injection or via the anus (rectal insufflation).

When administered through the bum, the oxygen gas mixture can significantly help gut health. I am not sure why, but it was determined I wasn’t a candidate for the rectal treatment and was advised to do it intravenously instead. It was a simple process and only a 20 minute procedure. Just a few hours after the treatment I did notice a bit of a difference in terms of my energy, pain level and my sleep that night. With everything I was putting my body through that week, it was super helpful because it stimulates the immune system, supports any detoxification processes, while improving circulation.

Rounding out my treatments was hydro colon therapy. I know people’s feelings on colonics are a mixed bag, but I gotta say I am a big fan. This one was not built into the Rebalance & Energize program unfortunately. I paid for this as an ad-on to help with the elimination of toxins during my detox. After my gut health got destroyed and putrefied from being on pharmaceutical meds for my illness over a decade ago, these played a part in the process of restoring my gut. It also helped eliminate the chronic candidiasis, which was one of horrendous side effects I had to endure. It had been over nine years since I had my last one in Toronto, so I was down to add this to the mix. Curious as well to see if SHA had any tricks up their sleeves to make this procedure slightly different. It turned out to be like any other colonic but probably the most gentle one I ever had and that was because I was instructed to take teaspoons of drinkable epsom salts mixed with water right before bed the night before. I literally have no clue why I was never told this before but WOW it broke down the fecal matter overnight that has been trapped in my intestine and made the removal process much easier.

Peptides & Hormones

My piss poor cognitive test results was a definite red flag flying and served as a warning that my body was screaming for help. My consult session with Dr. Sánchez, Head of Revitalizing Medicine at the clinic, was probably the most important one I had during my stay at SHA Mexico. If you’re around my age, you are fully aware that we begin knocking at the door of perimenopause around 40 and by 45 you’ve walk through the door and slowly making your way to menopause. During this time the production of several key hormones begins to decrease and fluctuate. We talked about my symptoms in depth - the changes to my hair (thinning), vaginal dryness & irritation, sleep disturbances, nonsensical anxiety over things that never bothered me before, mood swings, night sweats, the inability to focus, memory loss and intense menstrual symptoms.

She broke down the specific impact when there is a decrease or fluctuation in some of the key hormones:

Estrogen: The fluctuating levels of estrogen can cause menstrual cycles to become longer or shorter and flow to become heavier or lighter. In my instance, the flow is HEAVY and LONG. Lowered estrogen is what also leads to most the classic perimenopausal symptoms I mentioned above, but can also lead to long-term risks like heart disease and osteoporosis as estrogen helps to protect the cardiovascular system and bone density. This checks out as women seem to be diagnosed with both at an alarming rate.

Progesterone: I had no idea but she told me that this starts to decrease slightly in our late twenties and really takes a nosedive during our late thirties. The decline in progesterone creates an imbalance with estrogen, contributing to the anxiety most of us start to develop. Since progesterone has a calming effect on the brain, its decline can make us extra sensitive to stress and lead to issues with sleep and mood.

Androgens: Embarrassed that this was the first time I heard the word “androgen” but apparently ovarian androgen production, including testosterone, begins to decline several years before menopause begins. By the time we reach 40, our androgen levels drops by half compared to that in our 20s. Why is this important? It contributes to our reduced libido, low energy, and changes in mood.

After she broke all this down for me and I picked up jaw up off the floor, we delved into what are some immediate things I can do and supplements I can take to help myself start to feel like my old self again. I honestly cannot believe what life has been like for the women that came before us - living in the dark about their menopause journey and not having access to info and resources to help them. Dr. S said I am a prime candidate for HRT (hormone replacement therapy). I know I KNOW, many of you are YELLING at me for not being more on top of this. But I get it now, so interviewing Functional Medicine Specialists in Toronto was one of the first things I did once I got home. I will obviously be undergoing additional tests at home to discuss a game plan for treatment but she her recommendation was to start with 100 mg of progesterone (micronized) before bed on days 15-28 of my cycle and also suggested CoQ10 and DIM supplements.

We spent most of our time speaking about peptides, which has been a huge focus for the clinic since their announcement of their personalized peptide treatments in July. These short chains of amino acids basically serve as targeted messengers in the body and have become one of the most sought-after advancements in integrative medicine for their role in supporting energy, metabolism, tissue regeneration and neuroprotection. After going through my charts and test results, the two peptides that prescribed for me was DSIP (Delta Sleep-Inducing Peptide) for sleep regulation, stress reduction and recovery support. The second was BPC-157 (Body Protection Compound - 157) and it’s derived from a protein found naturally in gastric (stomach) juice. It’s excellent for tissue healing & recovery, gut health, anti-inflammatory effects and joint health. Sadly, these two peptides are not currently approved by Health Canada - and please don’t get me started about this country’s need to keep us behind the rest of the world when it comes to healing functional medicine. I was not happy to discover that after leaving SHA I won’t be able to get my hands on them. So I will have to leave it to local functional specialists in Toronto to prescribe me with a comparable stack to use. I promise, once I get set-up with Health Canada approved peps, I will share what my stack is and where I order them from.

Restorative Practice

My body was going through a lot over the 5 days and definitely needed some TLC. I spent time in the hydro therapy circuit. Using the thermal baths, steam room and sauna before I retired for bed. No cold plunges for me though and there won’t be any more in my future. I discovered through my chats here that it is not great for my Fibromyalgia. I know there is so much information about how cold water therapy can help reduce pain and inflammation but it can also flare up certain conditions, like mine. Truthfully, I have experienced this firsthand after trying it out a couple times in the past and never understood why I was not feeling the benefits so many others claimed they experienced. Instead, my main hangout in the hydro therapy area were the sauanas. They even have one with dedicated infrared panels for your back.

With so much respect given to the mind and body connection, there are private one-on-one personalized sessions carved out with a holistic expert and they create something magical tailored to your needs that includes yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and pranayama techniques. For this, I was connected with the most wonderful human ever named Isabel. She read my energy immediately when I entered the room and she knew I needed something restorative and lead me through a meditation, a gentle yoga flow and ended with reading my cards. A woman after my own heart lemme tell you.

And best believe I had some massage sessions. Those were very much needed my God! I had a sectorial massage early on in the trip where I was able to have the RMT just focus solely on my upper back, shoulders and neck where I have the most discomfort and lack of mobility. Towards the end of my trip, there was the Abhyanga Massage.

I am not really a relaxation massage girlie. I usually prefer a deep tissue situation but these folks know what they are doing and knew that towards the end of my journey, my body would really need it. I woke up after the 60 minute session not remembering where I was. The Abhyanga Massage is a traditional Ayurvedic therapy that will definitely transfer you into another dimension using hot oils to soothe muscles, improve circulation and calm the nervous system.

Movement

Movement of course, is a major pillar at SHA and like everything else is completely customized. I had an FMT (functional movement test) with my trainer, Inty, that was assigned to me during my stay. After meeting him, I couldn’t help but wonder whether the team does personality matches because it felt like we had known each other for years. The assessment started with mostly range of motion exercises but slowly progressed to more challenging exercises and movements to challenge my strength, coordination and balance.

There was only one PT session in my program that was included but I ended up swapping out some of the group fitness classes and the cooking class to do strength training and boxing during the rest of my stay.

FAQ’s

After doing a poll on Instagram, there were some specific questions about the experience that kept coming up from many of you, that I want to include separately below

Did it take courage to WANT to know about your health that deeply?

This is an excellent question actually. I think I’ve been so consumed since my kidney and Fibromyalgia diagnosis with finding ways to ease symptoms and live a better quality of live that I will leave no stone unturned to figure out how to do that. So that part does not scare me one bit. But it is a bit unnerving to know SO much about all areas of your health and it’s really easy to get consumed in all of it. Having an interest in biohacking could possibly cause some anxiety depending on how deep you go and could be a slippery slope for sure.

What is the cost? Is the price point accessible?

If I had a dollar for every time I was asked this during my stay, I could probably shut down shop here and retire at SHA. I had difficulty finding pricing on the mobile version of their website, but I did however find some pricing info on the desktop version. This pricing is for the programs only - as they don’t fluctuate. Room/accommodation rates however differ based on the season. The total amount for my stay (program, accommodation and private airport transfers) was $8,800.00 Canadian. This does not include the few things I paid extra to add on - additional private training sessions, colonic and peptides.

Did they tailor your training experience based on your cognitive and stress test results?

My workouts were’t necessarily “tailored” based on those tests per se, but my trainer was definitely aware of them. Since he was considered a part of my “SHA Team” Inty did communicate with all my doctors and practitioners. It was mostly tailored based on my physical ability and how my body was feeling that day.

What surprised you most and disappointed you the most?

So many things surprised me in a good way during this trip. I was really blown away with the staff and team. We always hear people say things like, “The service was incredible” but this is different. The SHA team becomes so invested in your health journey and truly wants you to thrive. They will go above and beyond to enhance an already exceptional experience. If your body is going through it from the treatments, they will bring the SHAmadi dining experience to your room. You want to do the hydro therapy circuit, but your schedule doesn’t allow you to get there before it closes at 8PM. They will arrange to have the Circuit Specialist keep the facility open just for you. You feel overwhelmed by your programming, they will make all the necessary changes to your schedule so it’s more manageable or to facilitate guests having to squeeze in zoom meetings while they are there. They are a group of warm, genuine human beings that felt like family when it was time to leave.

Floored by how many modalities, specialities and treatments are provided there. If you’re interested in going there, I really suggest you take a look at the website to see everything they do there and the view the program breakdowns. The food surpassed my expectations for sure and I was shocked at just how many of the guests were returning for the second and third time. And some even stay as long as 30 days.

I am actually getting emotional as I type this but I was super apprehensive about traveling alone. I usually travel with a brand client, family, or someone on my team when it’s work. Turns out, this was an incredible trip to do solo. I learned a lot about myself having to sit alone with my thoughts - both good and bad. I think there will definitely be many more solo trips in my future for sure.

What disappointed me? I think it may have been the amount of consultations that were originally in my schedule. While majority of them were critical to my stay, there were a few that I could have definitely done without. For example, the derma consultations. I personally wasn’t there for skincare treatments and definitely don’t need a product routine. I removed what wasn’t necessary to allow for more time between treatments and therapies.

Have you seen any wellness changes (good or bad) since you had the experience?

Yes, absolutely. Major improvements to my gut health already from the detoxing, implementing more fermented foods, and gut healing fruits into my daily routine. I have continued to not consume beverages while I eat, so my digestion is better than it’s been in years. I have had better sleep thanks to the lemon balm tea. That stuff is no joke, it really shuts me down at night.

Transitioning back home was crazy. So much shifted in me in less than a week and I wanted to desperately preserve all the goodness from the trip. I found it difficult to dine out and still do- realizing how inflammatory most foods are out there. I have also learned to be more protective of my energy, time and boundaries. I am proud of myself really, for continuing to be conscious now of the things and people that cause unnecessary stress in my life. So I am in a cutting phase LOL - removing anything that’s not good for my nervous system.

Biggest new health tip/learning you gained?

I definitely think the biggest hacks were around food. For me, how and what I consume can affect my health so drastically so having the hacks I learned there will be really game changing moving forward.

What was the most delicious part of the experience you wish you could relive?

100% having such easy access to ALL the things just steps from my room. Back home in Toronto a huge barrier to my health has always been access, which I assume would be the same for most. Wanting the best specialists, trainers, and treatments, usually requires a ton of commuting. Driving back and forth across the city (mostly in traffic) it can take a considerable amount of time out of my work day. Also, it is very hard to find availability in people’s schedules, if they are good at what they do. Often appointment wait times are weeks or months to get in, so being able to have all this access on the same property was really a treat. I want that again - and of course the food!

What was something you discovered about your health that only SHA could have found?

My nervous system, stress and cognitive function levels. I mean, they may not have been the only ones in the world that could have done those tests for me, but chances are, if I never went to SHA, I don’t think I would have ever had them done. I am eternally grateful for having gone through that testing to now be armed with the results. I can take better ownership of my health and make more informed decisions on how to improve those areas now, which I think is invaluable.

What was the most transformative for you and did you unlearn anything to correct habits?

Through this experience I got a deeper understanding as to how both my personal and professional life affects my health. In my line of work, although I am self employed and a freelancer, I am always at the mercy of my clients. With the economy having gone to shit, brands are asking for a lot more and wanting to pay a lot less. Project timelines have become non-existent…with unrealistic turnaround times. I have never felt less in control of my life as I have in 2025. Add in being a single mother into the mix too. It’s a lot. The takeaway here when we talked about the stressors and how they affect me was to ask myself, “Is the juice worth the squeeze?” Will adding that new project with a last minute deadline at half my pay rate be worth the added stress? Can I give myself grace and not feel like I have to do ALL the things? - sit on my child’s PTA board at school, be a committee member on various boards, take on a bunch of projects that don’t fulfil me or compensate me in a way that I deserve? In the past, I have felt I needed to do ALL the things, but they have come at a cost. I unlearning a ton and correcting old habits to hopefully allow myself to work more efficiently, take on only the things that feel right and live a more balanced life.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you - it means more than you know. Rooted is a space built on curiosity, growth and the small rituals that can help keep us grounded. If you’re loving the content, tap the subscribe button to stay connected, or upgrade to a paid subscription so I can continue sharing the kind of wellness, movement and lifestyle content that helps us all stay a little more rooted.

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My little corner of the internet where I can just brain dump all the things I really want to share with you on Instagram, but I find it so restrictive on there. Like many of my counterparts that do some form of content creation online, the joy I once found on there is fleeting. There’s only so much I can say in a caption and we ALL know how diabolical the algorithm is. What used to be a place that championed individualism, is now starting to turn into a sea of homogenous content. A creativity death trap, cattle herding people to follow trends. Of course, we are all inspired by the things around us, but I personally don’t want to feel forced to copy a template for perceived success developed by some randoms in a white ivory tower at Meta.

So if you’re reading this and you’re not my parents or immediate family members - welcome! LOL. I hope by subscribing to “Rooted”, you will learn, feel inspired and motivated through the stories and experiences I share here. There will be a lot about health and wellness, obviously. Having gone from being a former athlete to corporate girlie - to being hospitalized and bedridden in 2012-2013, to using movement, diet and alternative medicine to reclaim my life; it truly is so much a part of who I am today.

Up until now, I’ve only shared 30% of the things that I regularly do to keep me functioning and alive every day. There will of course be all the other things I am passionate about…beauty, travel, fashion, but I think it’s important for me to use this space to also share and connect with you on some other real life shit - like all the unpleasantries that stems from perimenopause comes to mind first. I’ve dipped my toes into talking about the mood swings and night sweats, but I just haven’t been able to bring myself to talk about dry vaginas yet on IG.

I’ll share more about some of the cool wellness and skincare treatments I’ve recently discovered. How I navigate single parenting has been a topic that frequently comes up in my DM’s. Since my separation, there’s been MANY moments that have almost broke me, that I’ve never publicly talked about before. And who knows, maybe as this Rooted Community grows, it can eventually lead to in-person meet-ups and events, something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. As much as I want this to be a helpful for you all, I have a feeling that some of the topics I will be writing about, may actually be cathartic and helpful for me too.

This was supposed to only serve as an intro; so if you were anticipating the review on my SHA Wellness experience, I PROMISE that will be in my next Substack. For now, I will leave you with a couple things that have been highly requested lately in my DMs’.

3 Moves That Build Better Arms: A beginners guide to training biceps, triceps & shoulders with purpose and precision

2025 seemed to be the year of arms. Growing glutes has been the focus for many women for yeaaaars. But something has shifted and strong, toned arms have made it’s way to mood boards and goal setting lists. The good news, defined arms aren’t built from complexity; they’re built from consistency and smart movement. And the best part, you don’t need to have access to a gym, trainer or fancy equipment. I’ve broken down 3 beginner-friendly exercises that target your biceps, triceps and shoulders while teaching you tips I learned from my movement coach Nsuani Baffoe, on how to get more from every rep. In the video below, I chat through each move, highlight some common mistakes, and share the small tweaks that make a big difference. Combined these with a good warm-up and some cardio and you’ll have yourself a solid little workout.

Wall Supported Bicep Curls: 3 sets x 12-15 reps

Tricep Extensions: 3 sets x 8-10 reps

Lateral Raises: 3 sets x 12-15 reps

If you’re a beginner and have not incorporated these movements into your workouts before, try not to get to hung up on the number on the dumbbells, especially with the tricep extension and lateral raises. Feel free to start with a moderate weight for your bicep curls. As you get stronger, you can start to increase the weight. You won’t need heavy weights for the last two exercises to be effective. Trust me the reps, when done slowly and properly will add up. It’s also better to work with lighter weights to ensure your form is in tact.

Frequently Asked Links

Sharing (and re-sharing) links to some things that have been highly requested over the last few weeks. I’ve also started to share links categorized by outfits, beauty/skincare products, activewear, etc that you can find on my ShopMy page.

This Proenza Schouler “Ramona” suede coat is a fucking dream and definitely an investment piece. You were all GAGGED when you saw it in my BTS from the Fall editorial campaign shoot for Absolutely Fabrics, so circling back with the link here. With the retail experience absolutely dismal here in Canada, thanks to tariffs and the closing of many high-end doors, Absolutely Fabrics in Toronto has become a beacon of light to many of us in the city for their intentionally curated pieces from designers we would normally have to order online - and subsequently pay a criminal amount of money in duties once it lands at our doorstep.

Please excuse the graininess of this video screenshot from set, but the full coat needs a moment. You’ve probably noticed that suede coats are friggin EVERYWHERE this season. If the Proenza price point has you saying, “In this economy?!” believe it or not, there’s a Zara suede coat from their ZW Limited Edition Leather Collection that is shockingly good for under $500.

It’s been decades since I’ve worn overalls. I think my last pair were Osh-gosh in the late eighties, so I am seriously dating myself here. These are by Free People . I grabbed mine on a recent visit to Maison Simons. As advertised online, the barrel leg is supposed to be slightly cropped, but I wanted a longer length so I sized up (a LOT) to a large. The waffle shirt I wore underneath is from the men’s section at Uniqlo.

And speaking of men’s clothing, I have no idea why I’ve only just recently starting shopping in that section. Turns out, men’s clothing works for the girls too! These pleated wool wide-leg trousers and merino wool shirt I wore to dinner during NYFW are both from the men’s COS Fall collection and found the cashmere triangle scarf there as well.

Now that Fall has finally decided to enter the chat after what felt like an endless Summer, I am pretty much back to my standard uniform of denim and a leather jacket. When Autumn arrives every year, I try to remind myself that there is absolutely no reason to add another moto to my closet. It just seems ridiculous at this point, but couldn’t help myself with this one from Dynamite. For reference, for this sizing and fit, I went with a size L/XL.

Bag: Mokki by Polene Paris in Ebony

Denim: The “Lennon” High Rise Jean by Dynamite

Sunglasses: Toronto Smoke glasses by 12PM Studios

Tshirt: Shirred Jersey shirt by Dynamite