Tiny In Toronto

As I’m writing this, I have officially been in self-isolation for 47 days. It seems like quite a long time to be stuck inside my apartment, but I feel like it’s gone by so fast! I’ve kept myself pretty busy this past month and I’ve discovered some fun new hobbies that I’m really excited to share. I’ve also found some new products that I feel like I can no longer live without. And with that being said, here are my favourite things for the month of April!

Yoga/exercise – My roommate Molly invited me to try yoga with her one day and I’ve been doing it with her 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) ever since! It feels really good to give my body this kind of routine. Before yoga, I don’t think I participated in any form of exercise since high school! I see some differences in my body. I feel a bit more flexible, and I do feel healthier especially since I went from never doing any exercise to having at least an hour of it almost every day. I’m going to be a little sad when life goes back to the way it was before. I wish there was some way for me to continue doing yoga without having to commute to a yoga studio. Maybe they’ll continue doing zoom calls for some people?

Crafts (earrings, bracelets, painting) – I have been a “craft queen” this past month! I have done so many arts and crafts and I have been loving it. I’ve made cards, bracelets, a painting, earrings, and more! I just feel like I have all this time now to test my creativity! I’ve been making beaded friendship bracelets that I’m really excited to wear this summer. I’ve made a few beaded necklaces as well. I’ve also started making my own earrings out of polymer clay! I make the shapes I want out of clay, bake them, and then I paint them once they’ve cooled down. It’s a bit of a process but I’ve been enjoying it a lot. I don’t think I would have been able to try making these with the time I had before so I’m kinda grateful. If you guys would like to see a blog post on how I make some of my earrings, let me know in the comment section! It’s a lot easier than you think!

Hair tool (idk what to call it) + hair oils – This tool by John Frieda is a combination of a round brush and a hair dryer, and it’s absolutely genius! I don’t know about you guys but I seriously struggle drying my hair with a hairdryer and a round brush. I’m just not coordinated to do it! This tool has made the process so much easier because it’s all-in-one. I literally just comb it through my hair like a normal round brush and the air that comes out of it dries my hair for me as well! It’s honestly perfect. It makes my hair smoother and less frizzy. I think my hair is also much softer than it was before. It’s really great and I picked it up for only $40 off Amazon! In combination with this hair tool, I’ve also been tackling my frizziness with some hair oil. I have two but I don’t use both at the same time. I rotate between them depending on how well I’ve dried my hair. One is heavier than the other. I like these oils because it calms the frizz and also gets rid of all those broken strands that tend to fly away. Do you know what I mean? Anyways, this has been a great combination for me and I can’t wait for everyone see my hair once we’re allowed outside again! If you would like to know more about the oils I use, I talk about them in an IGTV video on my Instagram page, @tinyintoronto!

Nintendo Switch/Animal Crossing & Child Of Light – I don’t even know where to begin! I was so scared that a Nintendo Switch was going to be a mistake and a huge waste of money, but it ended up being the most fun I’ve ever had in a while! I have no regrets about getting a Nintendo Switch because it’s definitely made staying a home for almost 50 days so much better. I’ve been playing two games this past month: “Animal Crossing” and “Child Of Light”. I’ve been playing Animal Crossing a lot more than Child Of Light because playing AC is like living another life! I have to make money (by selling fish, bugs, and chopping wood) to buy clothes and pay off my home loan. I have to make sure that I’m socializing with my fellow neighbours/island dwellers. I grow plants and fruit trees. I’m sure you guys have been hearing a lot about it online and trust me, it’s worth the hype. I just found out that Valentino created a virtual clothing line on Animal Crossing! Is that crazy or what?!! Child Of Light is a gam with more of a story line. The main focus of the game is to get a princess back to her father. She meets a lot of interesting characters along the way that join her and help her get there. There are bosses that you have to battle to get to different “chapters” of the game as well. It was super addicting before I bought Animal Crossing, and now it’s kind of been sitting on the back burner. I definitely plan on going back to it though!

“Queenie” by Candice Carty-Williams – I wrote a blog post reviewing this book and basically just saying how great it is and how you have to read it! I say the exact same things in the video that I recorded for IGTV, but I can’t tell you guys enough about how much I enjoyed this book. I feel like I struggle when it comes to explaining it because I’m too worried about ruining it for you. But it’s great for women in their mid-late twenties because it’s super relatable. It’s also empowering. I just highly recommend it! You won’t regret it, I promise.

“Making The Cut” on Prime Video – Remember when I was hooked on “Next In Fashion” on Netflix? This show is so similar, just with a bigger budget! The winner gets one million dollars from Amazon!!! They also fly all the contestant around the world (New York, Japan, and Paris). Naomi Campbell and Nicole Richies are two of the judges. It’s amazing. It’s shot kind of like a movie. You can just tell that they had a lot of money to put towards this show. Amazon also made it possible for you to online purchase the piece(s) that the winning designer made that week! Basically, each week had a challenge (like “Next In Fashion“) and there was a winner for every challenge. If you won that challenge, you got to have your winning design featured on the “Making The Cut” store on Amazon. It’s such a great idea but every time Molly and I went to go purchase a piece, it was sold out!

Dua Lipa’s Album: Future Nostalgia – OBSESSED is an understatement for how I feel about this album. I love it so much! I’ve listened to it over a million times this past month, and I’m still listening to it. I just can’t get enough! Dua Lipa made a killer album that I’m going to be dancing to all summer long! When we get out of quarantine, I have a few birthdays that need celebrating and they give me the perfect excuse to dance to this album publicly and get all my friends loving it too. I’m always looking for music recommendations. If you know any amazing albums like this one that I should listen to, please let me know!

If you’d like to watch a video where I talk a little more about my “April Favourites”, follow me on Instagram! Check out my IGTV video @tinyintoronto!

That wraps up another month of favourites. I hope you’ll try some of the things I mentioned! If you end up loving anything I talked about here, please share with me what you think. I’d love to talk more about them!

I hope you’re all safe and doing well!

Until next time,

– Tiny ❤

Hey! Welcome back! You guys already know that I love books and looove reading. With all this extra time that I have now, I’ve been reading a book a week! As difficult as this situation is for us, it’s nice to have little things to be grateful for and I’m definitely grateful to have time to read more books.

Last week I read “Queenie” by Candice Carty-Williams because it is this month’s book pick for one of my *four* book clubs lol. I read this book in 5 days. There was a day where I just sprawled out on my bed and read 200 pages all at once! This book was a really good read. I honestly feel like it’s been a while since I’ve loved a book enough to write a blog post about it. I’m basically writing this because I loved it so much and I want you to read it, too!

To stop myself from telling you the entire story and ruining it to the point where there’s no reason for you to go read it for yourselves, I’m just going to share with you what I loved about the novel.

What I absolutely loved most about this novel was that she was very close to my age and as a whole, I found Queenie to be a very relatable character to your typical 20-something year-old woman. The way Candice Carty-Williams wrote this book also made it very easy to read and straight to the point. I understood everything that was going on and I felt so many emotions! There were parts where I laughed out loud, where I almost cried, and parts where I just needed to close the book and step away for a little bit (I’ll get to this more in a bit). It’s also set in England which is cool. I’ve never been but it sounds perfect.

Another part that I loved most was that despite the fact that Queenie was kicked out by her boyfriend, had to move in with her uptight grandparents, nearly lost her job and was being sexually abused by multiple men, I still found this empowering for women. Queenie came out of it like a true Queen, and she did it all without any help from a man. She had her family and her girlfriends. They were all she needed to overcome her many life challenges, with a bit of therapy. And that’s something else that I loved about this book! Queenie’s grandparents were very narrow-minded and still under the influence that if you were to seek out a therapist and attend appointments, etc., it’s a sign of weakness. This novel is a great tool for women to realize that it’s okay to be weak, it’s okay to ask for help. You have to do what’s best for you and therefore, who cares what anybody else thinks? This helped Queenie in so many ways. Yes, it was all her but the therapist’s guidance was so helpful and so women shouldn’t feel ashamed for wanting help. I loved that.

What bothered me about this novel was all of Queenie’s self-destructive tendencies. But I realized at the end of the novel that you don’t know you’re being self-destructive at the time. Nothing makes sense at the time and these things tend to happen when you go through what Queenie went through. I felt very frustrated because Candice makes you feel like you’re one of Queenie’s friends and to just sit back and watch her make all these poor decisions was just so frustrating. I wanted to just give her a good shake or a slap her across the face!

Overall, I think this book was perfect. I highly recommend it. I loved the ending the most. It makes you feel good and proud. There’s more I want to say but I really encourage that you just read it for yourselves! If you have any questions, feel free to ask me in the comment section below!

Until next time!

– Tiny ❤

Hey everyone! I just wanted to write a lighthearted post to let you know that I’m thinking of you! I know that times are confusing and difficult right now for everyone, but just know that I’m here and we’re all in this together. I’m currently on my 26th day of self-isolation and was told that I’ll probably be in this situation for at least the next two months! I’m no longer working. It’s hard not being able to go out and see my friends and family. I don’t see my boyfriend that often because neither of us have a car and commuting to one another is a risk. It’s been getting kind of lonely but I’ve been distracting myself and staying positive! I know a ton of you are going through the same things. So on that note, I thought I’d also share with you some of the things I’ve been doing to keep myself busy!

Reading – You guys know I love to read. That’s old news. But if I wanna reach my goal of reading 30 books this year, this is the best time to do it! I might even be able to read more than 30! I highly recommend reading and getting lost in a book. It’s great for your brain and it’s a great distraction from all those things that are causing you anxiety right now. If you don’t know what to read, I always recommend a good classic! One of my favourites is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I’ve read it so many times and I always feel good after reading it! If you would like me to compile a reading list for you guys, please let me know in the comment section below! Right now I’m reading two book club books. I just finished “Queenie” by Candice Carey-Williams this morning and tomorrow I’ll probably start “Where The Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens. I also think I’m going to order a few books online, so let me know if you want me to share what books I pick out! A future “book haul” perhaps?

Painting – I know you guys probably think that this isn’t something you’d enjoy because a) you don’t have the talent or the skill, and b) because you don’t have said talent or skill, it will probably look like trash. Trust me, I thought the same thing. You have the time now, so just try it! What’s the worst that can happen? You can throw it out and try again the next day! It also doesn’t have to be anything intricate. Paint circles! Or just splatter the paint on the canvas! Use your fingers! I found painting to be really calming, and kind of therapeutic! I honestly think that if you try to paint, you’ll thank me later.

Misc. crafts – I’ve been finding that giving myself little craft assignments has been time consuming, and also quite rewarding! Aside from painting, I’ve made myself some beaded bracelets and I’m currently planning to make some jewelry out of clay. I read online that I can bake clay in the oven and turn it into earrings! I’m super excited about it! I also want to tie-dye some more because I haven’t touch my tie-dye kit since the summer. Honestly, crafts are great and I love how they test my creativity. If there are other craft ideas that you think I should try, please let me know!

Journaling – I did this for the entire month of March (even before the pandemic) and I’ve been loving it during this time more than ever. I can write my thoughts, my fears, and even the things I’m grateful for. When everything that bothers me is written on a page, I feel like that somehow takes the weight off of me. I feel much better after I’ve “talked” about it with my journal. It helps me realize that having another night in my apartment (a roof over my head), with the lights on (hydro/power), where I’m healthy and able to write is more than enough to be grateful for. Yes, things are a little tough financially right now (at least for me), but there are resources to help me with that and I have to be grateful for that as well. All I can say is that journaling has helped me keep a clear and positive mindset and I truly recommend it!

Exercising/yoga – There are so many free live streams now! Yoga and other forms of exercise are literally at our fingertips so you should take advantage of it! Yes we don’t have the fancy equipment that we’d have at the gym, but there are definitely ways of making it work at home. I’ve just been using my yoga mat and following workout videos on YouTube. My roommate and I have done a free yoga live stream every day as well. Follow @poweryogacanada and they have a schedule so that you can follow along either on Facebook or Instagram at certain times throughout the day! We usually do the one at noon.

Experimenting with makeup – Molly, my roommate, joined me one day in creating some bold makeup looks. We decided to go through our palettes and use those non-everyday/unwearable eyeshadow colours that we’ve never touched and it turned out be so much fun. Afterwards, we did a little photo shoot! We got pictures of both our looks and even captured a couple of polaroids! It was such a nice little activity to do and I definitely want to do it again. There are so many IG accounts and pictures on Pinterest of makeup looks that I would never have time to try that I can do now. It’s not that fun to wash off later but the process and the fun you’ll share is worth it!

Dressing up and taking pictures – If you’re someone that loves fashion as much as I do, you probably miss adorning yourself every day for work, etc. I know that I have! I haven’t let the fact that I have no where to go stop me! I’ve been getting ready and getting dressed even though I have nowhere to go. It makes me feel good and I now have a stash of cute outfits to wear once I can go back out into the world again!

Going for a 30-40min walk around the block – I know we’re supposed to be staying inside but it is also very healthy for us mentally and physically to go outside every once and a while. I think at least twice a week I’ve been going for walks outside. I literally just loop around my neighbourhood a bunch of times until I feel like it’s been enough. It really helps! I think it especially helps on my bad days. It really refreshes your brain (if that makes sense). I’m in no way promoting leaving your house btw! I still remain far away from other humans during those 30-40min. I just think that it’s super healthy to get some fresh air at least once a week!

Cooking/becoming a Master Chef – Let’s be real. The main two things that you can really do right now is eat and sleep. The way I look at it is that since it feels like I have all the time in the world, I might as well be eating well, right? I’ve been trying different recipes at my own pace. I’ve been eating super healthy (eating vegetables is a big deal for me). I can’t say that these meals are anything extravagant but I definitely think I’ve increased the number of dishes that I can actually cook lol. All I can say is that I feel like I could maybe cook my boyfriend dinner after all of this (like, without killing him).

Playing video games – Okay, this is definitely not for everybody. Well actually, I never thought I’d be into video games again. I thought I grew out of it but I stand corrected! Maybe you’ll be like me and become addicted all over again! Time FLIES when I’m playing video games. I got myself a Nintendo Switch Lite and I can’t put the stupid thing down. I’ll start and then 3 hours later, I’m still playing lol. I’m really into the games that are pretty to look at tbh. Right now I’ve been obsessed with “Child Of Light” and “Animal Crossing”. They’re SO ADDICTING. The worst is when I start playing before bed and I’ll catch myself STILL playing at like 2am. It’s baddddd.

Overall, I’ve been kind of planning my days with some sort of activity each day. It gives me something to look forward to and something to dedicate my time to. It makes me feel less lazy. I’m the kind of person that appreciates structure and being organized. So I still write in my agenda even though it only says “wake up, make breakfast, exercise, shower, paint, read, play videos games, write a journal entry, etc” lol. Time goes by much faster and I try to make sure that there’s something different for me to focus on each day. For example, I plan on writing more blog posts tomorrow! I also have lots of videos to edit! (Make sure you’ve subscribed to my YouTube channel, and follow my Instagram!)

I know it can be hard to look at the bright side but think this way: you have all this free time to do whatever it is you didn’t have time to do before, do you really want to look back and say you regret not doing whatever it is when you had the chance? You deserve to be happy and if creating that makeup look that you’ve been dying to try is what’s going to give you a bit of happiness, do it. If reading that really thick novel that you thought you’d never have the time to commit to is what’s going to make you happy and satisfied, do it.

Sometimes it really is just the little things, guys! Try it! And let me know what you think and how you feel.

Wishing you all the best during this time,

Tiny ❤

Hey everyone! It’s that time again! It’s time to share with you what I was loving during the month of March. I know that it’s been the strangest month we’ve ever been through. I know that things are pretty hard out there right now, but I thought I should continue with these posts to have a bit of normalcy and to share with you some of the simple joys I found in the last month!

Here they are!

Nunoo “Ellie” bag – I say plenty about this bag in my YouTube video so I’m not going to rave about it and repeat the same things here. All that I want to say is that I am so in love with this bag (have been since November), I am beyond happy that Nunoo is sold in Canada, and I can’t wait to wear this when we’re allowed to leave our homes again! Have you heard of Nunoo? It’s this brand that I discovered while I was following Copenhagen Fashion Week two years ago. It was seen in all the street style photos and I just had to know where all these bags were from. The love affair began there and now I own TWO Nunoo bags (and counting)!

Thrifted fringe jacket – I had gone on a thrift trip for a video, and obviously for my own personal pleasure as well, and in the back of my mind (even though it wasn’t on the list) I really, really wanted a fringe jacket. When I got to the thrift store I hunted every section where I thought I might find one and had 0 luck. Then I went looking for one of Spring/Summer’s trends, the “Short Suit”, in the suiting section and there it was! A fringe jacket and matching skirt in the “suits” section! The skirt and matching jacket were $29.99 and even though I couldn’t personally wear the skirt (I gave it to my roommate!), I think it was a steal. Technically, I got the jacket for $15. I am so happy with it!!! I really feel like I manifested it that day.

Journaling – I’m going to talk more about journaling in another post coming up (it’s all about what I’ve been doing to keep busy while in self-isolation)! I’m not going to share too much but just that journaling has been something I’ve done almost every night in March. I actually see an improvement in my mental health. It’s calmed a lot of anxieties and I highly recommend starting a journal if you just enjoy writing! I’m going to continue journaling every day in April, and I think I’m going to start a bullet journal this month as well!

Amazon “A” pendant necklace – I’ve raved about this a lot in my YouTube video as well. Long story short, I am obsessed with this necklace. So obsessed that I’ve bought it THREE times!!! It’s not that the quality is poor, it’s just that I’m clumsy and I always want to make sure I have a back-up lol. The original that I bought either in September or earlier broke last month. I dropped it on the floor and the ring at the top of it where you put the chain through? Well that snapped off. I bought another as a back-up before that happened and they sent me the wrong pendant! The “A” was in a slimmer font and I didn’t like it. So once this original broke, I had to make sure I got the exact same one again. I ordered from a different seller on Amazon and I am so happy that it showed up looking the same as the one I absolutely fell in love with. I actually wanna order another one and really have a back-up this time. Has this ever happened to you guys? Have you ever loved a product so much that you need to make sure you have a back-up just in case?

Staying healthy/boosting my immune system! – I showed two things I’ve been incorporating into my daily routine more than usual: Vitamin C and hand sanitizer! It’s really important to make sure you’re staying healthy and safe right now. Vitamin C is one of the best ways to help boost your immune system and make you stronger. Hand sanitizer is really good at killing bacteria after you made that mandatory and weekly grocery run, or for any other circumstance you’re in that doesn’t allow you access to wash your hands. Other ways I’ve been trying to stay healthy are drinking lime + hot water + sugar (limes, lemons or any other citrus fruits help boost your immune system too!) and eating vanilla yogurt (active probiotics are great and are a source of Vitamin D, and Vitamin D helps our body’s natural defences against diseases)! All these do great things for your body and I know that I probably should have been doing this even before pandemic, but I’m really happy that I’m doing it now. Of course, another way to stay healthy and safe is to STAY HOME (if you’re able to). I know you guys have been hearing this enough but you really are saving lives by staying home and not becoming a carrier of COVID-19.

Formula 1: Drive to Survive on Netflix – I know you guys are probably not expecting this from me. I blame my boyfriend for putting it on one day while he was over lol. Somehow ONE episode turned into the both of us watching an entire season!!! I’ll be honest, the boys are cute. It’s a strange thing for me to notice but ALL of the F1 drivers are cute. Like, there isn’t a bad looking F1 driver! It’s also kind of a dramatic industry. I also somehow find it thrilling to watch them race around the track so fast. OMG, and the pit crew?! They change everything so fast and if they make ONE little mistake during that time, they’re done for! It’s insane but I have to admit that Formula 1 was definitely a favourite during the month of March. I also have to admit that I really want to attend a race once day lol.

Next in Fashion on Netflix – I really hope they do another season of this show really soon. I’m not even sure if they will at all but my fingers are crossed! If you haven’t watched this show and you love fashion as much as I do, you HAVE to get on this! The show is so inspiring and motivating. To all those fashion lovers that want a career in fashion but were told it wasn’t a “real job” or whatever, WATCH THIS. These designers are talented af and successful in their own way. They’re killing it! I actually cried a few times throughout the season because it was so relatable (at least for me). Yes, it’s not the most promising career. I know I’m just working retail right now. But if fashion is what you love, you gotta go for it! And now I want to go for it! I have a sewing machine now, I just need to wait until I can go out and purchase some fabric. I know that it might be a while until I can go out and do that, but until then I want to sketch some designs! I’m even thinking about taking a pattern-making class! I know that right now dreams might not seem that possible but this show was really inspiring and made me feel like maybe I can make my dreams come true, too.

Alright, there you have it! All the little things that I loved during the month of March! I’m curious to see what I’ll be loving next month, since it looks like I’ll be at home throughout the entire month of April as well! This will be interesting and fun! I can’t wait to share them with you guys :))

Until next time!

– Tiny ❤