A beautiful and touching post from Kayli to the women, families, and members of the military.

Taking an international trip soon? Here's a collection of travel scams from around the world. 

Outfit love! Neon + chevron from Jen, leather shorts from Mo, and a giraffe print dress from Shanna. Swoon!
My newest fave blogger, Juliette, asks the age old question: My sister's husband's cousin isn't my relative... right? This one will make you laugh and cringe!

Poop talk and other things you learn when travelling long term with your man.

You know those days when you just don't want to get out of your pajamas? Now you don't have to! Real Girl Glam shares 3 ways to wear daytime pjs :)

And last but certainly not least, Therese asks - are you crazy enough to change the world? I like to think that I am ;)

When I wrote last week about how I’m on my Plan B, I wrote that making a certain amount of money isn’t what makes me happy. My happiness is defined by more than my income, but sometimes I can’t help but fall into the trap of comparing myself with others. Not just with money, but also in relation to travels, blogging, wicked skills in writing and photography... I could go on unfortunately.

There comes a point when comparing doesn't do me any good. Instead of getting inspired by what other people have made possible for themselves, I get resentful that I'm not there. Is that an awful thing to confess? Probably. But I can’t be the only one, right?

When I’m getting dangerously close to throwing myself a ginormous pity party and I feel myself spiraling down a path of self-doubt, I remember this mantra:

Comparison is the thief of joy -Theodore Roosevelt

Nail polish lovers, I have a confession to make: I'm not a fan of Essie nail polishes (gasp). While they have a fabulous range of colours, I find the polishes to be thin, streaky, prone to chipping, and at $10 a bottle seriously overpriced. I was craving a new polish though and love this colour for summertime. Normally I'm a bit hesitant about drug-store brands, but at $5.49 a bottle I couldn't resist giving this Cover Girl nail polish a shot as I'd been searching for this perfect peachy / coral shade for a while. 

I was very pleased about the quality of this polish and especially how chip-resistant it is! I used a base and top coat plus two coats of colour, then on day three I added another layer of top coat. For those of you who work with your hands a lot, you know how rare it is to stay chip free for so long and my nails are still going strong. These pictures were taken on day four after my manicure and not one chip - absolutely fantastic and such a better value compared to Essie! I'm a happy gal and will definitely be buying this line of nail polish from Cover Girl again. 

Linking up with Glitter and Gloss and Well Shut The Front Door. 

I went to the mall last week and happened to pass through Sears (on my way to the stores I normally shop at, #letsbereal) when these beautiful turquoise sandals caught my eye. "50% off!" the clearance sign screamed at me. Errmm... okay... maybe not screamed as much as announced very conspicuously in the middle of the aisle... anyway for $25 these suckers came home with me and they are the most comfortable sandals I own! Love when that happens. No "breaking in" the toe section or having to deal with uncomfortable straps that cut into my ankles. These sandals were meant to be. As luck would have it of course I scuffed them only the second time I wore them (!!!) but such is life.

On a different note, I threw together this outfit for a day of errands and a casual dinner on the weekend. The turquoise accessories came together without much planning and I'm absolutely loving this scalloped lace t-shirt and denim cut-offs. Such an easy summertime outfit, which I think is key when it's 40 C outside (~100 F) and I'm expected to put clothes on my body.

What's your go-to casual outfit for the summertime?

Not that kind of Plan B. The “Plan B” in my life plan, if you will. After Plan A didn't quite work out, there was a good chunk of time where I felt defeated for not making it work like how I'd originally planned. Was I a failure? Was I the only one feeling this way?

Apparently not. Many Generation Yers (those of us born from the 1980s to 2000), abandon our Plan As by our mid-twenties. It took a while for me to realize the importance of changing the way I framed this issue in my mind. I remember thinking, “Maybe this time it’s good to be a part of the majority.” I’ve always been open to change and excited for new opportunities. "It's okay that I'm going down a different path. Not everyone gets it right when they’re making career goals as a teenager," I told myself.

I don’t know if any other visible minorities can relate, but I get asked “Where are you from?” ALLLL  the time. Usually I cheekily answer, “I’m from Canada” like I have no idea what they’re getting at. It’s almost always men who ask – guys at the bar, food and shop vendors, randoms I meet while out hiking... take a peek at this video below and tell me whether this has ever happened to you.

Step 2: Gather your tools – 1 or 2 hand towels, a small bowl, and makeup shampoo. I use Sephora and I’m happy with it, but you could also use water and baby shampoo or water and unscented soap too.

I’m so excited to not only be attending, but also standing up for, my best friend in her wedding this weekend. Follow me on Instagram to get some behind-the-scenes pictures (but don’t worry, I won’t be committing Don’t #5 below). Since we’re right in the prime of wedding season, lots of us have probably been invited to a wedding or two this summer. But what happens if you haven’t been a guest at a wedding before or maybe it’s been a really long time (like back when you were a teenager)? For those of us who want to avoid offending the bride and groom, I thought I’d share some modern wedding etiquette tips.

Photo copyright of Dave and Charlotte Photography

5 Dos and Don’ts for Attending a Wedding